The University Of Texas Rio Grande Valley

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley prices its education accessibly across the income spectrum. Low-income families pay approximately $3,785 per year in net price, middle-income families see annual costs around $5,665, and higher-income families pay correspondingly more at roughly $13,782.

Azimuth ranks The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley #18 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Net prices by income band are medians within those bands; individual aid packages vary, so some families in each band pay more and some less than the figures shown.

Need-based aid plays a meaningful role in how students experience cost at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. The university participates in federal, state, and institutional aid programs, and work-study is available as part of the aid structure, per the financial aid page.

Families apply for need-based aid using the FAFSA, and the combination of Pell Grants, institutional grants, and work-study opportunities helps close the gap between published costs and what students actually pay. The [net price illusion](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is worth understanding here — the sticker price and the net price can differ substantially, particularly for lower-income families.

Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $12,950, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $8,107; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the [Parent PLUS risk framework](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) for how household context shapes PLUS decisions. For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $53,888, median federal debt of $12,950 projects to a monthly payment of about $146 under standard ten-year repayment.

For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use [Azimuth's Financial GPS tool](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).

Graduates of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley earn median earnings of $53,888 four years after enrollment, placing The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in the 13.5 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure sits below the $65,228 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band).

Graduates earn about $12,491 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in the 89.4 percentile for [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures represent lifetime returns relative to TX's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $31,626, the state median earnings of working adults age 25–34 with only a high school credential.

Azimuth ranks The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley #769 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The degree mix at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is anchored by Biological Sciences, which accounts for 11% of graduates, followed by Engineering at 7% and Arts at 4%.

Criminal Justice combines substantial enrollment with competitive pay, making it a key contributor to the institution's overall earnings profile. Azimuth ranks Biology, General #184 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions [per the program-ranking methodology](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/), with 587 graduates earning median earnings of $47,954 four years after enrollment — 0.8x the national benchmark for the field.

The Criminal Justice program graduates 581 students with median earnings of $49,979, and Azimuth ranks the program #86 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions. Psychology, General ranks #304 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions with 486 graduates earning median earnings of $40,140, while Kinesiology ranks #80 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions with median earnings of $53,769.

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley's program mix is anchored in Biological Sciences, which accounts for 11% of degree output, followed by Engineering at 7% and Arts at 4%. The largest programs by cohort size are Biology, General (587 graduates), Criminal Justice (581 graduates), and Psychology, General (486 graduates).

Across 50 programs serving roughly 4,809 students annually, 37 meet Azimuth's [program-ranking threshold](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/). The highest-earning programs at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley cluster in applied and professional fields.

Nursing leads with median 4-year earnings of $88,067 from a cohort of 183 graduates, and Azimuth ranks the program #154 among nonprofit four-year institutions. Interdisciplinary Studies follows with median 4-year earnings of $56,493 from 240 graduates, and Azimuth ranks it #48 among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The Kinesiology program graduates 310 students with median 4-year earnings of $53,769, and Azimuth ranks the program #80 among nonprofit four-year institutions. Several of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley's largest programs — including Biology, General and Kinesiology — are grad-school-dependent pathways where four-year earnings undercount lifetime trajectory because a meaningful share of graduates continue to medical school or graduate study.

Interdisciplinary Studies, with 240 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $56,493, represents a more direct-to-workforce pathway where four-year earnings better reflect labor-market outcomes. The [supply-demand map](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) provides context for how these fields align with national wage trends.