1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. [The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley](/school/the-university-of-texas-rio-grande-valley/) 4. / 5. Admissions & selectivity Admissions & selectivity Copy linkPrint brief # The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Acceptance Rate & Admissions Updated September 30, 2026 [Overview](/school/the-university-of-texas-rio-grande-valley/)[Cost & aid](/school/the-university-of-texas-rio-grande-valley/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/the-university-of-texas-rio-grande-valley/outcomes/)Admissions[Majors](/school/the-university-of-texas-rio-grande-valley/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/the-university-of-texas-rio-grande-valley/similar/) **On this page**+ ## What is the acceptance rate at UT Rio Grande Valley? UT Rio Grande Valley’s reported acceptance rate is 94.2%. **Acceptance rate · Fall 2024** 94.2% Source: College Scorecard · Fall 2024 admissions. Acceptance rates can change from year to year; this figure does not predict the current or next admission cycle. How to interpret the acceptance rate The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley admits 94.2% of applicants, placing it in the broad-access category. For context, the median admission rate among comparable public universities of its size is 78.1%. UT Rio Grande Valley serves a wider range of applicants than most of its peers, and the admission process is designed to be inclusive rather than highly selective. The university's mission centers on providing opportunity across the Rio Grande Valley, and a complete application that meets the basic requirements is likely to yield an offer of admission. ## What SAT and ACT scores do UT Rio Grande Valley students report? Enrolled students who submitted SAT scores posted a middle range from 880 to 1,090. ACT submitters fell between 15 and 21. These figures are the twenty-fifth and seventy-fifth percentiles of recent score submitters, not admission minimums. They show the score band where the middle portion of enrolled students who sent scores landed. An applicant weighing UT Rio Grande Valley can use the 880–1,090 SAT band and the 15–21 ACT band as context for the scores that recent enrolled submitters brought in. The ranges cover only students who chose to report scores. The ranges below describe enrolled students who submitted test scores at UT Rio Grande Valley. Use them as academic context, then check the university’s current testing policy for your application cycle. SAT: approximate enrolled-student range **Approximate lower endpoint** 880 **Approximate upper endpoint** 1090 Enrolled students who submitted scores. This range is not an admission cutoff. The endpoints add section percentiles; they are not verified composite-score percentiles. A separate SAT-equivalent average is not plotted as a median. Source: College Scorecard; sum of section 25th/75th percentiles; enrolled score-submitters. ACT: enrolled-student score range **25th percentile** 15 **75th percentile** 21 Enrolled students who submitted scores. This range is not an admission cutoff. Figures cover fall 2024. ## Who enrolls at UT Rio Grande Valley? UT Rio Grande Valley admitted 94.2% of applicants in the Fall 2024 reporting period. That is a high reported admission rate, but it does not establish an open-admission policy or waive program requirements. Among enrolled ACT score submitters, the reported range was 15–21. The SAT endpoints of 880 and 1,090 add section percentiles and are not verified composite-score percentiles. Pell Grant recipients accounted for 65.1% of undergraduates in 2023–24—nearly two-thirds of that population. The first-generation share was 52.6% in the separate, historical pooled 2015–16 and 2016–17 cohorts. These measures describe access across different source populations; they do not identify a single current entering class. The Fall 2024 entering-student measure was 34.2%. It includes part-time entrants and others outside the first-time, full-time group, so it is not a transfer-enrollment rate. First-year retention was 81.1% for the Fall 2023 cohort. Applicants should check current requirements for their intended program and application route. **Pell Grant recipients** 65.1% **Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group** 34.2% **First-year retention** 81.1% Retention source: College Scorecard; full-time first-year retention. About these student measures The entering-student group includes part-time entrants as well as other attendance patterns. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley serves 28,666 undergraduates, with an admission rate of 94.2%. That figure sits above the peer median of 78.1% for comparable public universities, reflecting a policy of broad entry rather than selectivity. Pell Grant recipients make up 65.1% of undergraduates. An estimated 34.2% of students enter as transfers or part-time students, which suggests the university functions as a major destination for students continuing their education. Applicants from low-income backgrounds should know they will join a student body where Pell-eligible peers are the majority, not the exception. The first-year retention rate at UT Rio Grande Valley is 81.1%, just below the peer median of 83.1%. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) for the first-time full-time cohort is 50.9%, which trails the peer median of 65.0%. Pell Grant recipients complete at a rate of 50.2%, slightly below the overall graduation rate of 50.9%. Enrolled students can expect a campus where persistence is the norm for most, and where Pell-eligible students graduate at a rate close to the full cohort. ## Data & methodology Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/). Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source. Admission rates describe past applicants, not an individual’s chance of admission; confirm requirements and deadlines with the institution. Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).