Mariah Escobar 
The Wall Street Journal listed UTRGV as the No. 1 public university in Texas for best value and social mobility for a second year in a row Oct. 21, a great reputational acknowledgement for the university and what it is trying to accomplish, according to a university official.
“I think, since we started in 2015, we have slowly but surely developed the reputation for being a high-quality university but, at the same time, one of the most affordable universities in the state and the country,” said Patrick Gonzales, vice president for University Marketing and Communications. “So, for us, value is a combination of quality and affordability.”
He added UTRGV strives to maintain the title as two of its motivations and goals are to have one of the lowest tuition and mandatory fees and having students graduate within four years, with them being prepared to enter the workforce.
“According to our UT systems statistics, if you look at our full-time undergraduate student body … 91% of those students don’t pay any tuition or fees [out of pocket] … and we intend to keep that,” UTRGV President Guy Bailey said.
Bailey added the university has one of the lowest debt loads in Texas and the country by offering professional opportunities at good prices.
“Social mobility is really important,” he said. “… We live in one of the poorer regions in the United States. One of our goals is to help our students build wealth, support their families [and] create better futures for themselves.”
Bailey added, as a first-generation college student himself, social mobility transformed his life. Students can transform their lives and make the Valley a better, more economically vibrant place to live.
Aarykah Navarro/ THE RIDER
Gonzales said the university continues to provide scholarships and other forms of financial aid to its students, so they can graduate in a timely manner.
“UTRGV is the best for social mobility or for their ability to help students earn great careers when they graduate from the university,” he said.
Cristin Morejon, a biology freshman, said she is very impacted by the financial aid she receives.
“If it weren’t for the state grants as well as just regular scholarships, I wouldn’t be able to be in school today,” Morejon said.
A form of social mobility on campus is the Career Center, according to Gonzales, as they may help students inside and outside the classroom for internships and strengthening their academic careers.
“When they graduate, they are prepared to go out into the workforce and start these careers that have been so fulfilling for many of our students and that will help raise … our social mobility impact,” he added.
Gonzales said with the challenges and accomplishments the university has faced this year, it is in a good place and could not have asked for a better 10-year anniversary, hitting record milestones.
The vice president added UTRGV’s reputation as a great-value university grows, which is reflected in the record number of applications and enrollment “we continue to see.”
The university continues to grow by adding more programs and enhancing opportunities so that there are a variety of resources available for students who decide to enroll, according to Gonzales.
“Since 2015, we’ve added 18 new bachelor’s degrees, 17 master’s degrees, six doctoral degrees and five professional degrees,” he said, noting more programs and enhancing opportunities aid the university’s growth.
Bailey said it is a blessing to have a stamp of approval and endorsement from one of the leading journals in the country.
“We are just real pleased with the Wall Street Journal rankings and, before that, the Washington Monthly rankings,” the UTRGV president said. “… We are deeply committed to the success of our students and to their social mobility … so this is a great recognition to what we are committed to.”
Gonzales said The Wall Street Journal ranking is proof of what the campus is doing to transform higher education in Texas.
“It’s a great product of all the hard work that has gone [into] the last 10 years from our students, our faculty and our staff,” the vice president said.
Aarykah Navarro/ THE RIDER
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