Extra Credit: McAllen Students Have Strong Higher Education Options
Students in McAllen, TX have endless opportunities at their fingertips.
Colleges and universities are enrolling in the McAllen area, with students having access to top higher education opportunities.
One excellent choice is South Texas College (STC), which enrolls more than 34,000 students and offers nearly 120 degree and certificate program options. STC has five campuses and three teaching centers as well as a virtual campus that provides 500 online courses to students.
In addition, STC’s continuing, professional and workforce education programs are leaders in preparing a well-qualified labor force, offering courses in advanced manufacturing, arts and design, education, English as a second language, health care, real estate, technology and trades, and truck and bus driving. The college also has an apprenticeship program for adults and high school students, focusing on HVAC, culinary arts, hospitality/hotel operations and automotive technology.
UTRGV and A&M
Also available to area students is the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), which opened in 2013 following a merger between the University of Texas-Pan American and University of Texas at Brownsville. In 2019, UTRGV opened a new Biomedical Research building with laboratory, classroom and collaborative space for researchers working in the areas of cancer, diabetes, neurodegenerative disorders and more.
Another growing presence in McAllen is the Texas A&M University System and the increasing number of degree programs it offers. In 2018, the Texas A&M University Higher Education Center opened its doors in the expanding Tres Lagos community, and A&M is constructing a second building that will be used by engineering students. The university currently offers five degrees in McAllen – biomedical science, food information systems management, public health and two undergraduate degrees in engineering.