The university served the Rio Grande Valley and South Texas with baccalaureate, master's, and doctoral degrees.

UTPA also operated an Upper Level Studies Center in Rio Grande City, Starr County, Texas.

On August 15, 2014, Dr. Havidan Rodriguez was appointed interim President of UTPA, the institution's final leader.

In 2015, UTRGV entered into operation following the merger of UTPA and UT–Brownsville, founded as an extension of then-Pan American University at Texas Southmost College.

Hidalgo County held a referendum for a four-year university in 1951; the school became Pan American Regional College on December 20, 1951.

It adopted its final name subsequent to entry into the UT System, preserving the nearly 40-year legacy of the Pan American name.

[6] On December 6, 2012, University of Texas regents approved a proposal to merge UTPA, the UT-Brownsville, and a planned medical school into one regional institution.

[7] On December 12, 2013, the UT Board of Regents voted to name the new organization the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

[8] Almost immediately, students on both campuses began objecting to the new name as a caricature and racial stereotype of Mexican, Latino, Chicano, and Hispanic culture.

[10] On August 31, 2015, UTB was officially dissolved and UTPA's name was changed to the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

The CSL offers graduate-level biology courses and houses several ecological programs that are independent of UTPA.

[citation needed] In 2009 UTPA ranked behind only Florida International University for bachelor's degrees awarded to Hispanic students.

[26] Historically, UTPA had open enrollment such that any student able to graduate from an approved public or private high school was granted admission.

In 1997, UTPA started the University Scholars Program in an attempt to retain top local high-school students.

UTPA guaranteed full tuition funding for any student who meets one of many objective minimum requirements in all three tiers.