UTEP touted record fundraising, enrollment, freshman class sizes and college affordability during its annual State of the University address.
UTEP President Dr. Heather Wilson announced over $67 million in fundraising, an excess of 27,000 in total student enrollment, the fifth straight year of a record freshmen class and six straight years of frozen tuition and fees during her address on Friday, Aug. 21, at the Fox Fine Arts Center.
The first day of fall classes is Monday, Aug. 24.
"We're midway through our 10-year strategic plan and the midpoint is always a good time to stop and assess," Wilson said. "In January, we began to update the plan once we had community data that discussed progress and goals and our mission.
"Our refined plan will sharpen
our focus and better direct our energy. The (2030 Strategic plan) doesn't include all we'll do, but it sets a direction to align our work."
Among the highlights were the largest gift in UTEP history, $30 million, which led to the Miguel A. Loya College of Engineering, and 11 gifts of $1 million or more. In total, UTEP had more than 6,426 unique donors.
For Jorge Calleja, a third-year student in the Leadership and Administration doctoral program, there were many reasons he chose UTEP for every phase of his collegiate education, from his bachelor's degree to postgraduate education.
"I come from Juárez, and when I came here, I knew nothing about all these opportunities," Calleja said. "As a first-generation student, you don't always know about what the university has to offer. Over the years, UTEP has taken big steps to let all students know what they can offer everyone."
While UTEP has had issues competing with the prestige of other universities, Calleja noted that its research prowess is on par with Ivy League schools at a fraction of the cost. The myriad of programs it offers also is a means of making a college education accessible.
Another year of UTEP record enrollment
While the final numbers for the new total enrollment are expected on Sept. 9, the university reported its fifth straight year of record overall enrollment.
National attention for student achievement is not new for the university, Wilson said. She highlighted the success of the Sun City Rockets, an all-female team that engineers model rockets and competes against universities statewide. The team won first place in the Lone Star Cup competition. The UTEP Dance Team also captured a national title for the second year in a row.
Academically, UTEP has had 11 Fulbright scholars, with five in 2026 and six in 2025. The premier international educational exchange initiative is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State
"They will be in Taiwan, Spain, the Slovak Republic, Peru and Nepal and we actually rank fourth in Texas for receiving national recognition for our Fulbright program here," Wilson said.
UTEP garners record research dollars
The record $162.3 million in research funding in FY2025 stems from a number of key partnerships with federal and private sector partners.
"With respect to research, the federal environment is difficult," Wilson said. "Research expenditures have steadily risen from $37 million in 2005 to $157 million in 2024. Much of that research involved multidisciplinary teams and institutional initiatives. This collaboration among faculty is one of the keys to research success."
Federal agencies provided $73 million in research funding in that same fiscal year, with the National Science Foundation contributing $22 million. The Department of Health and Human Services offered $17 million and the Department of Defense added $16 million.
Rounding out the lucrative fiscal year was the Department of Energy's $8 million in funds, with NASA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture contributing as well.
Kristian Jaime is the Top Story Reporter for the El Paso Times and is reachable at Kjaime@elpasotimes.com.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: UTEP's annual address highlights record fundraising, enrollment
