Education &

Workforce

Harlingen’s comprehensive talent pipeline assures that skills acquisition begins at the earliest stages and extends through aligned training and education at nine area institutions of higher learning, with education assets including:

UTRGV Harlingen Collegiate High

Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District

Career-focused, globally oriented

Harlingen CISD prepares students for achievement and success in a global marketplace, not only with high-caliber academics but also with strategic opportunities for a jump start on careers and college. Career academies allow students to explore pathways in 12 diverse fields, including health sciences, information technology, natural resources, pre-engineering and business. A collegiate high school also opens the opportunity for students to graduate with two years of college credit.
Another important support that helps students start strong and graduate career- and college- ready:  HCISD’s state-of-the-art environment where teachers are prepared and enthusiastic. (The HCISD is rated #115 out of 1,084 districts in Niche.com’s “Best Places to Teach in Texas.”)

Texas State Technical College (TSTC)-Harlingen Learning & training that works

Texas State Tech College

Relevant, hands-on education is the promise of TSTC, the only college in the state with a funding model based on student employment outcomes. Working collaboratively with 6,000+ industry partners, the college offers more than
50 aligned programs that turn out performance-ready workers through innovative curriculum and work-based learning supported by the Texas Workforce Commission. Accolades for TSTC are impressive, including a ranking in the Top 10% of Community Colleges in America (Niche.com) and Top 7% of Best Colleges in Texas (Collegefactual.com).

For local employers, the college also provides custom training through either credit or non-credit programs, with costs defrayed by the Texas Skills Development Fund.

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV)

Front entrance to UTRGV main building

Lower costs, higher impact

Since its creation in 2013 by the consolidation of UT-Brownsville and UT-Pan American, UTRGV has made a significant impact by opening affordable access to the quality instruction and programming of a Carnegie-classified R2 (High Research Activity) institution.

In addition to the college’s recognition as one of the nation’s top 10 schools awarding bachelor’s degrees to Hispanic/Latino students, in 2023 Washington Monthly ranked UTRGV as:

  • #1 Best University in Texas

  • #1 Best Social Mobility Among Texas Universities

  • #1 Lowest Net Price of Attendance Among Texas Universities

UTRGV School of Medicine

School of Medicine building exterior

Transformational talent pipeline

UTRGV School of Medicine is bringing life-changing benefits to the region by supplying top-quality healthcare professionals through competency-based education and by providing ground-breaking care. The School’s Harlingen Graduate Medical Education Center serves cross-disciplinary fields with state-of-the-art technology and instruction like the virtual Smart Hospital, while the Institute of Neuroscience, also in Harlingen, assures world-class care even as it produces world-renowned research.