UTEP makes Forbes' 500 Best Colleges due to low student debt

The University of Texas at El Paso has been named one of Forbes' 500 Best Colleges. The rankings were released as part of the 2024 Forbes Top Colleges List .

Of the 500 schools, UTEP ranked number one in Texas — and 15th nationwide — for graduating students with little to no debt.

The 2024 list recognizes the top 500 colleges across the U.S. based on student success, return on investment and alumni influence. The Forbes ranking system analyzes alumni salary, student debt, graduation and retention rates, return on investment, academic success and leadership and entrepreneurial success of graduates.

Forbes found that the average debt of a UTEP student was $4,735, significantly lower than the national average. According to the Education Data Initiative , university graduates owe an average of $28,244 a year after they leave school.

“UTEP provides a great education at a price that families can afford,” said President Heather Wilson in a press release. “This ranking is a testament to our commitment to excellence.”

Of the nearly 80 four-year, degree-granting institutions in Texas, only 15 made the Forbes 500 list. These include UTEP, the University of Texas at Austin, Rice University and Texas A&M.

Forbes also found that the median salary of a UTEP alum within 10 years of graduating was $106,000.

“UTEP wants every student to have an exceptional and an affordable education,” said Amanda Vasquez, Ph.D., vice president for enrollment management. “Our teams do everything in our power to remove financial barriers for students interested in attending UTEP.”

More: 'Happy' to be here: Excitement fills UTEP campus as students move in for fall semester

What to know about UTEP

The University of Texas at El Paso is America’s leading Hispanic-serving university. Located at the westernmost tip of Texas, where three states and two countries meet, 84% of the 24,000 students are Hispanic, and more than half are the first in their families to go to college.

UTEP is the only open-access, top-tier research university in America, offering 170 bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs.

The university, which has a unique Bhutanese architecture, offers a wide variety of degree plans, including engineering, business management, education, health professions, and STEM. Among undergraduates, the five majors in fall 2023 with the highest enrollment were nursing, psychology, criminal justice, biological sciences, and computer science.

More: UTEP Miners vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers football on FOX: 5 updates to know before kickoff

María Cortés González may be reached at 915-546-6150; mcortes@elpasotimes.com, @EPTMaria on Twitter; eptmariacg on Instagram , eptmariacg on TikTok.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: UTEP makes Forbes' 500 Best Colleges due to low student debt