The University of Texas System plans to merge UT Health San Antonio and the University of Texas at San Antonio to form a unified institution in 2025.
UT Health San Antonio, the largest academic health research institution in South Texas, ranks in the top 3% globally for NIH funding while UTSA educates 35,000 students across seven colleges and interdisciplinary schools.
The proposed merger aims to advance the potential of both institutions and transform South Texas into a global hub of academic and research excellence. The transaction would form the third-largest research university in Texas, with annual research expenditures nearing $470 million.
"It is time to marshal the talent, size and scale of UTSA and UTHSA to multiply their roles as global leaders in education, healthcare and innovation," UT Board of Regents Chair Kevin Eltife said in an Aug. 22 news release. "By bringing together all of their complementary and unique strengths, we will give Texans access to the best education, discoveries and healthcare imaginable, while accelerating the university's trajectory as a top U.S. and global university."
UT Health said it aims to become a global public research institution with comprehensive academic and health science centers, such as the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of California at Los Angeles.