A dramatic sunrise is shown over San Antonio and UTSA’s downtown campus. Credit: Courtesy / UTSA

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San Antonio is emerging as a formidable economic force in Texas, with UTSA playing a pivotal role in driving the city’s top industries forward. With 7,000-plus degrees awarded each year and 88% of alumni living and working in Texas, UTSA’s unique formulas for driving economic prosperity are helping to shape the city’s future.

Huge investments in the city’s knowledge ecosystem

UTSA is investing in infrastructure to position San Antonio as a national leader in cutting-edge fields, while simultaneously preparing a professional workforce with the skills our city needs the most.

A trendsetting School of Data Science
The first of its kind in Texas, UTSA’s School of Data Science answers the national call for a highly skilled workforce to fill growing needs in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, big data and data analytics. The school is producing the data science and cyber experts employers are desperately seeking to expand their businesses with a new generation of talent.

A dedicated space for connecting students to opportunities downtown
Opening in 2025, UTSA’s newest building in downtown San Antonio — San Pedro II — will house programs that further connect students with experiential learning and career-engagement opportunities. Also known as the Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Careers building, it will further expand San Antonio’s technology corridor.

A revolutionary new college dedicated to AI
UTSA is reshaping its academic landscape for the future with the creation of a new college dedicated to AI, cybersecurity, computing and data science. The college, which is expected to open in 2025 and to be the first of its kind in the country, will position UTSA to lead in the rapidly evolving landscape of advanced technologies.

A laser focus on experiential learning
In 2020, UTSA doubled-down on its commitment to providing students with career-relevant, hands-on learning experiences by establishing The Harvey E. Najim Innovation and Career Advancement Center. In 2022, Najim committed another $2 million gift to expand the center’s reach, building an even larger network in downtown San Antonio and providing more students with “learning by doing” experiences.

Proven methods for producing the professionals San Antonio needs

UTSA is directly addressing the region’s professional workforce gaps by focusing on growth — increasing the number of graduates with future-forward, industry-aligned skill sets each year. 

Life sciences
UTSA’s Brain Health Consortium is advancing the state’s health care enterprise through transdisciplinary research, collaboration and professional development.

Education
UTSA’s College of Education & Human Development is graduating over 500 education majors annually, with 30,000+ educators transforming the state’s workforce over its 50+ year history.

Tech and cyber
UTSA’s School of Data Science and new college dedicated to AI are growing Texas’ presence as the largest cyber hub outside of Washington D.C.

Financial services
UTSA’s Alvarez College of Business is funneling talented graduates into the region’s largest financial firms, including USAA, Frost Bank, Broadway Bank, Jefferson Bank and Lone Star Capital Bank.

Powerful Partnerships Shaping the City’s Future

UTSA is fully invested in developing deep partnerships with industry and government leaders, bringing their resources and talent to San Antonio and opening more doors for the city to compete on the national and global level.

Cybersecurity Manufacturing Innovation Institute (CyManII)
CyManII is a public-private partnership with the Department of Energy that aims to protect American manufacturers and their supply chains from cyberattacks and sustain American leadership in the global manufacturing marketplace. UTSA is proud to serve as CyManII’s lead institution and physical home.

Collaborators include:

  • General Electric
  • Cisco
  • Lockheed Martin
  • Oak Ridge National Laboratory
  • Purdue University

Career Lab powered by GM Financial
UTSA’s new career lab, gifted by longtime partner GM Financial, connects students and alumni with career consultants who will guide them through a variety of strategies and provide resources and experiential learning opportunities to develop their careers. GM Financial’s dedicated partnership with UTSA has opened doors for Roadrunners to become even more career-ready and appealing to employers.

Advancing tech and research with Dell
UTSA’s partnership with Dell Technologies supports advanced technologies and a new research infrastructure platform at the university. Dell’s servers, storage, networking and data protection serve as the foundation of all research produced at the institution, establishing a research infrastructure that meets the federal guidelines, policies and regulations of the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Department of Energy and Texas statutes — spurring innovation and elevating research at UTSA.

Economic and community development

UTSA’s Valdez Institute for Economic Development champions San Antonio’s entrepreneurial spirit by partnering with federal, state and local business, as well as higher education organizations to nurture local startups and small businesses across 79 counties, spanning from El Paso to Corpus Christi. In 2023 alone, they aided over 41,000 clients, kickstarted 545 new businesses, boosted 914 existing ones and generated thousands of jobs — all resulting in $2.6 billion in direct economic impact.

Learn more about how UTSA is powering Texas’ economy.

Alyssa Luna joined UTSA’s communications team in 2023 after working as a digital content producer in broadcast news.