The University of Texas at El Paso was first known as the Texas State School of Mines & Metallurgy, and in 1913 opened just a stone’s throw from the Rio Grande River. Enrollment that year totaled just 27 students.

After the school joined the University of Texas System in 1918, the name changed a few more times:

1918 –Texas College of Mines & Metallurgy

1948 – Texas Western College

1967 – University of Texas at El Paso

Enrollment is approximately 25 thousand students, with 168 degree programs. UTEP contributes $1.4 billion to the El Paso County economy annually. The campus features striking Bhutanese-Style architecture (inspired by the Himalayan mountaintop fortresses of the Kingdom of Bhutan) and is nestled in the Franklin Mountains.

In 1966, led by Coach Don Haskins, underdog Texas Western College defeated Kentucky in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship game, 72-65. That was the first NCAA title for an all-Black starting five.