Earlier this week, plans for a western branch of the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) became a reality when the Board of Regents authorized the purchase of 51 acres of the Walsh Ranch development. Located at the intersection of I-30 and I-20 near the border of Tarrant and Parker counties, UTA West is expected to open in the fall 2028 and will eventually serve over 10,000 students.

"UTA has long been a top supplier of talent to companies across Fort Worth, and this expansion will allow UTA to broaden its impact across our region,” UTA President Jennifer Cowley said.

UTA and Cowtown have a relationship going back to 1986, when the UTA Research Institute opened in east Fort Worth. That facility conducts $16 million in research annually to this day.

Higher education expansion

The UTA West project is just one of many higher education projects going on locally.

Texas A&M is developing much of southeastern downtown.
TCU's Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine has been constructed in the Near Southside, where students will begin classes this fall.
Tarleton State University, long associated with Stephenville, opened a Fort Worth campus along the Chisholm Trail in 2019 and will welcome first- and second-year students for the first time this fall.
The UNT Health Science Center at Fort Worth is creating a College of Nursing, but the opening date has yet to be announced.