UTA West could open in the fall of 2028 in west Fort Worth
The University of Texas at Arlington officials today approved a plan to purchase 51 acres of property in west Fort Worth within the Walsh Ranch development. They also authorized the use of the Permanent University Fund to purchase the property, paving the way for UTA West, a new campus dedicated to fostering economic development and meeting the educational needs of one of the fastest growing-areas in the country.
All photos are courtesy of UTA.
Advantageously positioned at the intersection of I-30 and I-20 at the western gateway of Fort Worth, the new campus is expected to begin welcoming students as early as fall 2028. UTA West will be developed as part of a multiyear plan to serve more than 10,000 students, a UTA press release stated.
“Anytime the UT System can expand greater educational opportunity, access, and affordability to Texans, we’re going to do it,” stated Kevin Eltife, chairman of the UT System Board of Regents, in the release. “We’ve recently done it in east Texas and south Texas and now we’re heading west. We’re looking forward to planting a UT Arlington flag in west Fort Worth, currently the nation’s fastest-growing city.”
“Years from now when we look back at major milestones in the life of the Fort Worth region and UT Arlington’s history, this new campus will rise to be among the top,” stated J.B. Milliken, chancellor of the UT System, in the release. “As cities prepare for rapid growth, the presence of great universities contributes immensely to their vibrant transformation, and we applaud the very special relationship between UT Arlington and Fort Worth as they plan for the future in such an insightful and strategic way.”
“The western part of the metroplex has an ever-growing population, a plethora of student talent, and a wide breadth of opportunity for explosive economic advancement. 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,” stated UTA President Jennifer Cowley in the release.
“UTA West represents a transformative investment in our community’s future,” said Robert Allen, Fort Worth Economic Development Partnership president, in the release. “By aligning educational resources with the region’s economic needs, UTA is poised to play a pivotal role in shaping a skilled workforce capable of meeting the demands of 21st-century industries.”
UTA in Fort Worth
The new campus expands the University’s decades-long partnership with Fort Worth.
In 1986, the UTA Research Institute (UTARI) was established in east Fort Worth. Today, the facility conducts $16 million annually in research focused on advanced controls and sensors, airborne computing networks, automation and intelligent systems, bio-signal processing, biomedical technologies, and predictive performance.
In 2007, the UTA Fort Worth Center was established in downtown Fort Worth. The Center, focused on serving working professionals by connecting education with careers, offers high-quality academic programs that meet the needs of students and the 21st-century workforce.
In 2023, the UTA Institute of Urban Studies, the principal research center for the College of Architecture, Planning, and Public Affairs, opened at UTA’s Fort Worth Center. The Institute’s mandated mission is to conduct research and provide technical assistance to city and county governments, governmental agencies, and nonprofit organizations and to offer education and teaching opportunities to individuals either already in or contemplating public service careers.
With about 41,000 students, UTA is the second-largest institution in the UT System, a press release stated.