Texas A&M Approves $50 Million Health Education Building in McAllen

Building scope and program funding

Planned spaces include flexible classrooms, teaching labs, a clinical skills lab for pharmacy students, faculty offices, a library, a testing center, a makerspace and an innovation studio. Faculty will also use the building for community-based research. The university's construction solicitation describes it as the third building on the McAllen campus, providing student support, education and research space for public health, pharmacy and general academic needs, with student lounges and connections to campus utilities and parking.

The project is funded with $25 million in state appropriations and $25 million from the Available University Fund. The McAllen campus already offers a bachelor's degree in public health and, since 2023, the Aggie Pharmacy Technician Program.

Training the regional health workforce

"Students in the Valley shouldn't have to leave home to train for a career in health care," Board Chairman Robert Albritton said. "This building means more of them can study here, work here and take care of their own communities." He added: "That's a good return on the state's money."

Texas A&M University President Susan Ballabina said, "Texas A&M has been teaching in the Rio Grande Valley for more than 20 years, and we're still building." She added, "Students in McAllen earn the same Texas A&M degree and the same Aggie Ring as students in College Station," and "This building gives more of them a path into health care without ever leaving home."

Chancellor Glenn Hegar said a student who trains for a health care career in McAllen is likely to remain in the region, noting "there's a good chance that student stays and works in the Valley." He continued: "That's how you build a health care workforce. You grow it at home, and you give students a first-rate place to learn."

The new building follows the Nursing Education and Research Building, which opened on the campus with a grand opening ceremony on Jan. 22, 2026. That 61,000-square-foot facility cost nearly $50 million, was authorized by regents in 2023 and broke ground on Jan. 25, 2024. It houses the College of Nursing's traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing program and the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences' One Health research and outreach space. The nursing program's first cohort has 24 students, and the college expects to add 100 nursing workforce members a year.

Campus development and delivery

Texas A&M has had a presence in McAllen since 2004, when Texas A&M Health began offering programs there. The campus, referred to in earlier university announcements as the Higher Education Center at McAllen, began offering programs in 2017 and opened in 2018. University announcements earlier this year said it offers 10 academic programs and that a future Texas A&M AgriLife Research facility is planned there to study local health needs and biosecurity.

The system's announcement did not name an architect or contractor for the Health Education and Research Building. With construction approval in place, the next step is the start of construction scheduled for December.