UNT, Collin College launch dual-degree program in Frisco

UNT and Collin College launched OnePath on Monday, giving Collin County students a more direct route from an associate degree to a UNT bachelor’s degree without leaving the county’s fast-growing higher-ed corridor. The first cohort is set to begin in Fall 2026, with inaugural pathways in business and biology.

The program is built around co-enrollment at both institutions, one application and a structured degree plan meant to keep credits moving toward completion instead of slipping through transfer gaps. UNT said Texas residents can receive a co-enrollment discount for up to four semesters, a detail that matters most for families watching both tuition bills and the clock. In a market where college costs and extra semesters can push students off track, OnePath is designed to lower the price of persistence as well as the price of admission.

The business track pairs an Associate of Arts with a Business Field of Study at Collin College with a UNT business bachelor’s degree. Collin College said business students can take select business Field of Study classes at UNT at Frisco each semester, while UNT’s G. Brint Ryan College of Business offers 19 bachelor’s degree programs. That mix gives students a clearer line from lower-division coursework to a degree tied to jobs in accounting, management, marketing and other business fields.

The biology pathway is built differently but follows the same logic. Students will start with an Associate of Science at Collin College, take foundational science and health coursework and get pre-healthcare advising, then move into upper-level biology classes in Denton or at UNT at Frisco. UNT and Collin College are framing that route as a way to reduce transfer barriers for students aiming at healthcare and other science-based careers, where delayed prerequisites can add both time and cost.

Frisco is the physical anchor for the partnership. The City of Frisco says UNT’s branch campus sits on 100 acres at the southwest corner of Preston Road and Panther Creek Parkway, and Frisco Landing opened Jan. 12, 2023. UNT has said its Frisco and Collin County presence was meant to meet demand from students who want convenient higher education options close to home in a region still absorbing population and business growth.

The larger question is whether OnePath broadens access or mainly rewards students already positioned to follow a mapped degree plan. The answer will depend on how well the two schools keep advising, scheduling and course availability aligned. For students who can stay on sequence, the payoff is clear: fewer wasted credits, fewer extra semesters and a cheaper, faster path to a degree in one of Collin County’s most visible education hubs.