The University of Texas at Austin

Public · Selective · TX

Photo: Spheroidite (CC BY-SA 4.0)

School data & stats

TypePublic

LocationTX · South

SettingUrban

Undergrads42,855

Student:faculty18:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate73.5%

6-yr grad rate88.9%

Drop-out rate3.3%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$12k

Out-of-state tuition$45k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity69.6%

Gender diversity57.8%

International4.4%

Identity—

Overview

The University of Texas at Austin is the flagship of the UT System, anchoring downtown-adjacent Austin, a city known for tech, music, and politics. Enrolling students across more than a dozen colleges and schools, UT combines the scale and resources of a major research university with one of the most visible and spirited campus cultures in the country, and its location puts students inside a booming city rather than a traditional isolated college town.

Academics

UT is strong across the board, with the Cockrell School of Engineering and its computer science program benefiting from deep, direct ties to Austin's tech industry, the McCombs School of Business carrying a well-regarded national reputation, and the Moody College of Communication known for journalism, media, and film. The Plan II liberal arts honors program offers a smaller, seminar-style, great-books-influenced experience within the larger university for students who want that, and the Jackson School of Geosciences and LBJ School of Public Affairs add further specialized strength. The breadth of strong programs means students across very different interests can find a serious academic home here rather than being funneled toward one dominant field.

Campus & student life

Austin's location gives students access to a major, culturally rich city right at the university's doorstep, blending tech-industry energy with a well-known live music scene and a food culture the city takes seriously. Longhorn traditions and athletics, now in the SEC after realignment from the Big 12, give campus life a high-visibility, spirited character that runs through much of the social calendar, from the UT Tower lighting up orange after wins to crowded game days each fall. Greek life, a large number of student organizations, and the sheer size of the student body mean there's a niche community for nearly any interest.

Getting in

As a large public flagship, UT's process is more standardized than at small private colleges, with strong emphasis on class rank and rigor for automatic admission pathways under Texas's top-percent admission rules, while specific programs like Plan II, McCombs, or computer science carry their own more selective, holistic review layered on top of general admission. Applicants targeting a specific competitive major should expect a meaningfully different, more scrutinized process than the general-admission pool.

After graduation

UT's Austin location feeds a strong pipeline directly into the local tech industry for computer science and engineering graduates, especially as more major tech employers have opened Austin offices or headquarters in recent years, while McCombs graduates are well placed in business, consulting, and finance nationally. The university's sheer size gives it one of the largest and most far-reaching alumni networks of any American university, with particularly deep concentrations across Texas in business, energy, law, and politics.

Worth knowing

Plan II is a genuinely distinctive honors option worth knowing about for students who want small, discussion-based liberal arts classes inside a very large research university, and UT's Austin location is itself a major draw independent of any specific program, given how directly the city's tech and creative economy intersects with student life and internships. Students should also know that at UT's scale, navigating registration, advising, and finding community takes more initiative than at a smaller school.

utexas.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate26.6%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 1250–1510 · ACT 27–33

Test policyoptional

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

Early actionOct 15

Regular decisionDec 1

Verified from the school’s admissions page ↗

Applying (2026-27 cycle)

Apply through Common App or ApplyTexas.

Financial aid formsJan 15

Early Action is non-binding and does not restrict applying to other schools.

Supplemental essays (3)

Why are you interested in the major you indicated as your first-choice major?
Required · No more than 40 lines (about 250-300 words)
Think of all the activities — both in and outside of school — that you have been involved with during high school. Which one are you most proud of and why?
Required · No more than 40 lines (about 250-300 words)
Please share background on events or special circumstances that you feel may have impacted your high school academic performance.
Optional · Optional; no more than 40 lines (about 250-300 words)

Verified from the school’s admissions pages ↗