Admit rate has ranged 29%–32% over the last 5 years, though the latest figure above (27%) falls outside that window. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
The University of Texas at Austin is a massive, fiercely competitive public flagship that operates on two distinct planes. On one, it's a state institution bound by the Top 10% automatic admission law, creating a uniquely Texan and socioeconomically diverse student body. On the other, its crown-jewel programs—in business, engineering, and computer science—rival the Ivy League in selectivity and prestige, drawing top talent globally to a campus pulsing with the energy of its vibrant, music-obsessed city.
Admission requirements
Test-optional — scores considered if submitted
Required
High school transcript
College-prep program
TOEFL (non-native English)
Considered (not required)
Grade point average
Class rank
Letters of recommendation
Test scores (SAT/ACT)
Demonstrated competencies
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
More details
Undergrad enrollment
42,855
In-state tuition
$11,688
Out-of-state tuition
$44,908
No-Loan Policy
No universal policy; tuition assistance for in-state families with AGI < $100k
Graduation Rate
89%
Meets Full Need
No
ED Share of Class
Not stated in sources
First-Year Retention
Not stated in sources
Demonstrated Interest
Not considered
Median Earnings (10yr)
$75,121
Outcomes & value
Outcomes & value
Median earnings (10 yr)
$75,121
Value (earnings ÷ net price)
3.8×
Median debt at graduation
$20,500
Graduation rate
89%
First-year retention
97%
Reducing loan balance (3 yr)
77%
Pell (lower-income) share
26%
First-gen share (among federal-aid recipients)
28%
Top-earning majors
Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.
Petroleum Engineering$88,723
Chemical Engineering$82,830
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering$80,550
Computer and Information Sciences, General$79,558
Business/Commerce, General$76,460
Management Information Systems and Services
Applicants here also applied to
The schools that most often appear alongside UT Austin on applicants’ lists, from our self-reported outcomes corpus.
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Climate
Pleasant days / yr
98
Summer high
95°F
Winter low
44°F
Annual rain
47.6"
Annual snow
1.5"
Natural-hazard risk
Relatively High
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Deep dive — research, future-scholar output & economic mobility▾
Research output
Institutional h-index
1,195
Scholarly works
354,268
Institutional research volume and impact from OpenAlex. The h-index reflects large research universities and will be low for teaching-focused liberal-arts colleges — not a measure of undergraduate quality.
Future-scholar output
Science & engineering PhDstop 9 nationally
Humanities & social-science PhDstop 3 nationally
Share of this school’s graduates who go on to earn research doctorates (2010–20), by national rank and per-capita yield (NSF institutional-yield ratio). A signal of a research-oriented student culture — not a causal promise, since it partly reflects who enrolls. Only top producers appear. Source: NSF NCSES, Baccalaureate Origins of U.S. Research Doctorate Recipients.
Quick answers
What is the acceptance rate at The University of Texas at Austin?
The University of Texas at Austin's acceptance rate is approximately 27% (Austin, TX), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
What SAT score do you need for The University of Texas at Austin?
Admitted students at The University of Texas at Austin typically score 1250–1510 on the SAT (the middle-50% range). Scores outside this band are still admitted, especially with strong applications.
How much does The University of Texas at Austin cost?
At The University of Texas at Austin, the average net price (after aid) is about $19,857 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
How many undergraduates attend The University of Texas at Austin?
The University of Texas at Austin enrolls approximately 42,855 undergraduate students.
Where is The University of Texas at Austin located?
The University of Texas at Austin is located in Austin, TX.
Admissions
Admission to UT Austin is a tale of two systems, creating one of the most complex and stratified selectivity landscapes in American public higher education. The university is bound by Texas state law (initially passed in 1997) that guarantees automatic admission to students who graduate in the top 10% of their Texas high school class. This policy fundamentally shapes the freshman cohort, ensuring a geographically and socioeconomically diverse representation from across the state. For all other applicants—including those from out-of-state, who face a dramatically lower —the process is intensely holistic and competitive.
The university reinstated a standardized testing requirement for the Fall 2024 cycle, with 42% of the nearly 73,000 freshman applicants opting to have their scores considered in the . The admissions office states that review considers academic achievement (including course rigor and GPA) alongside essays, recommendations, extracurricular activities, and personal achievements. Notably, demonstrated interest is not considered in the evaluation process, as indicated in Section C7. The holistic review is especially critical for gaining entry into the university's most sought-after majors, where acceptance rates can plummet far below the overall figure. For example, discussions among applicants suggest the acceptance rate for non-automatic admits can be around 13%, with programs like Computer Science admitting only about 15% of its applicants.
Key Context: The automatic admission law means the published acceptance rate (27%) masks the vastly different realities for in-state Top 10% students versus everyone else.
Holistic Factors: Academic achievement in rigorous courses is paramount, followed by essays, recommendations, and extracurricular activities.
Test Policy: Standardized test scores are required again but are just one component of a holistic review.
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
$75,652
Mechanical Engineering$71,959
Finance and Financial Management Services$70,680
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings). Figures cover graduates who received federal aid and lag ~2 years; not all programs report data.
UT Austin's academic profile is defined by both staggering breadth and pockets of elite, world-leading depth. Students can choose from more than 170 undergraduate majors and over 230 graduate degree programs. The ten most popular majors for recent graduates span Biological and Biomedical Sciences (13%), Business, Management, and Marketing (12%), and Engineering (11%), reflecting the draw of its powerhouse schools.
Its graduate rankings reveal the institution's true strength: it has 49 graduate programs ranked in the top 10 nationally, including the #1 ranked programs in Accounting and Petroleum Engineering. This excellence at the graduate level trickles down, creating renowned undergraduate experiences in the McCombs School of Business and the Cockrell School of Engineering. The intellectual culture is that of a major research university—large lecture halls are common for introductory courses, but opportunities for deep engagement with top-tier faculty open up for motivated students, particularly within its highly-ranked colleges. The sheer scale means students must be proactive, but the resources available—from specialized libraries to cutting-edge research institutes—are monumental.
Life at UT Austin is inseparable from life in Austin, a city that bills itself as the "Live Music Capital of the World" and promotes an active, outdoor lifestyle with opportunities for swimming, hiking, biking, and kayaking. The campus itself is a city within a city. Only about 18% of students live in university-owned housing, with the vast majority (82%) living off-campus—a dynamic that fuels a vibrant, decentralized social scene but also contributes to the astronomical cost of living noted by students, who often need multiple roommates or to live far from campus to find affordability.
The university facilitates this sprawling community with more than 1,000 student organizations and thousands of annual events, from concerts and football games to film screenings. Campus spirit is a major force, driven by deep-rooted traditions and powerful alumni networks, with Longhorn football games serving as massive communal gatherings. The vibe is energetic, entrepreneurial, and proudly weird, mirroring the city's ethos. It's a place where academic ambition coexists with a love for sunshine, music on Rainey Street, and tacos.
UT Austin graduates students at a high rate and propels them into strong career trajectories. The university has set an institutional goal of achieving a 70% four-year graduation rate and closely monitors student progress to that end. Outcomes data shows that male students graduate at a rate of 85%, while female students graduate at a slightly higher rate of 90%. Earnings vary significantly by major, with graduates in fields like Computer and Information Sciences commanding higher starting salaries.
The university provides transparency into post-graduate outcomes through tools like seekUT, a free online system that presents data on earnings and educational outcomes for graduates of UT System institutions. This data reveals that a significant portion of graduates remain in Texas, contributing to the state's economy. The six-year graduation rate is notably high, reflecting the university's success in retaining and graduating its students.
As a public university, UT Austin's sticker price presents a significant value for in-state students, though the cost of living in Austin is a major financial consideration. The university encourages all families to use its official Calculator to get a personalized estimate of costs after factoring in financial aid. is available, with the average aid package awarded being $20,219 and the average need-based scholarship or grant being $14,446.
However, UT Austin does not guarantee to meet 100% of demonstrated financial need for all admitted students, and it is not classified among institutions with a universal "no-loan" policy. According to university discussions, about a quarter of students receiving financial aid have their full need met. The university does offer the Texas Advance Commitment, a program that provides financial assistance to cover tuition for in-state undergraduates from families with adjusted gross incomes up to $100,000. For families with AGIs between $100,000 and $125,000, some assistance is provided to help offset tuition costs. This creates a supportive framework for lower and middle-income Texas families, though gaps can remain for others.
UT Austin stands out because it masterfully fulfills a dual, almost contradictory, mission: it is both an engine of social mobility for the state of Texas and a globally competitive research powerhouse. The Top 10% automatic admission law ensures it is genuinely representative of its state, bringing a diversity of perspective and background that few elite public universities can match. Simultaneously, programs like its #1-ranked Accounting and Petroleum Engineering departments attract and produce world-class talent, with selectivity that matches or exceeds the Ivy League. This combination happens not in a sleepy college town, but in the heart of Austin—a dynamic, creative, and rapidly growing city that infuses campus life with an infectious energy. The result is an institution that feels both massive and intimate, traditional and innovative, Texan to its core yet undeniably world-facing. It's a place where you can cheer under the lights at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium alongside 100,000 fellow Longhorns on Saturday and be in a seminar with a leading scholar in your field on Monday.
The University of Texas at Austin seal · sourceUniversity of Texas at Austin · sourceThe University of Texas at Austin · sourceThe University of Texas--Austin (UT Austin) - Profile, Rankings and Data | US News Best Colleges · source
.jpg?width=1600)
