Texas Christian University vs. The University of Texas at Austin

A side-by-side comparison of TCU and UT Austin — acceptance rates (48.1% vs. 22.2%), tuition, financial aid, and majors, drawn from each school's official Common Data Set.

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TCUFort Worth, TX

Acceptance rate

Total applicants, admitted students, and enrolled students for the most recent admission cycle.

48.1%acceptance rate
Applied
22,680
Admitted
10,906
Enrolled
2,754

Early decision

TCU offers binding Early Decision. Applying early can meaningfully change your odds — but ED commits you to enroll if admitted.

Early Decision
Binding · I & II
Early Action
Non-binding
Restrictive EA
Not offered

Admit rate by application plan

% admitted
Early Decision68.1%
Regular Decision46.8%

~1.5× higher admit rate applying early.

ED Applications
1,373
ED Admitted
935

Standardized tests

TCU is currently test-optional — you may apply without submitting scores.

SAT Accepted?

ACT Accepted?

Test Optional?

SAT Scores

4001600
25th Percentile
1110
50th Percentile
1240
75th Percentile
1330

ACT Scores

136
25th Percentile
26
50th Percentile
30
75th Percentile
31

Class rank

Where TCU's enrolled first-years placed in their high school graduating class.

Top tenth of class45.6%
Top quarter of class77.9%
Top half of class94.6%

Based on the 36.5% of enrolled students who reported a class rank. TCU does not publish an average GPA.

Admissions factors

How TCU weighs each part of your application.

→ Importance

Rigor of High School Record

Academic GPA

Standardized Test Scores

Application Essay

Recommendations

Extracurricular Activities

Character / Personal Qualities

Talent / Ability

First Generation

Level of Applicant's Interest

Class Rank

Volunteer Work

Work Experience

Geographical Residence

State Residency

Alumni Relation

Racial / Ethnic Status

Religious Affiliation

Cost of attendance

Estimated full-time annual cost from TCU's Common Data Set.

$89,742
Tuition & Fees
$66,610
Room & Board
$18,780
Other Expenses
$4,352
Total
$89,742

Private universities charge the same tuition regardless of state residency.

What families actually pay

$0–30k~$18k
$30–48k~$17k
$48–75k~$18k
$75–110k~$35k
$110k+~$53k

Average net price — what was left to pay after grant aid — for students receiving federal financial aid.

% of undergrads with Pell grants14.3%

Source: College Scorecard (2026)

Financial aid

Need-based aid statistics for full-time first-year students.

Receiving Aid
40%
Avg. Package
$50,804
Avg. Need Met
79%

Popular majors

Bachelor's degrees awarded in the past year by academic major.

Business & Marketing
Communication & Journalism
Health Professions
Social Sciences
Psychology
Other
Business
32.6%
Comm/Journ
13%
Health Prof
10.8%
Social Sci
7.3%
Psychology
5.9%
Other
30.4%

Student-faculty ratio

The number of students for every one faculty member, indicating the average level of access students have to instructional staff.

13:1

Student outcomes

First-years who return93%
Graduate within six years86%
Median earnings, 4 yrs after graduation~$76k
Median federal loan debt at graduation~$22k

Median yearly income of former students who received federal aid, across every major, measured four years after graduating (2017–18 and 2018–19 graduates, earnings measured 2022–2023). Debt covers federal loans of students who completed.

Source: College Scorecard (2026)

Programs

TCU’s most popular programs and median pay after graduation. Income data from the US Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

  • Nursing

    230 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$90kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$25k median debt
  • Finance

    200 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$111kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$19k median debt
  • Communication & Media Studies

    151 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$64kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$22k median debt
  • Psychology

    113 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$65kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$21k median debt
  • Economics

    103 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$89kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$20k median debt
Show all 26 programs
  • Biology

    84 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$64kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$21k median debt
  • Political Science

    79 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$75kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$22k median debt
  • Business Administration & Management

    72 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$107kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$24k median debt
  • Criminal Justice

    65 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$57kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$21k median debt
  • General EngineeringABET accreditedEngineering is accredited by ABET, the accreditor for engineering, computing, and applied science programs.

    49 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$94kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$23k median debt
  • Computer & Information Sciences

    33 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$77kmedian pay, 1 yr after graduation
  • Journalism

    22 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$59kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation
  • Music

    22 degrees (2023-24)

    Not publishedmedian pay after graduation~$24k median debt
  • English

    19 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$65kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation
  • Kinesiology & Exercise Science

    17 degrees (2023-24)

    Not publishedmedian pay after graduation
  • History

    16 degrees (2023-24)

    Not publishedmedian pay after graduation
  • Mathematics

    13 degrees (2023-24)

    Not publishedmedian pay after graduation
  • Environmental Science & Natural Resources

    11 degrees (2023-24)

    Not publishedmedian pay after graduation
  • Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

    11 degrees (2023-24)

    Not publishedmedian pay after graduation
  • Education

    8 degrees (2023-24)

    Not publishedmedian pay after graduation
  • Neuroscience

    8 degrees (2023-24)

    Not publishedmedian pay after graduation
  • Fine & Studio Arts

    8 degrees (2023-24)

    Not publishedmedian pay after graduation
  • Agricultural Business

    4 degrees (2023-24)

    Not publishedmedian pay after graduation
  • Chemistry

    4 degrees (2023-24)

    Not publishedmedian pay after graduation
  • Philosophy

    3 degrees (2023-24)

    Not publishedmedian pay after graduation
  • Area Studies

    2 degrees (2023-24)

    Not publishedmedian pay after graduation

Median pay data is measured from graduates who received federal student aid.

Source: College Scorecard (2026) · IPEDS (2023-24) · ABET

Campus life

On-campus housing and Greek life participation rates.

First-Years On Campus
96%
In Fraternities
51%
In Sororities
61%

Place

How the federal government classifies the area around the campus, and what a normal year of weather looks like there.

Setting
Large city
Location
Fort Worth, TX

Average temperature

Monthly high and low, °F
5933J
6337F
7045M
7852A
8562M
9370J
9773J
9873A
9065S
8154O
6944N
6036D
Snow a year
0 in
Precipitation a year
36 in
Days at 90°F or above
103
Days below 32°F
43

Thirty-year averages, measured at the nearest weather station rather than on campus — they describe the area, not the campus.

Source: IPEDS (HD2024) · NOAA 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, BENBROOK DAM, TX US station, 6.3 mi from campus

Enrollment by gender

38%
62%
Male
4,276
Female
6,876

Student diversity

Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.

White58.9%
Hispanic21.2%
Other12.8%
Black4.1%
Asian and Pacific Islander2.7%
Native American<1%
UT AustinAustin, TX

Acceptance rate

Overall acceptance rate, plus the in-state and out-of-state admit rates the school reports separately.

UT Austin CDSIn-state vs. out-of-state admit rates from UT Austin CDS (Fall 2025).
22.2%acceptance rate
Applied
90,690
Admitted
20,154
Enrolled
9,900

Admit rate by residency

% admitted
In-state35.9%
16,828 admitted of 46,879 applicants
Out-of-state7.5%
2,653 admitted of 35,268 applicants
International7.9%
673 admitted of 8,543 applicants

Early action

UT Austin offers non-binding Early Action — an earlier decision with no commitment to enroll.

Fall 2027 datesEarly Action is published on UT Austin's own Fall 2027 dates page. UT Austin's 2025-2026 Common Data Set, which is cited for its other figures, does not report it.
Early Decision
Not offered
Early Action
Non-binding
Restrictive EA
Not offered

Standardized tests

UT Austin requires the SAT or ACT, starting with Fall 2025 applicants.

SAT Accepted?

ACT Accepted?

Test Optional?

Score ranges not published yet

UT Austin reinstated its SAT/ACT requirement starting with Fall 2025 applicants. Its most recent admitted class applied test-free, so published SAT and ACT score ranges aren't available yet.

Class rank

UT Austin does not report this.

Not reported

Admissions factors

How UT Austin weighs each part of your application.

→ Importance

Rigor of High School Record

Academic GPA

Standardized Test Scores

Application Essay

Recommendations

Extracurricular Activities

Character / Personal Qualities

Talent / Ability

First Generation

Level of Applicant's Interest

Class Rank

Volunteer Work

Work Experience

Geographical Residence

State Residency

Alumni Relation

Racial / Ethnic Status

Religious Affiliation

Cost of attendance

Estimated full-time annual cost from UT Austin's Common Data Set. Only tuition changes with residency.

$33,306
In-State
$66,466
Out-of-State
In-StateOut-of-State
Tuition & Fees
$11,656$44,816
Room & Board
$15,420$15,420
Other Expenses
$6,230$6,230
Total
$33,306$66,466

What families actually pay

$0–30k~$13k
$30–48k~$14k
$48–75k~$17k
$75–110k~$24k
$110k+~$30k

Average net price — what was left to pay after grant aid — for students receiving federal financial aid, covering in-state students only.

% of undergrads with Pell grants25.9%

Source: College Scorecard (2026)

Financial aid

Need-based aid statistics for full-time first-year students.

Receiving Aid
40%
Avg. Package
$20,765
Avg. Need Met
71.3%

Popular majors

Bachelor's degrees awarded in the past year by academic major.

Natural Sciences
Engineering & Computing
Social Sciences
Liberal Arts & Humanities
Business
Communication
Health Professions
Other
Sciences
17.8%
Eng. & CS
17.3%
Social Sci.
14.8%
Liberal Arts
13.7%
Business
11.1%
Comm.
10.5%
Health
5.8%
Other
9%

Student-faculty ratio

The number of students for every one faculty member, indicating the average level of access students have to instructional staff.

22:1

Student outcomes

First-years who return97.1%
Graduate within six years89.2%
Median earnings, 4 yrs after graduation~$79k
Median federal loan debt at graduation~$21k

Median yearly income of former students who received federal aid, across every major, measured four years after graduating (2017–18 and 2018–19 graduates, earnings measured 2022–2023). Debt covers federal loans of students who completed.

Source: College Scorecard (2026)

Programs

UT Austin’s most popular programs and median pay after graduation. Income data from the US Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

  • Biology

    744 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$66kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$20k median debt
  • Psychology

    537 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$57kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$19k median debt
  • Computer & Information Sciences

    525 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$155kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$21k median debt
  • Finance

    417 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$132kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$21k median debt
  • Economics

    383 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$89kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$20k median debt
Show all 35 programs

Median pay data is measured from graduates who received federal student aid.

Source: College Scorecard (2026) · IPEDS (2023-24) · ABET

Campus life

On-campus housing and Greek life participation rates.

First-Years On Campus
61%
In Fraternities
13%
In Sororities
17%

Place

How the federal government classifies the area around the campus, and what a normal year of weather looks like there.

Setting
Large city
Location
Austin, TX

Average temperature

Monthly high and low, °F
6342J
6746F
7352M
8059A
8767M
9373J
9775J
9875A
9170S
8361O
7251N
6443D
Snow a year
0 in
Precipitation a year
36 in
Days at 90°F or above
123
Days below 32°F
12

Thirty-year averages, measured at the nearest weather station rather than on campus — they describe the area, not the campus.

Source: IPEDS (HD2024) · NOAA 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, AUSTIN-CAMP MABRY, TX US station, 2.9 mi from campus

Enrollment by gender

43%
57%
Male
18,819
Female
25,448

Student diversity

Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.

White29.4%
Hispanic28.6%
Asian and Pacific Islander26.3%
Other10.9%
Black4.6%
Native American<1%

Writing your TCU or UT Austin application essay?

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TCU vs. UT Austin: frequently asked questions

UT Austin is more selective: it admits about 22.2% of applicants, compared with 48.1% at TCU. Both are competitive, and your odds depend on far more than the overall rate.

UT Austin has the lower published price for out-of-state students — $44,816 in tuition and fees versus $66,610 at TCU, a gap of about $21,794 a year before financial aid.

UT Austin graduates a higher share of its students within six years — 89.2% versus 86% at TCU.

TCU. Its Common Data Set rates the application essay important, against considered at UT Austin, so the same draft carries more weight at TCU. Both still read essays as part of a full application review.

Source: Texas Christian University Common Data Set 2025-2026. Figures transcribed 2026-06-10. Esslo aggregates publicly reported data and is not affiliated with TCU. Banner photo by Amymay52, via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain).

Source: The University of Texas at Austin Common Data Set 2025-2026. Figures transcribed 2026-06-25. Esslo aggregates publicly reported data and is not affiliated with UT Austin. Banner photo by Daderot, via Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0).