The University of Texas at Austin

Yes — UT Austin is highly selective, admitting about 26.6% of applicants in the most recent cycle (roughly 19,400 offers out of about 72,900 applicants, with around 9,200 enrolling). It is much harder for non-Texans: Texas's automatic-admission law fills most of each class with in-state students, so only about 9% of enrolled first-years come from outside the state.

Out-of-state odds are dramatically lower than the overall rate. In the most recent cycle, UT Austin admitted about 35.9% of Texas residents (16,828 of 46,879) but only about 7.5% of out-of-state applicants (2,653 of 35,268) — and international applicants fared similarly at 7.9% (673 of 8,543). The gap is structural: the state's automatic-admission law fills most seats with top-ranked Texas students, and by policy roughly 90% of enrolled first-years must be Texas residents, leaving non-residents competing for a small share of the class.

For Texas residents, admission is driven largely by high school class rank: students in the top 6% of their graduating class are automatically admitted to the university (though not necessarily to their first-choice major). Everyone outside that threshold is reviewed holistically, with class rank and the rigor of high school coursework both considered. Applicants from outside Texas are not eligible for automatic admission and go through holistic review.

UT Austin does not publish an average admitted GPA in its Common Data Set, so there is no official GPA target. For Texas residents, high school class rank matters more than a GPA number — the top 6% of a graduating class are automatically admitted. For everyone else, academic GPA and the rigor of your coursework are both factors in holistic review.

Yes. UT Austin reinstated a standardized testing requirement starting with students applying for Fall 2025, after several test-optional cycles, so the SAT or ACT is now required. The university does not report admitted-student SAT or ACT score ranges in its Common Data Set, so there is no published middle-50% range to aim for.

Annual tuition and required fees run about $11,688 for Texas residents and $44,908 for out-of-state students. About 40% of first-years receive need-based grant or scholarship aid, with an average need-based package near $20,219, and UT Austin meets roughly 80% of demonstrated financial need on average.

UT Austin awards degrees across a very broad curriculum, with the natural sciences (about 18%) and engineering and computing (about 17%) as the two largest areas, followed by the social sciences and business (McCombs). Biological and life sciences make up the single most popular field at about 13% of bachelor's degrees.

Yes — UT Austin reviews the application essay as part of its holistic process, where it is one of the considered factors alongside grades, course rigor, class rank, and extracurriculars. Because the university rates none of its factors as 'very important' and admits most Texas residents by class rank, the essay carries the most weight for applicants who aren't automatically admitted, where it's a key chance to stand out.