How To Get Into UT Austin: Admissions Data And Strategies

A top-40 national university and a top-10 public university, the University of Texas at Austin is the number one target institution of many Lone Star State teens as well as high-achieving students from around the globe. With an elite undergraduate business and engineering school and highly rated programs in literally dozens of academic concentrations, it’s little wonder that the criteria for admission as well as the UT Austin acceptance rates grow tougher each passing year.

In 1997, Texas adopted a policy that granted automatic admission to any resident who finished in the top 10% of their class into any state university. However, due to the popularity of UT Austin, the threshold changed to the top 7% before falling to the top 6%, where it currently stands. Given the increasing level of competition in the quest to become a Longhorn—more than two-thirds of applicants are ultimately rejected—students need to do their homework before submitting an application. Toward that aim, this article will provide applicants with:

• UT Austin acceptance rate (plus how to predict your chances with our free admissions calculator)
• GPA, SAT, ACT, and class rank of accepted UT Austin applicants
• Admissions trends
• The demographics of current UT Austin undergraduates
• UT Austin’s yield rate
• How UT Austin’s admissions officers evaluate candidates
• Tips for applying to UT Austin
• UT Austin Essay Prompts and Tips
• How to assess whether applying to UT Austin is even worth the $75 application fee (for you)

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UT Austin Acceptance Rate

For the Class of 2028, UT Austin received 72,885 applications. Of these applicants, 19,417 students were admitted. This gives UT Austin an overall acceptance rate of 26.6%.

Historical University of Texas at Austin acceptance rates are as follows:

Applicants	Admits	Acceptance Rate
Class of 2027	66,109	19,256	29%
Class of 2026	59,767	18,770	31%
Class of 2025	66,043	18,989	29%
Class of 2024	57,241	18,291	32%

UT Austin In-State vs. Out-of-State Acceptance Rate

UT Austin fills 75% of its incoming class with automatic admits from Texas high schools. Therefore, if you are a Texan who is not an automatic admit or you are an out-of-state student, your odds of acceptance will be much lower. For the enrolled Class of 2028, the in-state vs. out-of-state acceptance rates were as follows:

Applicants	Admits	Acceptance Rate
In-State	42,926	16,191	38%
Out-of-State	23,015	2,332	10%

What GPA do you need to get into UT Austin?

While UT Austin does not report average GPA, we can assume that it is quite high based on statements made by the university—likely 3.75 or above.

What class rank do you need to get accepted to UT Austin?

If you currently attend a Texas high school, you’ll want to place in the top 6% of your class, which will allow you to be considered for automatic admission.

Official class rank data has not been reported for the past several cycles. However, in 2020-21, an incredible 87% of those attending placed in the top 10% of their high school class while 96% placed in the top quartile.

What is the minimum SAT or ACT score for UT Austin?

Although UT Austin has been test-optional since the pandemic, they have reinstated their testing requirement for the Class of 2029. In the 2023-24 cycle, just under half of applicants asked for their test scores to be incorporated into the holistic review process, and UT Austin found that students who asked for their test scores to be reviewed typically performed better during their first year of college. The university also stated: “Our experience during the test-optional period reinforced that standardized testing is a valuable tool for deciding who is admitted and making sure those students are placed in majors that are the best fit. Also, with an abundance of high school GPAs surrounding 4.0, especially among our auto-admits, an SAT or ACT score is a proven differentiator that is in each student’s and the University’s best interest.”

Finally, among 2023-24 applicants who asked for their scores to be considered, the median SAT score was 1420. Note that this data was not reported for 2024-25.

Admissions Trends & Notes

• Although the acceptance rate has held steady in recent years, UT Austin had a 10% increase in applications for the Class of 2028.
• 781 of one recent incoming cohort were either the valedictorian or salutatorian of their high school class.
• Undergraduates include students from all 50 states and over 130 countries.
• Nearly a quarter of UT-Austin undergraduates are the first member of their family to attend college. This number continues to rise each year.
• Lastly, about 80% of all offers of admission were extended to graduates of Texas high schools; out of this group, roughly 75% are automatically admitted through their class rank.

Who Actually Gets Into UT Austin?

Let’s look at the demographics of the most recent UT Austin cohort for which demographic data is available:

Most UT Austin students hailed from the Lone Star State and paid in-state tuition. The total geographic breakdown of the student body is as follows.

• Percent Texas (residents) – 80.4%
• Percent from other U.S. States (non-residents) – 10%
• Percent from other countries (non-resident, international) = 9.6%

Additionally, the ethnic breakdown of the Class of 2028 was as follows:

• Asian American: 26%
• White: 29%
• Hispanic: 28%
• Black or African American: 4.5%
• International: 4%

The breakdown by gender shows far more women than men in the Class of 2028:

• Male: 41%
• Female: 59%

Interestingly, women were also accepted at a higher rate than men—31% compared to 22.5%.

UT Austin’s Yield Rate

UT Austin’s yield rate was 47% last year. Moreover, other elite public flagship institutions, such as UNC-Chapel Hill, UGA, and UVA, are all in the same ballpark.

How UT Austin Rates Applicants

There are a whopping 15 factors that UT Austin ranks as being “considered” in their admissions process including the rigor of one’s secondary school record, class rank, GPA, standardized test scores, essays, recommendations, talent/ability, character/personal qualities, extracurricular activities, volunteer experience, work experience, racial/ethnic status, first-generation status, geographical residence, and state residency.

Additionally, in the admissions office’s own words: “The Office of Admissions uses an individualized, holistic review process to consider each completed freshman application. Applications from students who qualify for automatic admission are reviewed to determine admission to specific colleges, schools and majors. Applications from students who are not eligible for automatic admission are reviewed to determine admissibility and to make decisions about admission to specific colleges, schools and majors.”

Tips for Applying to UT Austin

If you plan on joining the 70,000+ Longhorn hopefuls for the next admissions cycle, you should know the following:

• Firstly, UT Austin has reinstated its standardized testing requirement. If you are applying for the Class of 2030, you will be required to submit SAT or ACT scores alongside your application.
• While they adhere to a holistic process, UT Austin does not offer interviews.
• Starting with the 2024-25 cycle, UT Austin will offer a new Early Action plan with an October 15th deadline (regular deadline is December 1st).
• UT Austin does not consider “demonstrated interest” in the admissions process.
• Finally, make sure to dedicate sufficient time and effort to the supplemental essays required by UT Austin. In the 2025-26 cycle, you will encounter two required essays and one optional essay. (Look out for program-specific essays as well.)

This year’s prompts are as follows:

• Why are you interested in the major you indicated as your first-choice major? (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? (Guidance for students: This can include an extracurricular activity, a club/organization, volunteer activity, work, or a family responsibility.) (300 words)
• Optional: Please share background on events or special circumstances that you feel may have impacted your high school academic performance.

For detailed advice on how to approach each of the UT Austin essays, visit our blog: UT Austin Supplemental Essay Prompts and Tips.

Should I apply to UT Austin?

Getting into UT Austin has never been more of a challenging endeavor. Automatic admission now requires finishing in the top 6% of your in-state high school class or possessing other supremely impressive attributes that blow away the admissions committee. Furthermore, if you have not finished in the top 6% of your in-state high school, or hail from out-of-state, you’ll want to bring high test scores and a competitive GPA, likely in the 90th percentile or above.

UT Austin Acceptance Rate — Final Thoughts

UT Austin offers an incredible number of globally renowned academic programs. Of course, approximately 70% of applicants vying to enter this prestigious institution will be turned away. Accordingly, all students need to make sure that they formulate an appropriate college list, containing a complement of “target” and “safety” schools. You’ll definitely want to do this in collaboration with an admissions professional who is aware of the latest trends and strategies associated with your prospective colleges.

Ready to start working on your applications? Consider checking out the following:

• Should You Start College Applications in the Summer?
• What is Demonstrated Interest?
• Do Colleges Look at Social Media?
• College Fair Advice for High School Students
• How to Complete the Common App Activities List
• Common App Essay Prompts
• 25 Inspiring College Essay Topic Ideas