HighSchoolOS How to Get Into The University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX · Public · 2025-2026 cycle · Verified data
The University of Texas at Austin Admissions Statistics
How to Actually Get Into The University of Texas at Austin
Understand what 27% really means
At The University of Texas at Austin's admit rate, your position against the published ranges genuinely matters. Land above the middle 50% and this behaves like a target; inside it, a true toss-up worth real effort on essays and fit signals; below it, treat it as a reach. Place it on your list accordingly instead of trusting the headline rate.
Position your scores against the real bands
The middle 50% of enrolled students sits around 1250-1510 combined SAT or 27-33 ACT. Above the 75th percentile, scores work for you and this can behave like a target. Below the 25th percentile, the rest of your application has to carry the file, treat it as a reach. Scores are required here, so plan your testing calendar early enough to retake once.
Use the Early Action round deliberately
The University of Texas at Austin offers Early Action: non-binding and worth taking if your application is ready, an earlier answer helps you calibrate the rest of your list, and EA carries no downside beyond the earlier deadline.
The supplements are where files separate
The University of Texas at Austin asks 12 supplemental questions (the exact prompts are below). At any selective school, essays are where you stop being a data point, generic answers read as generic everywhere, so specificity about The University of Texas at Austin is the whole game. Answer why THIS school, with details that could not be pasted into another application.
The bigger picture: no single school decides your outcome, the shape of your whole list does. Read how top counselors build a college list before you finalize where The University of Texas at Austin fits.
The University of Texas at Austin Application Deadlines (2025-2026)
| Round | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Early Action (EA) | October 15, 2025 |
| Regular Decision (RD) | December 1, 2025 |
Deadlines verified from official sources for the 2025-2026 cycle. Rounds change year to year, always confirm on the school's site before submitting.
The University of Texas at Austin Supplemental Essay Prompts
-
1. Why are you interested in the major you indicated as your first-choice major?
300 words
-
2. 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
-
3. Please share background on events or special circumstances that you feel may have impacted your high school academic performance. (Optional)
300 words
-
4. Describe your significant activities, employment, and achievements, particularly those relevant to the study of computer science. Also describe your educational and career goals.
500 words
-
5. Communication is a fundamental part of human life, influencing every aspect of the world around us. Future communicators like yourself must wrestle with the question of whether communication is motivated by self-interest or cooperation. Discuss an example from a communication discipline (advertising, communication studies, communication and leadership, journalism, public relations, radio-tv-film, or speech language hearing sciences), that supports one of the two perspectives.
250 words
-
6. Analyze the ways in which technology (you can determine the technology you want to focus on), impacts critical thinking and community in higher education. How can an interdisciplinary education like Plan II Honors best equip students to thrive in this environment?
250 words
-
7. Each of the three CNS Honors Programs has a distinct profile. Why are you a good fit for the Dean's Scholars, Health Science Scholars, or Polymathic Scholars program? How will you contribute to that community?
350 words
-
8. Each of the three CNS Honors Programs has a distinct profile. Why are you a good fit for the Dean's Scholars, Health Science Scholars, or Polymathic Scholars program? How will you contribute to that community?
350 words
-
9. Each of the three CNS Honors Programs has a distinct profile. Why are you a good fit for the Dean's Scholars, Health Science Scholars, or Polymathic Scholars program? How will you contribute to that community?
350 words
-
10. Texas CSB is an innovative dual degree program looking for students who are dedicated to both computer science and business. Why do you see this as a powerful combination of skills for your career goals? What have you done in high school to prepare you for computer science and business course work?
500 words
-
11. Texas Honors Electrical and Computer Engineering and Business (Texas ECB) is a powerful dual degree program looking for students who are dedicated to both an electrical and computer engineering and business honors education. Why do you see this as a combination of skills for your career goals? What have you done in high school, in the classroom and outside, to prepare you for honors engineering and business course work?
500 words
-
12. Who will you ask for recommendation letters? Teachers: 0 required, 2 optional. Other recommenders: 0 required, 2 optional. List only.
50 words
Application Requirements & Costs
| Application platform | Common App |
| Application fee | $75 |
| Test scores | Required |
| Writing supplement | Not required |
| Counselor recommendation | Not required |
The University of Texas at Austin Cost & Financial Aid
| Total cost of attendance (sticker, per year) | $31,247 |
| Tuition & fees (in-state / out-of-state) | $11,688 / $44,908 |
| Room & board (on campus) | $14,828 |
| Average net price (aid-receiving families) | $19,857 |
What You'd Actually Pay, by Family Income
Average net price per year (after grants and scholarships) for aid-receiving families, from federal College Scorecard data:
| Family income | Average net price / year |
|---|---|
| $0-30k | $12,553 |
| $30-48k | $14,297 |
| $48-75k | $17,207 |
| $75-110k | $24,406 |
| $110k+ | $30,082 |
These are averages, not your number. Get your family's actual price in about 10 minutes:
Use The University of Texas at Austin's Official Net Price Calculator →More The University of Texas at Austin Data, Coming Soon
We're building the deepest per-school database in admissions. Rolling out for The University of Texas at Austin: