How big is the freshman class at UT Austin 2025?

The freshman class at UT Austin for Fall 2025 is 9,900 students, an increase of 7.5% from the previous year, setting a new record high for the entering class size as part of an all-time total enrollment of 55,000 students. This record-breaking class comes from a surge in applications, with UT receiving over 90,000 freshman applications for the 2025-2026 academic year.

How many students will be at UT Austin in 2025?

For Fall 2025, UT Austin set an all-time record with 55,000 total students, including 9,900 new freshmen, reflecting massive demand and record applications. Key figures include 44,314 undergraduates and 10,686 graduate students, with record freshman applications (90,690) and a high first-year retention rate (97.1%).
 

How big is the freshman class at UT Austin?

The freshman class includes 9,900 first-time college students, a jump of a little more than 7% compared to fall 2024. UT received 90,690 freshman applications for this year, an increase of nearly 25% over the last year and 51% since 2022.

How many freshmen does UT Austin admit each year?

If you're wondering, the numbers confirm it. UT Austin reported a record 90,690 freshman applications for Fall 2025, up 24% year over year and up 51% since 2022. The entering class is ~9,900 students, the largest in UT's history. Translation: demand is at an all-time high, and selectivity keeps tightening.

What is the acceptance rate for UT Austin Class of 2025?

UT Austin Acceptance Rate (General)

UT Austin enrolled 19,417 first-year undergraduate students out of the 72,885 applications it received during the 2024-2025 college application cycle, making UT Austin's acceptance rate 26.6% in 2025. UT Austin has become a popular college for many students.

Texas State Welcomes Record-Breaking Freshman Class | Big Changes Ahead for 2025

What is the 90% rule at UT Austin?

The "UT Austin 90 rule" refers to the state law requiring University of Texas at Austin to reserve about 90% of its freshman spots for Texas residents, with the remaining 10% for out-of-state/international students, making it harder for non-residents to get in. For in-state students, a separate rule, the Top 10 Percent Law, guarantees automatic admission to the top percentage of their high school class, a threshold UT Austin sets annually (currently the top 5% for Fall 2026, previously 6%) to meet the 90% residency requirement and the 75% auto-admit target for residents.
 

What is the hardest University to get into in 2025?

The hardest colleges to get into for 2025 remain extremely selective, with Harvard University, Caltech (California Institute of Technology), and Stanford University often topping lists due to their ~3% acceptance rates, while other Ivies like Princeton, Yale, and MIT also have rates around 4-5% and fierce competition for STEM/global leadership potential. Competition is at record highs, with many top schools admitting fewer than 10% of applicants, seeking exceptional academic profiles, problem-solving skills, and unique potential.
 

What is the 6% rule at UT?

UT Austin's "Top 6% Rule" is a Texas state law provision that guarantees automatic admission for Texas residents who graduate in the top 6% of their high school class, though this is changing to the top 5% for students applying for Fall 2026; it ensures a significant portion of UT's in-state students come from diverse Texas high schools, but it doesn't guarantee entry to specific competitive majors, only to the university itself.
 

Is it harder to get into UCLA or UT Austin?

It's generally harder to get into UCLA because it has a significantly lower acceptance rate (around 9%) compared to UT Austin (around 27%), making UCLA more selective overall, though UT Austin is very competitive, especially for popular majors like Computer Science or Engineering due to Texas's 90% in-state rule and rising applicant numbers. 

What is the #1 hardest college to get into?

There isn't one single #1 hardest school, as it changes slightly by year and criteria, but Harvard University, Stanford University, MIT, and Caltech consistently rank among the top with extremely low acceptance rates (often 3-4%) and intense competition for spots, though other top global universities like Oxford and Tsinghua are also incredibly selective. Harvard is frequently cited as the hardest due to its high volume of applications and focus on global leadership potential, while Caltech is known for its extreme difficulty in STEM. 

What is the 5% rule at UT Austin?

The UT Austin 5% rule is a change to the university's automatic admission policy, requiring Texas high school students to rank in the top 5% of their graduating class for guaranteed entry, down from the previous 6%, starting with the Fall 2026 freshman class due to record application numbers. This policy, rooted in Texas's "Top Ten Percent Law," allows UT to fill 75% of its Texas resident spots with top-ranked students, while the remaining 25% are admitted through a holistic review.
 

Is 1490 a good SAT score for UT Austin?

Yes, a 1490 SAT score is excellent for UT Austin, placing you at the top of their middle 50% range (1230-1490), making you a very strong candidate academically, though admission also depends heavily on your GPA, essays, and extracurriculars as UT is very selective. 

Is UT Austin an ivy now?

No, UT Austin is not an official Ivy League school, which are eight specific private universities in the Northeast, but it is widely recognized as a "Public Ivy" and was recently named a "New Ivy" by Forbes, a designation for top public and private universities producing highly-regarded graduates for employers, highlighting its prestige and academic strength.
 

How large is the freshman class at UT Austin?

This year's entering freshman class of 9,210 is the second-largest class ever.

Is it harder for class of 2025 to get into college?

Yes, for the Class of 2025, college admissions are exceptionally tough, marked by record-high application numbers, lower acceptance rates, and increased competition, fueled by demographic shifts (a huge graduating class), the Common App effect (more applications per student), and the lingering impact of test-optional policies, creating a highly competitive landscape despite some potential shifts in later cycles. 

Is UT Austin the Harvard of the South?

UT Austin isn't universally called the "Harvard of the South," but it's often grouped with top Southern universities like Duke, Vanderbilt, and Rice, considered a "Public Ivy" or "New Ivy" due to its prestige, selectivity, and strong outcomes, though Duke and Vanderbilt are more frequently given the "Harvard of the South" title by some sources. UT is known for massive resources, strong academics (especially STEM), and high-achieving graduates, making it a premier Southern institution with Ivy-level opportunities.
 

What is the 90% rule for UT Austin?

The UT Austin 90% rule is a state law requiring that 90% of first-year students must be Texas residents, creating a significant advantage for in-state applicants and making it much harder for out-of-state students to get in, as they compete for only 10% of spots. This rule, combined with the separate requirement to automatically admit top Texas high school students (the "Top 6% Rule"), heavily influences UT's highly selective admissions, especially for competitive majors like Computer Science or Engineering. 

Is it harder to get into A&M or UT Austin?

Overall, Texas A&M offers a significantly higher acceptance rate compared to UT Austin. If your GPA or SAT/ACT scores aren't the highest, you'll likely have an easier time being accepted into Texas A&M. Conversely, if your grades and test scores are strong, you stand a good chance of getting into UT Austin.

Is smu better than UT Austin?

When comparing UT Austin and SMU, there are several factors to consider. Academics: Both UT Austin and SMU offer strong academic programs, but UT generally has a higher overall ranking and a broader range of disciplines. However, the specific strength of the programs you're interested in should be your primary concern.

Is a 1400 SAT score good for UT Austin?

Yes, a 1400 SAT score is a very good score for UT Austin, placing you well within or above the typical range for admitted students, especially if you are a Texas resident or applying for less competitive programs; for highly competitive majors (like Engineering or CS) or for out-of-state/international applicants, it's strong but you'll need exceptional essays and extracurriculars to stand out against scores closer to the 1500+ range, according to sources from Next Admit and PrepScholar. 

What is being capped at UT?

The Coordinated Admission Program (CAP) is an enrollment pathway offered to Texas resident high school graduates applying for freshman admission to The University of Texas at Austin. You'll begin your studies at another UT System university for your freshman year.

How hard is it to get into UT without auto admit?

Yes, UT Austin is more competitive than ever. With over 90,000 applicants for the Class of 2025 and an admit rate of just 24%, the numbers tell a clear story. And for students who are not in the top 5%, the odds drop even further: the admit rate for non-auto-admit students was just 11%.

Where do top 1% send kids to college?

The "top 1%" of students, referring to those from the highest income brackets, tend to attend elite universities like MIT, Harvard, Stanford, Princeton, and Yale that consistently rank high in national and global lists, with some even having more students from the top 1% income bracket than the bottom 60% combined, according to The New York Times data. Top-ranked institutions like MIT, Princeton, Harvard, and Stanford are frequent top contenders in various 2026 rankings from U.S. News & World Report and Times Higher Education. 

What college is 100% acceptance rate?

Yes, many colleges have a 100% acceptance rate, often through open admissions policies, meaning they accept all applicants who meet basic requirements, including many community colleges, specialized career schools, and some online or regional universities like Broward College, Empire State University (SUNY), University of Maryland Global Campus, and Utah Valley University, though availability and specific programs vary. These institutions guarantee admission for qualified applicants, focusing on accessibility, with some examples including Delta State University, Montana State University Billings, and the Academy of Art University. 

Where do the 1% go to college?

The 1% of the wealthiest Americans disproportionately attend highly selective, elite universities, particularly Ivy League schools (Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Dartmouth, Brown, Penn, Columbia) and other top institutions like MIT, Stanford, Duke, and UChicago, where they make up a large percentage of the student body, often outnumbering students from the bottom 60% of income earners combined. Liberal arts colleges and prestigious public universities also attract many wealthy students, with specific examples including WashU St. Louis, UVA, UCLA, UC Berkeley, Vanderbilt, and Johns Hopkins.