First-time applications to UT-Austin have increased over 50 percent since 2010. It is possible that application numbers exceeded 50,000 for Fall 2017, but UT hasn't released this data yet. As the cost of out-of-state and private universities increases, students and families are looking for a high-quality education at an affordable price.

Per the Texas Education Agency, the number of students completing public high school on the Recommended or Distinguished Achievement Plan has increased from 264,632 in 2010 to 302,262 in 2015. In 2003, 222,021 students completed a college-ready public high school degree, so the number of high school graduates has increased by 36 percent in the last thirteen years. Texas is one of the few states with a growing population of high school students.

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Although more students are applying, UT fluctuates with the number of students they admit. UT steadily accepted more students from 2010 to 2012 before a decrease in admitted applicants in 2012 to 2013. Admitted students leveled off in 2014 preceding a substantial increase of 13 percent in admitted students from 2015 to 2016.

UT adjusts the number of admitted students each year depending on how many enrolling students the university can accommodate. Senior admissions staff examine past enrollment trends to forecast how many admitted students will enroll.

For students entering fall 2012 (my first year in admissions) their projections erred when one thousand more students enrolled than they expected. They wanted 7,200, but 8,200 students arrived in August. That may explain the 2013 decline in admitted students. For the past two years, they have been trying to increase their student enrollment slightly, thus the higher number of admits.

As more Texas students graduate from high school, and the cost of alternative high-quality options increases, you can expect that spaces at UT will become increasingly competitive.

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