Are UT-Austin Out-of-State (OOS) applicants at a disadvantage?
Phuket in the distance. Beach on Koh Yao Noi, Thailand
Is admission to UT-Austin more competitive if I am not from Texas?
Yes. It may be worth applying to UT, but it is a high reach for almost any applicant regardless of their major. If you’re an out-of-state student for whom UT is your dream school, there is a very good chance you will be heartbroken.
UT-Austin has become significantly more popular in recent years, especially for STEM and Business majors. Moody Communications is also increasingly popular. The football team's two great seasons, along with continued migration to Austin, make it an appealing city. Tech and finance firms are increasingly setting up regional headquarters or relocating entirely to Texas. Since UT is strong in basically every major, it’s less one-sided than other schools like Indiana, which is well-known primarily for business, or UIUC in computer science and engineering.
UT received around 91,000 applications for Fall 2025 applicants, a 24% increase from the 73,000 received the previous year. Much of that increase came from non-Texas residents, with 48% more out-of-state applicants applying than the previous year. By comparison, the rate of change for Texas residents was 12% more students applying. This is the single most considerable rate of change from year to year in UT admissions history, including the COVID years when universities everywhere saw skyrocketing application numbers.
That means the UT-Austin out-of-state admissions rate is around 5%. This is comparable with the most selective universities in the country like Stanford, Princeton, and Harvard. Even UC Berkeley, the most competitive public university, admits around 8% of its out-of-state applicants. That rate is similar to their overall admissions rate, whereas UT admits Texas residents in significantly higher numbers. So, UT-Austin may be the most competitive university for non-resident and out-of-state applicants in the country.
By contrast, for Fall 2017 first-time freshmen, 48% of Texans gained admission compared with 31% OOS. Only about one in every eight non-automatically admitted Texans, however, gain admission. For Fall 2019, admissions became significantly more competitive, with only 32% of all applicants admitted and approximately 15% of OOS applicants getting in. That out of state admissions rate continued shrinking during COVID.
One reason the OOS admissions rate is so low is that state law requires that the University of Texas at Austin reserve 90% of its spaces for Texas residents. That’s because UT is tax-payer subsidized, so like any public university everywhere, they have at the front of mind their own residents. However, each major, like Computer Science, Business, Engineering, and Honors Programs, doesn’t need this 90:10 ratio and is usually more like 85:15 or 80:20 Texas/OOS students.
A decade ago, I used to advise that the applicant pool for Texans and OOS was similar based on the applicant and admitted student numbers. However, I revised this perspective, especially during COVID, when overall application numbers increased at higher rates from previous years.
In recent years, admission for out-of-state students has been more competitive than for Texas residents for a few reasons. As UT continues gaining recognition as a global leader, particularly in Engineering, Business, and Computer Science, it attracts more attention from students nationwide and around the world.
I expect UT to continue gaining national and international prestige, receive more applicants from Texans and non-Texans, and decrease its class sizes slightly, increasing competition for OOS admissions in future cycles.
The admitted student profile for OOS students looks similar to that of admitted Texas students, who rank outside of the top 5% of their high school. The middle 50% test score range for non-automatically admitted Texas residents was 28-33 on the ACT, similar to OOS-admitted students, 29-33. That means 25% of these admitted students scored higher than a 33 on the ACT.
UT-Austin separates the applicant pool based on residency, so Texans are only compared with one another, OOS against each other, and international applicants against one another. These categories are further broken down into a student's first choice college or school.
It should be noted that although 90% of enrolling UT-Austin students must come from Texas, that doesn't mean each major or honors program requires a similar representation. Consequently, OOS students are overrepresented in highly selective STEM and business majors and honors.
Check out this related post about establishing Texas residency through buying property. Also consult this helpful resource from The Hilltop Monitor regarding residency requirements in Texas and every other state.
Why is the applicant pool for OOS students more competitive?
My theory is that OOS spaces are more competitive because the applicant pool is self-selecting. Unsurprisingly, the largest feeder states in UT are also some of the nation's largest: California, Florida, New York, and Illinois (Chicago).
Students applying to universities nationwide tend to be high achieving and above average compared with the typical applicants from Texas, who may not be applying to private or out-of-state universities.
UT must also be more conservative about the number of OOS students it admits because if more show up to campus than it anticipates, it could disrupt the 90/10 balance between Texans and non-Texans.
For example, an outstanding student from a great California high school might apply not just to their state's flagship institutions but also to most selective private universities and other prestigious public universities like Washington, Michigan, Virginia, etc. OOS applicants also tend toward UT's most popular and well-recognized programs like Business, Engineering, Communications, and Computer Science.
OOS applicants are also more likely to come from college-educated families, resource-rich suburban or private schools, and high socioeconomic backgrounds who can afford to pay private or out-of-state education premiums. The average OOS applicant likely has higher test scores and better grades than the average Texas resident who comes from more varied backgrounds.
If I'm OOS how should I approach my application? Should I even bother applying?
You cannot control your residency or which state you come from.
I encourage all applicants to focus only on factors that they can control. OOS applicants must focus on demonstrating fit for their first-choice major because it is highly unlikely that their second-choice major will be considered.
OOS applicants are not eligible for automatic admission or pathway programs like CAP and PACE. Moreover, little to any financial aid is available for OOS students. As a general rule, enrolling non-Texans are expected to pay their full cost of attendance which can exceed $50,000 annually for at least their first year.
Establishing residency after your freshman year on campus is possible yet difficult. Residency questions are outside the scope of my expertise, but you can get started here.
Many non-Texans then wonder whether they should apply at all. If your family cannot cover most or all of your expenses, you should consider applying to less selective Texas universities or those from other states that may be more forthcoming with financial aid and scholarships.
If UT-Austin is one of your top choices, it only costs time and $75 to apply. I advise you to apply, complete your financial aid forms and any scholarship applications, and assess your academic and financial options during the spring of your senior year to see if UT would be a good fit and investment for your future.
Client Outcomes and OOS Admissions Data
I take on six to eight OOS clients each year. I’ve worked with 60 non-Texas residents from Fall of 2017 to 2025. UT admissions do not care which state a student comes from, so I’ve not included that information here.
28 / 60 have gained UT admission (47%), while 32 were rejected (53%)
My average OOS client ranks in the top 10% of their class scoring around a 1480 on the SAT
Six test-optional clients (3 admit, 3 deny) not pictured
Complete list of OOS admissions offers:
Scholarship and honors in bold
Adelphi, Alabama, Arizona, Arizona State, Bucknell, Clemson, Case Western, Central Florida, Columbia, Colorado, U California: (Berkeley (Regents), Davis, Irvine (Regents), Los Angeles, Merced San Diego, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara), Carngie Mellon, California Polytechnic, Drexel, Duke, Emory, Florida, Florida State, George Washington, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Johns Hopkins, Maryland, Miami, Michigan Ross, MIT, NC State, Ohio State, Pace, Penn State, Purdue, Rice, RPI/Albany BS/MD, Rutgers, SMU, South Carolina, South Florida, Stevens NY, Syracuse, TCU, Texas A&M, Temple, Tulane, UNC Charlotte, UNC-Chapel Hill, UT-Dallas, UVA, WashU*, Washington-Seattle, Wisconsin, Vanderbilt.