UT Austin & Texas A&M Research
Source: utaustin_tamu.md
UT Austin & Texas A&M Research
University of Texas at Austin
Overview
- Location: Austin, TX
- Category: public_elite
- Conference: SEC (Big 12 until 2024)
- Total undergrad enrollment: ~43,165
Admissions (CDS 2024-25)
- Total applicants: 72,885 (record high, +10.2% YoY)
- Admitted: 19,417
- Enrolled: 9,210 (2nd-largest freshman class ever)
- Acceptance rate: 26.6%
- Yield rate: 47.4%
Academic Profile
- SAT middle 50%: 1270-1470
- ACT middle 50%: 27-33
- Avg unweighted GPA: ~3.83
- Top 10% of HS class: 86% of enrolled students
- Top quartile: 96%
- Testing policy: Required (reinstated for 2025-26 cycle)
Texas Top Percent Rule
- Currently top 6% of Texas HS class gets automatic admission
- Dropping to top 5% for fall 2026 entry
- Accounts for majority of in-state admits
- Major placement not guaranteed under auto-admit
Early Action
- Non-binding, non-restrictive EA with Oct 15 deadline
- EA decisions released by Jan 15
- No advantage in review process vs. regular deadline (Dec 1)
Demographics (College Scorecard)
- White: 32%, Hispanic: 28%, Asian: 25%, Black: 5%
- International: 4%, Multiracial: 4%
- Women: 56%
- In-state: 88%
Net Cost by Income (College Scorecard)
- $0-30K: $12,972
- $30-48K: $15,543
- $48-75K: $18,618
- $75-110K: $25,697
- $110K+: $28,972
Athletics
- NCAA Division I, SEC
- 21 varsity sports (9 men's, 12 women's)
- 691 student-athletes (~1.3% of enrollment)
Sources
- UT Austin CDS 2024-25: reports.utexas.edu/common-data-set
- College Scorecard: collegescorecard.ed.gov/school/?228778
- UT News enrollment report (Sep 2024)
- GoodGoblin CDS visualization
Texas A&M University
Overview
- Location: College Station, TX
- Category: flagship_public
- Conference: SEC
- Total undergrad enrollment: ~60,710
Admissions (CDS 2024-25)
- Total applicants: 54,905
- Admitted: 31,472
- Enrolled: 12,498
- Acceptance rate: 57.3%
- Yield rate: ~40%
Academic Profile
- SAT middle 50%: 1160-1390
- ACT middle 50%: 25-31
- Avg unweighted GPA: ~3.68
- Top 10% of HS class: 66% of enrolled (50% at College Station campus)
- Testing policy: Test-optional (required starting Fall 2026)
Texas Top Percent Rule
- Top 6% auto-admit applies (same statewide rule as UT)
- Major placement remains selective even for auto-admits
Admission Rounds
- No formal EA/ED program
- Engineering College EA deadline: Oct 15 (decisions by mid-Dec)
- Regular priority deadline: Dec 1
- Rolling admissions; decisions begin late September
Demographics (College Scorecard)
- White: 54%, Hispanic: 25%, Asian: 13%, Black: 2%
- International: 1%, Multiracial: 4%
- Women: 47% (majority male, strong engineering/agriculture)
- In-state: 94%
Net Cost by Income (College Scorecard)
- $0-30K: $12,273
- $30-48K: $12,597
- $48-75K: $18,685
- $75-110K: $26,336
- $110K+: $29,548
Athletics
- NCAA Division I, SEC
- 20 varsity sports
- ~810 student-athletes (~1.0% of enrollment)
- 1st-year retention: 94%, 6-year graduation: 84%
Sources
- Texas A&M CDS 2024-25: abpa.tamu.edu
- College Scorecard: collegescorecard.ed.gov/school/?228723
- TAMU Stories enrollment report (Sep 2024)
- GoodGoblin CDS visualization
Comparison Notes for Simulation
| Metric |
UT Austin |
Texas A&M |
| Accept rate |
26.6% |
57.3% |
| SAT mid-50 |
1270-1470 |
1160-1390 |
| Class size |
9,210 |
12,498 |
| Yield |
47% |
40% |
| Top 10% |
86% |
66% |
| In-state % |
88% |
94% |
| Women % |
56% |
47% |
Both schools benefit from the Texas Top Percent automatic admission rule. UT Austin is significantly more selective and functions more like a "public elite" (similar to UCLA/Berkeley in selectivity). Texas A&M is a large flagship with broader access but still competitive for engineering and business programs.
Key simulation considerations:
- Neither offers ED (binding early), which affects round modeling
- UT Austin's EA is purely informational -- no yield boost expected
- Texas A&M's rolling admissions means most decisions come before RD elsewhere
- Both schools have very high in-state percentages; out-of-state admits face lower acceptance rates
- Engineering/Business programs at both are significantly more selective than university-wide rates