UT Austin & Texas A&M Research

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

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