The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) admitted 20,154 students out of 90,690 applicants to the Class of 2029, yielding an acceptance rate of 22.2%.
For the Class of 2030, decisions were announced in January 2026 for Early Action (EA) and February 2026 for Regular Decision (RD). An official acceptance rate is not yet available, as UT Austin typically does not publish full admissions statistics until later in the year through the Common Data Set.
In this blog, we’ll walk through UT Austin’s latest available overall, regular, waitlist, and transfer acceptance rates and see how they’ve changed over time.
- UT Austin Acceptance Rates
- UT Austin Early Action Acceptance Rate
- UT Austin Regular Decision Acceptance Rate
- UT Austin Transfer Acceptance Rate
- UT Austin Waitlist Acceptance Rate
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Takeaways
UT Austin Acceptance Rates
UT Austin’s overall acceptance rate for the Class of 2029 was 22.2%, down from 26.64% for the Class of 2028. Applications jumped from 66,109 to 72,885, while the number of admitted students stayed relatively stable at around 20,000, meaning more students are competing for roughly the same number of spots.
This tracks with UT Austin’s long-term decline in acceptance rates over the past decade. Here’s a complete breakdown:
|
UT Austin Class |
Applicants | Admitted |
Overall Acceptance Rate |
|
2030 |
TBA | TBA | TBA |
| 2029 | 90,690 | 20,154 |
22.2% |
|
2028 |
72,885 | 19,417 | 26.64% |
| 2027 | 66,109 | 19,253 |
29.12% |
| 59,767 | 18,770 | 31.41% | |
| 2025 | 66,043 | 18,989 |
28.75% |
| 57,241 | 18,291 | 31.95% | |
| 2023 | 53,525 | 17,029 |
31.82% |
| 50,575 | 19,482 | 38.52% | |
| 2021 | 51,033 | 18,620 |
36.49% |
Note: Class of 2029 data is from the Institutional Reporting, Research, Information and Surveys (IRRIS). All other data has been compiled from UT Austin’s Common Data Set.
Applications have grown significantly since the Class of 2021, rising from 51,033 to a record 90,690 for the Class of 2029, up 24.4% from the previous year and 51% since 2022.
Applications spiked for the Class of 2025, likely driven by test-optional policies adopted during COVID-19, making it easier to apply. Meanwhile, admitted students have remained relatively flat, hovering between 17,000 and 20,000, pushing acceptance rates steadily downward.
UT Austin Early Action Acceptance Rate
UT Austin does not publish acceptance rate data by admissions round, so exact figures for EA are not available. Instead, the university reports only overall admissions statistics, including total applicants, total admits, and the overall acceptance rate, which was 22.2% for the Class of 2029.
EA is non-binding, meaning you can apply earlier without coming to enroll, but it mainly functions as an earlier notification deadline at UT Austin. The university has stated that applying EA “does not provide an advantage in the review process,” which likely explains why it does not release separate EA and RD acceptance rates.
UT Austin Regular Decision Acceptance Rate
Like EA, UT Austin does not release specific acceptance rate data for RD. What the available figures do show is how selective the process is overall, with 20,154 students admitted out of 90,690 applicants for the Class of 2029, a 22.2% acceptance rate.
It’s also worth knowing that UT Austin operates under a unique admissions framework. Texas state law automatically admits Texas residents who graduate in the top 5% of their high school class. This fills a large portion of the incoming class before holistic review even begins, meaning RD applicants are effectively competing for the remaining spots.
UT Austin Transfer Acceptance Rate
The most recent available transfer data is from Fall 2025, with an acceptance rate of 22.2%. Here’s the breakdown:
|
Applicants |
Admitted |
Transfer Acceptance Rate |
|
11,735 |
2,603 |
22.2% |
Note: Fall 2025 transfer data is from UT Austin’s IRRIS, the same reporting year that includes Class of 2029 first-year admissions data.
At 22.2%, UT Austin’s Fall 2025 transfer acceptance rate matches its overall freshman rate for the Class of 2029, meaning transfer admissions are just as competitive as applying as a first-year student. Only 2,603 students were admitted out of 11,735 applicants, and with applications continuing to grow, that’s unlikely to change anytime soon.
UT Austin Waitlist Acceptance Rate
In recent years, UT Austin has not included waitlist statistics in its Common Data Sets, so the exact number of waitlisted applicants is unknown. According to the university’s admissions website, waitlisted candidates are considered only if spots become available in the incoming class. Appeals for application review are also not accepted.
Not all applicants are eligible to join the waitlist. Students may submit the waitlist form only if they were not admitted during the initial review or if they were admitted but wish to be considered for a different major.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is UT Austin’s current acceptance rate?
UT Austin’s current acceptance rate is 22.2% for the Class of 2029. Out of 90,690 applicants, 20,154 were admitted.
2. Is it easier to get into UT Austin through Early Action or Regular Decision?
There’s no data confirming whether one round is more competitive than the other, as UT Austin does not release acceptance rates by admissions round. However, the university has stated that applying EA offers no advantage in the review process.
3. How hard is it to transfer to UT Austin?
Fairly competitive. UT Austin’s Fall 2025 transfer acceptance rate was 22.2%, matching its overall freshman acceptance rate for the Class of 2029, with only 2,603 students admitted out of 11,735 applicants.
4. What are my chances of getting off UT Austin’s waitlist?
It’s difficult to estimate. UT Austin has not published waitlist statistics in its Common Data Set, so there’s no data on how many students are placed on the waitlist or admitted from it.
5. Why is UT Austin’s acceptance rate relatively low?
UT Austin’s declining acceptance rate reflects a growing applicant pool against a relatively stable number of admitted students (around 20,000 per year.) Applications have nearly doubled over the past decade, from 51,033 for the Class of 2021 to 90,690 for the Class of 2029.
Takeaways
- UT Austin’s acceptance rate was 36.49% for the Class of 2021 and has since fallen to 22.2% for the Class of 2029, continuing a steady decade-long decline.
- Applications have nearly doubled over the past decade, from 51,033 for the Class of 2021 to a record 90,690 for the Class of 2029, while admitted students have remained flat at around 20,000.
- UT Austin does not release acceptance rates by admissions round, and the university has stated that applying EA offers no advantage in the review process.
- Transfer admissions are just as competitive as freshman admissions, both carrying a 22.2% acceptance rate, and waitlist data is unavailable as UT Austin has not published waitlist statistics in its recent Common Data Sets.
- As admissions become more competitive, strategic guidance can help you stand out. An admissions expert can help you craft a stronger application and show why you’re a strong fit for UT Austin.
Eric Eng
About the author
Eric Eng, the Founder and CEO of AdmissionSight, graduated with a BA from Princeton University and has one of the highest track records in the industry of placing students into Ivy League schools and top 10 universities. He has been featured on the US News & World Report for his insights on college admissions.







