UT Austin SAT Scores, GPA, and ACT (2026)

UT Austin admitted about 27 percent of applicants and enrolled students whose SAT scores ran 1250 to 1510 in the middle 50 percent. That is an exceptionally wide band, 260 points from bottom to top, and it reflects two things: a very large public flagship, and Texas's automatic admission law, which admits top ranked Texas students by class rank rather than test score. If you are a Texas resident near the top of your class, your path may run through class rank more than your SAT.

UT Austin is a public research university in Austin with about 42,000 undergraduates and elite programs in engineering, business, and computer science. It was test optional in the most recent federal data. The wide score band means a number in the 1300s or 1400s is genuinely competitive here, unlike at the single digit admit privates. But the most selective majors, especially computer science and engineering, run far tougher than the university wide numbers. Our score plans can help you target a score that fits your major.

UT Austin's wide 1250 to 1510 band gives you clear targets, but your major matters more here than at most schools. Below 1250 you are under the enrolled 25th percentile, a disadvantage for competitive majors though not disqualifying for a strong overall file, especially with high class rank. From 1250 to 1510 you are inside the enrolled range. Above 1510 your score is a genuine strength.

Enrolled ACT scores ran 27 to 33. Two caveats shape how to read this. First, these are enrolled submitters, so the admitted range runs lower, especially among test optional applicants and automatic admits. Second, majors vary enormously: a score that is solid for the College of Liberal Arts may sit well below the bar for computer science or engineering, where admitted students cluster near the top of the band. Aim higher if you are targeting a selective major.

For Texas residents, class rank is the central academic factor at UT Austin, because the state's automatic admission law guarantees admission to top ranked students from Texas high schools. Your rank, and the rigor of the courses behind it, often matter more than a specific GPA number. For out of state applicants and for competitive majors, a strong transcript in demanding courses is essential given how much tougher those paths run.

In concrete terms, that usually means an unweighted GPA in the 3.6 to 3.9 range, where course rigor counts as much as the number. Because the SAT band is so wide, your class rank and course rigor can carry as much weight as your score, especially for Texas residents. If you are aiming at a selective major like computer science, though, both your academics and your test score need to sit toward the top of the range. The diagnostic shows you where your score really stands, section by section, before you plan your prep.

UT Austin reviews applications with heavy attention to class rank for Texas residents and to major specific competitiveness for everyone. At a 27 percent overall admit rate, and far lower for top majors, the SAT is one factor whose weight depends on your residency and intended program. A strong score matters most for out of state applicants and for selective majors, where it helps distinguish a deep pool.

The practical approach is to understand exactly how you will be reviewed: automatic admission and rank for many Texas residents, and major specific review layered on top. Target a score that fits your intended major, and pair it with the class rank and course rigor that carry particular weight at Texas's flagship.

Aim for 1510 or higher if you want your SAT to clear UT Austin's 75th percentile, especially for a competitive major like computer science, engineering, or business. If you are starting in the 1300s, that is a reachable climb and exactly the range where focused prep pays off quickly. Our 1300 to 1500 score plan targets this band with a week by week structure. The diagnostic gives you a real score and a section breakdown in one sitting. Because UT Austin's band is wide, moving from the 25th toward the 75th percentile can meaningfully strengthen your file for a selective major. If you are a Texas resident, understand how automatic admission and major specific review apply to you, then aim your score at the demands of your intended major rather than the broad university average.