Those seeking to enter the University of Texas at Austin directly out of high school face an extremely selective admissions process. If they are from in-state and finish in the top 6% of their high school class, acceptance is guaranteed. If you are not in the top 6% and/or not from Texas, the road gets much tougher. Perhaps a more uplifting fact is that UT Austin is a very transfer-friendly school. In fact, the transfer acceptance rate is higher than that for first-years in some application cycles. This blog will share the UT Austin transfer acceptance rate as well as other essential pieces of information like the UT Austin transfer deadline, the requirements/checklist for applicants, the UT Austin transfer decision date, and much more.

UT Austin Transfer Acceptance Rate

Below we present the most current available UT Austin transfer acceptance rate as well as historical data.

In the fall of 2021, there were 7,966 transfer applicants and 2,306 individuals were accepted. This means that the UT Austin transfer acceptance rate is 29%. If we break this down by gender, the acceptance rates are as follows:

  • Male transfer applicants: 25%
  • Female transfer applicants: 33%

While they have not released official numbers recently, UT Austin has generally had a better acceptance rate for in-state applicants than for non-residents. In terms of overall historical acceptance rates, the chart below reveals that, in the last five years, the figure has ranged from 24% to 37%.

Historical transfer rates are as follows:

Year Acceptance Rate
2020 32%
2019 28%
2018 24%
2017 37%

UT Austin Transfer Deadline

The university offers a fall and spring transfer option. The UT Austin transfer deadline for summer and fall applicants is March 1. Spring applicants apply by September 1.

UT Austin Transfer Requirements

The UT Austin transfer requirements are as follows:

  • UT Austin now uses the Common App for Transfer
  • Official high school transcripts
  • Official college transcripts
  • An expanded resume
  • Optional letters of recommendation
  • SAT or ACT results (optional in 2023)

Students who have the best chance to gain admission to UT Austin have done the following:

  • Are in the process of completing at least 24 semester credit hours.
  • Have completed their major’s stated Course Requirements.
  • Earned exceptional grades in their first year at a community college or 4-year university.
  • Possess a strong high school record as well.
  • Have strong SAT/ACT and AP/IB results.

UT Austin Transfer GPA

The minimum GPA is a 3.0 in order to be eligible to apply. Yet, in our experience, most successful Longhorn transfer applicants have at least a 3.5 college GPA. Those with a 3.75 or above will fare best. In past years, 3.75 has been the average GPA for admitted applicants.

UT Austin Transfer Writing Supplement

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE (ESSAY 1)

The statement of purpose will provide an opportunity to explain any extenuating circumstances that you feel could add value to your application. You may also want to explain unique aspects of your academic background or valued experiences you may have had that relate to your academic discipline. The statement of purpose is not meant to be a listing of accomplishments in high school or a record of your participation in school-related activities. Rather, this is your opportunity to address the admission committee directly and to let us know more about you as an individual, in a manner that your transcripts and the other application information cannot convey.

Natural Sciences requires a statement of purpose essay that describes how your intended major would impact achievement of your educational and career goals.

Nursing requires that the statement of purpose focus on your goal of becoming a nurse and/or a career in nursing.

Social Work requires that the statement of purpose focus on your goal of earning a social work degree and how it will prepare you for the future.

Please keep your essay between 500–700 words (typically two to three paragraphs and no more than 4500 characters with spaces).

ESSAY 2

All applicants must submit an essay responding to the Statement of Purpose, along with a second essay addressing topic C, D or E. Topic C, used to detail special circumstances you want considered as part of your admissions application, may be submitted as a second essay, or as a third essay if you are required to submit an essay in response to Topic D due to the major you selected. You may also submit it as a third essay at your discretion.

Architecture: Topic D is required for those applying to Architecture
Art and Art History: Topic D is required for those applying to Fine Arts’ Department of Art and Art History. Applicants to Design do not need to submit Essay D.

Essay Special Requirements

There may be personal information that you want considered as part of your admissions application. Write an essay describing that information. You might include exceptional hardships, challenges or opportunities that have shaped or impacted your abilities or academic credentials, personal responsibilities, exceptional achievements or talents, educational goals or ways in which you might contribute to an institution committed to creating a diverse learning environment.

Topic D

Personal interaction with objects, images and spaces can be so powerful as to change the way one thinks about particular issues or topics. For your intended area of study (architecture, art history, studio art, visual art studies/art education), describe an experience where instruction in that area or your personal interaction with an object, image or space effected this type of change in your thinking. What did you do to act upon your new thinking and what have you done to prepare yourself for further study in this area?

Topic E

Choose an issue of importance to you—it could be personal, school-related, local, political or international in scope—and write an essay in which you explain the significance of that issue to yourself, your family, your community or your generation.

Transfer Decision Date?

UT Austin transfer decisions are made by June 15 for those joining the university in the fall. Spring hopefuls are notified by mid-December, at the latest. Others will be notified in November.

Final Thoughts – UT Austin Transfer Acceptance Rate

When aiming to transfer to UT Austin, you’ll want to pay particular attention to various coursework guidelines. To assist, the admissions office has put together a list of Common Transfer Credit Issues. They also offer guides for Texas community college students.

While UT Austin is a highly-selective institution, you should feel encouraged by the fact that they accept 2,000+ transfer students each year. If you get stellar grades at your current college, transferring to UT Austin is a genuinely realistic dream.

If you are looking for information on how to apply to UT Austin as a first-year student, you may find the following blogs to be of interest:

Those searching for application info on other institutions may wish to visit our Dataverse pages/blogs:

 

Dave has over a decade of professional experience that includes work as a teacher, high school administrator, college professor, and independent educational consultant. He is a co-author of the books The Enlightened College Applicant (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016) and Colleges Worth Your Money (Rowman & Littlefield, 2020).