UT Demand and Student Performance Hit All-Time Highs

AUSTIN, Texas — The University of Texas at Austin continues to set records for applications and enrollment and achieve its highest graduation rates, according to data collected on the 12th class day of the current fall term. Demand for UT and ultimate enrollment have continued to increase, in contrast to a 4% decline nationally in college enrollment since 2020, according to Deloitte.

• A record 66,109 students applied to attend UT this fall — a 10% increase from 2022.
• UT enrolled 9,385 first-time, first-year undergraduate students, surpassing last fall’s enrollment record of 9,109.
• Total enrollment rose to 53,082, 1.3% above last fall’s all-time high of 52,384.
• First-generation undergraduate enrollment climbed to 9,915, comprising 23.4% of all undergraduates.
• First-year undergraduate retention rose to 96.1%
• The four-year graduation rate climbed to a record 74.5%, up from 52% in 2013.

“Our students recognize the opportunities we offer that will change their lives and prepare them to improve society,” said President Jay Hartzell. “Our demand is growing as we build on the academic, research and campus experiences we offer, make them more affordable, and as our results continue to show that no matter where our students come from, they can succeed at a world-class institution that positions them to change the world. I am grateful for the dedication of our exceptional faculty and staff who foster this culture of Longhorn success, and the support of our Board of Regents, the state of Texas and alumni who provide the resources to enable both access and excellence.”

Pell and First-Gen Student Performance Outpaces the Pack

Since 2019, increases in UT’s four-year graduation rates for Pell-eligible and first-generation students have outpaced the increase of all undergraduates. During this time, the graduation rate for all undergraduates increased by 4.6 percentage points, while the graduation rates for Pell-eligible (67.9%) and first-generation students (66.1%) increased by 7.5 and 6.0 percentage points, respectively.

“We know students perform better when they are closer to campus, and affordability is a key to expanding access and increasing proximity, especially for our students with the greatest financial need,” Hartzell said. “Scholarships and other sources of financial aid have contributed to our average net tuition dropping by nearly 25% in the last five years, and we are continuously exploring new ways to drive down cost.”

This year, the University launched a pilot program to provide scholarships to offset housing costs and expanded existing scholarships for course materials.

Decade of Unprecedented Success

Fall 2023 completes a decade of unprecedented gains in student success, including dramatic increases in retention and graduation rates for students across all ethnicities and socioeconomic groups attributed to campuswide student success programs launched in 2012–2013.

*Black includes both “Black or African American alone” and “Black or African American Multiracial (excluding Hispanic) | **Reflects earliest verifiable data from 2014

The University’s momentum as one of the country’s largest and most academically prestigious Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs) is again reflected in this year’s Hispanic enrollment. The percentage of Hispanic undergraduates rose to 28.2% from 27.9% last fall, while Hispanic students’ first-year retention rate rose to 94.8% and four-year graduation rate increased to 68.0%.

Fall enrollment (graduate and undergraduate) by Gender and Race/Ethnicity, Fall 2022 to Fall 2023:

All 2023 figures in this news release are as of the 12th class day. Final figures will be released online in Trends in Student Data, the definitive source of annual data on the University.