As 2024 comes to a close, we’re looking back and remembering a few reasons why we’re proud to be Longhorns. Here are 10 cool highlights to share at holiday gatherings with your friends and family.
1. We stand tall in the rankings:
- No. 1 public university in Texas
- No. 2 for undergraduate entrepreneurship
- No. 7 public university in the U.S. (up two spots from last year)
- No. 7 for graduate entrepreneurship
- No. 14 in the world for interdisciplinary science
- 50 top-10 graduate programs in the U.S.
2. All-time highs in undergraduate applications, enrollment and graduation rates
Undergraduate applications for fall 2025 shattered the record that was set by the fall 2024 incoming class, increasing 24% over last year. Total enrollment reached a record high for the third consecutive year. This year’s four-year graduation rate, based on students who began college with remote learning during the pandemic, continued a decadelong upward trend.
3. New undergraduate programs in:
- Robotics honors (nation’s first-of-its-kind!)
- Civics honors
- Public affairs
4. Our world-renowned faculty are recognized yet again.
Here are just a few examples from this year:
- Jacqueline Jones, Pulitzer Prize for history
- John Simon, Guggenheim fellow
- Four inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and one named fellow of the American Academy of Nursing.
- Outstanding teaching: President’s Associates Teaching Excellence Awards, Regents Outstanding Teaching Award, Robert Foster Cherry Award.
- Foundational work recognized in social work, accounting and engineering
5. UT entered into major new research partnerships, including:
- Department of Defense microelectronics manufacturing center, led by the Texas Institute for Electronics, to advance the U.S. semiconductor industry
- National Science Foundation computing facility, led by the Texas Advanced Computing Center, to revolutionize computational research
- National Science Foundation and Simons Foundation AI Institute for Cosmic Origins, led by the Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences, to advance our understanding of the cosmos
- Department of Energy HyVelocity Hub, with UT as the lead academic organization, to expand hydrogen energy production along the Texas Gulf Coast
6. We killed it in the SEC.
As newbies to the Southeastern Conference, we more than held our own against our competitors on and off the field and have more in common with them than you may realize. Check out our SEC Connections series for more.
7. New affordability efforts, including free tuition for eligible students, are a top priority:
- Free or deeply discounted tuition for students from families with $100,000 or less in income.
- Housing scholarship offsets costs up to $2,300 for thousands of UT students.
- University Co-op Course Materials Scholarship reduces cost of materials.
- 784-bed East Campus Graduate Housing Complex opened.
8. West Campus is thriving, thanks to the second-year expansion of our West Campus Ambassadors program.
The program is dedicated to enhancing our largest campus neighborhood and offers specialized safety, cleaning and hospitality services to our community.
9. More musicians and concerts, and increased access, are coming to the Forty Acres.
From a songwriter-in-residence (this year’s is Carrie Rodriguez) to intimate performances in the Cactus Café to huge concerts on the Main Mall (like T-Pain this fall), the Longhorn Live initiative builds on our strong roots in the College of Fine Arts to expand live music experiences across campus.
Related: UT students made history this year as West 22nd became the first all-student band to play the Austin City Limits Music Festival.
10. Thousands rally around the “Year of AI.”
After months of expanding academic offerings, launching new recruitment initiatives and making huge gains in an already-strong AI research enterprise, we capped the year with AI Live, which brought people across campus and Austin together to learn about and celebrate all things AI at UT.
Bonus!
Looking ahead to 2025, we will begin work on an historic restoration of our iconic Tower; bolster our position as leaders in energy through key research and education initiatives; and continue construction of The University of Texas at Austin and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Medical Complex.
