UT Austin In-State Tuition: $11,688/year

The full 2025-26 in-state cost breakdown

UT publishes tuition figures at the college level because differential tuition varies by program. The figures below are full-time undergraduate (15 credit hours) and include all required fees. Source: UT Austin One Stop.

The base undergraduate figure at $11,688/year applies to Liberal Arts, General Studies, and several other majors. Engineering, McCombs Business, and Computer Science add per-college differential tuition of about $2,500-$3,700/year on top of the base. The differential applies equally to in-state and out-of-state students.

Who qualifies for in-state tuition at UT Austin

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) maintains the official residency rules for tuition purposes at all Texas public universities. UT Austin's residency office applies these rules. Three main routes qualify a student:

Route 1: Texas-resident parent claiming the student as a tax dependent

For most traditional-age undergraduate students, the dependent branch is operative. If a parent has maintained Texas domicile for the 12 months preceding the term's census date and claims the student as a federal tax dependent in the relevant tax year, the student qualifies as a Texas resident for tuition purposes. The student's own presence in Texas before enrolling is not required so long as the parent's domicile is established.

Route 2: Independent student with 12 months of Texas domicile

A student who is at least 18, is not claimed as a federal tax dependent by a parent in the current or prior tax year, and provides the majority of his or her own support qualifies on the basis of personal Texas domicile rather than parental. This route is more common for graduate students, transfer students, and students who took a gap year and worked in Texas.

Route 3: Active-duty military or qualified dependent

Texas Education Code §54.052 contains specific provisions for military families. An active-duty service member assigned to a Texas base, and that member's spouse and dependents, qualify for in-state classification regardless of the 12-month clock. The relevant document is the service member's Leave and Earnings Statement (LES) showing the Texas duty station.

Other less common routes: competitive scholarships of $1,000 or more (interpreted narrowly by UT), employment by a Texas-based employer for a defined period before enrolling, or qualification under specific veterans' tuition benefit programs. See the full residency rules page for edge cases.

How out-of-state students qualify for UT in-state tuition

The pathway for an out-of-state family looks like this:

1. Decide on the property pathway. Rule #3 (student-occupied property held in personal name) or Rule #4 (rental property held in a Texas LLC). Most families use Rule #3 because the property doubles as student housing. See the comparison page.
2. Acquire a Texas property at least 12 months before the target term's census date. For Fall 2027 in-state status (census ~Sept 8, 2027), close on the property by mid-August 2026. Allow 30-60 days for utilities, vehicle registration, license, and voter registration to all be in place.
3. Establish the supporting indicia. Texas driver's license or ID, Texas vehicle registration, Texas voter registration, and a federal tax return showing the Texas address as the residence of record. All of these together form the documentary record THECB requires.
4. Maintain the record for 12 continuous months. Pay utilities monthly. Renew vehicle registration on time. Do not vote in another state. Do not file a tax return with the prior state's address during the clock.
5. File the petition through MyStatus. Approximately 60 days before the target term's census date, submit the residency petition with all supporting documentation. UT's residency office reviews and typically decides within 2-4 weeks.
6. Petition approved → tuition recalculated. A resident classification applies to the petitioned term and all subsequent terms as long as residency is maintained.

Why is UT in-state tuition so low?

At approximately $11,688/year, UT Austin in-state tuition is among the most affordable flagship public universities in the United States. A few reasons:

• Constitutional dedication. The Permanent University Fund (PUF), endowed by the Texas Constitution with mineral royalties from West Texas lands, generates billions of dollars annually for the UT and Texas A&M systems. This reduces the per-student cost UT must cover from tuition.
• Texas Legislature freeze. The current legislative session froze in-state tuition at all Texas public universities through 2026-27, holding the line at 2024-25 levels for two more years.
• Designated tuition caps. The Board of Regents approves designated tuition increases within statutory limits, and the in-state segment is politically sensitive in a state where the legislature controls the budget.
• Population dilution. Texas has a large in-state applicant pool relative to per-student state support, which spreads the funding burden.

The result: UT in-state at $11,688/year compares favorably to UC Berkeley ($14,900), University of Michigan ($17,700), and the University of Virginia ($22,300) on the resident-tuition line.

Cost of attendance for in-state students

Tuition is only one component of the total cost of attendance. For a Texas-resident undergraduate living on campus at UT Austin, the full cost picture for 2025-26 looks approximately like:

• Tuition and required fees: ~$11,688
• On-campus housing (Jester, Kinsolving, etc.): ~$11,000-$15,000
• Meal plan: ~$5,000-$6,000
• Books and supplies: ~$1,200
• Personal expenses, transportation: ~$3,000-$4,000

Total: approximately $32,000-$38,000 per year for an in-state student on campus. Off-campus living can be cheaper or more expensive depending on the housing choice. For an out-of-state student who establishes residency starting in year 2, the four-year tuition total drops from ~$$179,632 to about $$79,972, saving roughly $99,660.

Frequently asked questions