UT Austin tuition · College of Liberal Arts
UT Austin College of Liberal Arts Tuition
UT Austin College of Liberal Arts tuition and required fees for 2025-26 are approximately $11,688/year for Texas residents and $44,908/year for non-residents at full-time enrollment (15 credit hours). The $33,220/year difference is the residency-classification gap; out-of-state families can legally qualify for the resident rate through the 12-month Texas residency pathway.
The College of Liberal Arts tuition breakdown
The College of Liberal Arts charges the base undergraduate rate with no per-college differential. Tuition is the standard $11,688/year for residents and $44,908/year for non-residents.
| Component | In-State (per year) | Out-of-State (per year) |
|---|---|---|
| Base tuition | ~$8,182 | ~$37,274 |
| College of Liberal Arts differential | ~$0 | ~$0 |
| Required fees | ~$3,506 | ~$7,634 |
| Annual total | $11,688 | $44,908 |
Admissions context for College of Liberal Arts
Liberal Arts is one of the largest undergraduate colleges at UT, admitting approximately 3,000 students per year across History, English, Psychology, Economics, Government, Sociology, Anthropology, Religious Studies, and many language and area-studies majors. Admission is selective at the college level.
Why College of Liberal Arts tuition is higher
Liberal Arts is the base-tuition reference point because the college relies primarily on lecture-and-discussion instruction without college-specific lab facilities or equipment investments. Required fees are the same as all other colleges; just no differential.
Career outcomes for College of Liberal Arts graduates
Recent Liberal Arts graduates report median starting salaries of $45,000-$60,000 with substantial variation by major and post-graduation path. Economics, Government (pre-law), and Psychology majors run higher. Many pursue graduate or professional school within five years.
Program details
- Plan II Honors is the flagship interdisciplinary honors program within Liberal Arts, highly selective with separate admission.
- Strong language departments including Spanish (one of the largest in the country), Arabic, Chinese, Russian, and ancient languages.
- Pre-law advising is managed at the college level; pre-med is at Natural Sciences.
- Many double majors with Business, Communication, or Natural Sciences.
Out-of-state College of Liberal Arts students: how the residency pathway changes the math
If your student has been admitted to College of Liberal Arts as a non-resident, four-year tuition runs approximately $179,632 at flat rates (closer to $190,859 adjusted for ~4% annual increases). The Texas residency pathway, executed during year 1 and approved for year 2, brings the four-year total down by approximately $99,660.
The pathway: acquire Texas real property, the student lives at it, maintain Texas indicia (driver's license, vehicle registration, voter registration, federal tax return with Texas address) for 12 continuous months, file the residency petition through UT MyStatus. Full step-by-step pathway here.
The residency pathway works for every UT college
The residency framework applies identically whether the student is in College of Liberal Arts, Liberal Arts, or any other college. Differential tuition (the part that makes College of Liberal Arts more expensive than the base) is the same for residents and non-residents. The residency reclassification only affects the statutory (residency-sensitive) portion of tuition, but that portion is the same dollars across all colleges. Annual savings: about $33,220/year regardless of major.
Frequently asked questions
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