University of Texas at Austin

Like the state it calls home, The University of Texas at Austin is a bold, ambitious leader. Ranked among the biggest and best research universities in the country, UT Austin is home to more than 51,000 students and 3,000 teaching faculty.Together we are working to change the world through groundbreaking research and cutting-edge teaching and learning techniques. Here, tradition and innovation blend seamlessly to provide students with a robust collegiate experience. Amid the backdrop of Austin, Texas, a city recognized for its creative and entrepreneurial spirit, the university provides a place to explore countless opportunities for tomorrow’s artists, scientists, athletes, doctors, entrepreneurs and engineers.

Whether you're a scholar of the sciences, humanities or arts, we offer dozens of top-ranked programs with a proven record of success. But you don't have to take our word for it: The university is one of the top 20 public universities according to U.S. News & World Report, with the No. 1 accounting, Latin American history and petroleum engineering graduate programs in the country — plus more than 15 undergraduate programs and more than 40 graduate programs ranked in the top 10 nationally. No matter where you look, it's clear that academic excellence is an essential part of the UT Austin experience.

UT Austin is the flagship school of the University of Texas System, which includes nine academic universities and six health institutions statewide. As a public university, we take seriously our charge to serve the great state of Texas that supports us — and with billions of dollars in added state income every year, not to mention countless other benefits to local and statewide communities, The University of Texas at Austin provides an exceptional return on investment. An enduring symbol of the spirit of Texas, we drive economic and social progress, all while serving our city, state and nation as a leading center of knowledge and creativity.

Our large student body, storied history, strong community and richness of tradition have given rise to a proud alumni base of more than 482,000, which includes industry leaders like Michael Dell and Rex Tillerson, entertainers like Oscar-winning actor Matthew McConaughey, Academy Award-winning actress Marcia Gay Harden and film director Robert Rodriguez, journalists like Bill Moyers and Walter Cronkite, and politicians like Sam Rayburn, James Baker and Kay Bailey Hutchison. In addition to providing great networking opportunities, our alumni connectedness ensures that you can find fellow Longhorns no matter where you go after graduation.

The mission of The University of Texas at Austin is to achieve excellence in the interrelated areas of undergraduate education, graduate education, research and public service. The university provides superior and comprehensive educational opportunities at the baccalaureate through doctoral and special professional educational levels.

The university contributes to the advancement of society through research, creative activity, scholarly inquiry and the development and dissemination of new knowledge, including the commercialization of University discoveries. The university preserves and promotes the arts, benefits the state’s economy, serves the citizens through public programs and provides other public service.

The core values of The University of Texas at Austin are learning, discovery, freedom, leadership, individual opportunity, and responsibility. Each member of the university is expected to uphold these values through integrity, honesty, trust, fairness, and respect toward peers and community.

Teaching and learning are integral to our mission — and our charge to change the world. Both in and out of the classroom, we aim to encourage discussion and debate, provide opportunities for intellectual partnerships, and offer an enriching and mind-expanding experience. With more than 3,000 esteemed faculty members, dozens of highly ranked degrees and programs, incomparable campus resources, state-of-the-art facilities, an emphasis on diverse perspectives, and several special initiatives designed to boost academic success — not to mention academic and career support that extends well past commencement — UT Austin remains a leader among universities around the globe.

Here at The University of Texas at Austin, we embrace and encourage diversity in many forms, striving to create an inclusive community that fosters an open and supportive learning, teaching and working environment. Our strength as a university draws from our wide range of perspectives and experiences, and we support a free exchange of ideas alongside thoughtful consideration of our differences. The UT Austin Division of Diversity and Community Engagement (DDCE) offers more than 40 programs and initiatives that support this vision, strengthening diversity on campus and in communities across the state, all while helping to shape the future leaders of Texas and the world beyond.

In 1839, the Congress of the Republic of Texas ordered that a site be set aside to meet the state's higher education needs. After a series of delays over the next several decades, the state legislature reinvigorated the project in 1876, calling for the establishment of a "university of the first class." Austin was selected as the site for the new university in 1881, and construction began on the original Main Building in November 1882. Less than one year later, on Sept. 15, 1883, The University of Texas at Austin opened with one building, eight professors, one proctor, and 221 students — and a mission to change the world. Today, UT Austin is a world-renowned higher education, research, and public service institution serving more than 51,000 students annually through 18 top-ranked colleges and schools.