The University of Texas at Austin was founded in January 1839 when the Texas Congress set aside 40 acres along 21st Street for the first higher education system. However, it wasn’t opened until September 15, 1883, in the storied Brackenridge Hall. Devoted to “Disciplina Praesidium Civitatis,” UT Austin grew into a flagship public, doctoral RU/VH institution that’s generating research expenditures of $550 million. Ranked eight for enrollment nationwide, Austin is an elite AAU member with 51,331 Longhorns studying in 18 colleges, including the Cockrell School of Engineering. The University of Texas at Austin has greatly expanded its Big 12 campus to encompass 432 Travis County acres in Forbes’ 11th best city for careers.

UT Austin has famous alumni like Laura Bush, Michael Dell, Roger Clemens, and Felicia Bond among its Texas Exes. The U.S. News ranked the University of Texas at Austin the 56th best national college, 123rd top value, and 15th most innovative school with the ninth best computer science programs. On Niche, UT Austin is America’s fourth best student life college and 25th top computer science school. CBS MoneyWatch labeled Austin the sixth best university for high starting salaries. The Daily Beast placed UT Austin eighth nationally for student happiness. The CWUR honored the University of Texas at Austin for the world’s 32nd best education and 28th best faculty. College Choice also recognized Austin for the 24th best computer science bachelor’s degrees.

University of Texas at Austin Accreditation Details

At Level VI, the University of Texas at Austin was reaccredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) in 2008 under President Gregory L. Fenves without public sanctions. This regional accreditation applies to all 170 programs of study to ensure Federal Title-IV eligibility from the U.S. Department of Education. Since 1938, the Cockrell School of Engineering has continuously received programmatic accreditation from the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) too.

University of Texas at Austin Application Requirements

Computer science majors at the University of Texas at Austin must pass the “more selective” admission rate of 40 percent. Freshmen pursing the BA/BS must be graduating with a high school diploma or GED. Taking a college-prep curriculum with four years of math and three years of science is mandatory. Admitted undergrads present a median GPA of 3.75. On average, Longhorns hold an SAT score of 1350 and ACT score of 29. Transfers to the Cockrell School must have 15+ college credits in technical courses like physics, math, and computer science with a minimum 2.5 GPA.

Training with Turing Award-winning faculty for your Master of Science in Computer Science is even more competitive with 9 percent admission. Post-grads need an accredited bachelor’s degree in computer science or closely related discipline like data science. Comparable degrees from foreign schools must be supplemented with a minimum TOEFL iBT score of 79. From the junior year on, applicants must have achieved a 3.0 GPA or better. The Ph.D. program stipulates a 3.5 GPA in technical prerequisites like algorithm architecture. Successful graduate applicants also reach mean GRE scores of 159 verbal and 168 quantitative.

The University of Texas at Austin established a priority deadline of November 1st and regular deadline of December 1st for freshmen. Transfers could apply until March 1st or October 1st yearly. The graduate school accepts Master of Science in Computer Science and Ph.D. applicants during fall only until December 15th. Hopeful students build ApplyTexas Application or graduate application accounts online. If necessary, extra materials could be mailed to 110 Inner Campus Drive in Austin, TX 78712 for stop G0400. Computer science degrees usually request the following:

  • $75 application fee ($90 for international students)
  • Official transcripts from each school attended
  • College entrance exam scores from testing agencies
  • At least two letters of professional recommendation
  • Test of English language proficiency if required
  • Detailed resume or curriculum vitae (post-grad only)

Tuition and Financial Aid

First-time undergrads qualify for the Longhorn Fixed Tuition for four years of their Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in Computer Science program. Currently, bachelor’s degree costs are $4,957 for Texans and $17,645 for nonresidents each semester. Room and board is estimated to add $5,035 each term with $2,486 for miscellaneous expenses. Total annual cost of attendance is $25,134 in-state and $50,724 out-of-state. Graduate education in the Cockrell School of Engineering is $1,374 in-state or $1,955 out-of-state per credit. On average, master’s or doctoral programs cost $11,300 for Texans and $21,518 for nonresidents annually.

According to the NCES, 60 percent of beginning, full-time UT Longhorns share $37.8 million in annual aid with financial packages worth $11,021 on average. Institutional funds like the Forty Acres Scholars Program, Texas Exes Scholarship, Hutchinson International Scholars Award, Presidential Scholarship, and George H. Mitchell Award are beneficial. Undergrads could receive up to $5,500 from the Federal Pell Grant. Lonestar State residents may obtain the TEXAS Grant, Texas Public Education Grant, or UT Austin Grant. Borrowing money from Direct, PLUS, and Perkins loans at fixed interest rates below 6 percent may be necessary. Federal Work-Study jobs pay at least $7.25/hour for campus employment. Graduate teaching or research assistantships come with a tuition reduction benefit of $3,784.

Computer Science at University of Texas at Austin

Chaired by Dr. Don Fussell, the UT Austin Computer Science Department awards a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science for undergrads to deepen their technical curiosity and program hardware or software that meets human needs. The 120-127 credit curriculum dives into concentrations for machine learning, graphics visualization, network security, computational biology, entrepreneurship, software programming, or game development. Double majors are available for electrical engineering or management information systems. University of Texas Austin students might also take the UTeach Program, join Women in Computer Science, intern at IBM, become CS Proctors, study abroad in Japan, and contribute to the Undergraduate Research Journal.

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At the graduate level, the Master of Science in Computer Science has thesis or non-thesis tracks for students to develop world-changing tech innovations. Started in 1966, the 30-credit degree has developed concentrations for software systems, data mining, artificial intelligence, network security, bioinformatics, and robotics. Advanced courses have curricular practical training in cutting-edge facilities like the Model Driven Engineering Lab. Credits can transfer into the Ph.D. in Computer Science, which is a five-year, research-based degree that’s fully funded to unlock academia jobs. Doctoral candidates step through the 90-credit degree’s exams, teaching practica, research qualifications, and dissertation at the University of Texas at Austin.