USAFA vs. UT Austin

Deciding between United States Air Force Academy and The University of Texas at Austin? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

United States Air Force Academy
The University of Texas at Austin

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  • Overview

  • Location
  • USAFA USAF Academy, Colorado
  • UT Austin Austin, TX
  • Setting
  • USAFA Large City
  • UT Austin Large City
  • Total enrollment
  • USAFA 4,114
  • UT Austin 53,864
  • Type
  • USAFA Public 4 Year
  • UT Austin Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • USAFA
  • UT Austin #105
  • Religious Affiliation
  • USAFA -
  • UT Austin -
  • Status
  • USAFA Non-profit
  • UT Austin Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • USAFA
  • UT Austin

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • USAFA $0
  • UT Austin $11,688
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • USAFA $0
  • UT Austin $44,908
  • Room & Board
  • USAFA $0
  • UT Austin $14,828
  • Average Net Price
  • USAFA -
  • UT Austin $17,942
  • Average Grant Aid
  • USAFA $0
  • UT Austin $13,681
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • USAFA 0%
  • UT Austin 42%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • USAFA 10,187
  • UT Austin 72,885
  • Admitted
  • USAFA 1,435
  • UT Austin 19,417
  • Acceptance Rate
  • USAFA 14.1%
  • UT Austin 26.6%
  • Enrolled
  • USAFA 78.5%
  • UT Austin 47.4%
  • Typical SAT score
  • USAFA 1340
  • UT Austin 1380
  • Typical ACT score
  • USAFA 29
  • UT Austin 30
  • Average High School GPA
  • USAFA 3.81
  • UT Austin 3.8
  • Typical High School Grades
  • USAFA A-
  • UT Austin A-
  • Admissions Standards
  • USAFA Very High
  • UT Austin Exceptional
  • Applicant Competition
  • USAFA Very High
  • UT Austin High
  • ACT Range
  • USAFA 26/33
  • UT Austin 27/33
  • SAT Range
  • USAFA 1230/1440
  • UT Austin 1250/1510
  • Submit Test Scores
  • USAFA Required
  • UT Austin Required
  • Application Deadline
  • USAFA Dec 31, 2026
  • UT Austin Dec 1, 2026

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • USAFA 7:1
  • UT Austin 18:1
  • Popular Majors
  • USAFA
    • Engineering (35%)
    • Social Sciences (18%)
    • General Studies (14%)
    • Business (12%)
    • Biology (6%)
  • UT Austin
    • Social Sciences (13%)
    • Communication (13%)
    • Business (12%)
    • Engineering (11%)
    • Biology (9%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • USAFA -
  • UT Austin 81%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • USAFA N/A
  • UT Austin $68,600
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • USAFA -
  • UT Austin 77%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • USAFA N/A
  • UT Austin $22,250
  • Median Loan Payment
  • USAFA N/A
  • UT Austin $230

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • USAFA 70%
  • UT Austin 44%
  • % Women
  • USAFA 30%
  • UT Austin 56%
  • Racial Diversity
  • USAFA -
  • UT Austin Very High
  • HBCU
  • USAFA No
  • UT Austin No
  • % White
  • USAFA 0%
  • UT Austin 44%
  • % Asian
  • USAFA 0%
  • UT Austin 20%
  • % Black
  • USAFA 0%
  • UT Austin 4%
  • % Hispanic
  • USAFA 0%
  • UT Austin 22%
  • % Native American
  • USAFA 0%
  • UT Austin 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • USAFA 0%
  • UT Austin 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • USAFA 0%
  • UT Austin 4%
  • % International
  • USAFA 0%
  • UT Austin 5%
  • % Unknown Race
  • USAFA 0%
  • UT Austin 1%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • USAFA 6%
  • UT Austin 87%
  • % Out-of-State
  • USAFA 91%
  • UT Austin 8%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • USAFA Yes
  • UT Austin Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • USAFA Yes
  • UT Austin No
  • Meal Plan
  • USAFA Yes
  • UT Austin Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • USAFA No
  • UT Austin No
  • Daycare Facility
  • USAFA No
  • UT Austin Yes

Comparable Facts

Compare United States Air Force Academy in USAF Academy, Colorado with The University of Texas at Austin in Austin, TX on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

The University of Texas at Austin is larger than USAFA based on total student enrollment (53,864 students vs. 4,114 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • United States Air Force Academy is located in USAF Academy, Colorado (Large City setting); The University of Texas at Austin is in Austin, TX (Large City setting).
  • United States Air Force Academy is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. The University of Texas at Austin is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: United States Air Force Academy 7:1; The University of Texas at Austin 18:1.

USAFA vs. UT Austin Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, USAFA or UT Austin? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • In-state tuition differs between The University of Texas at Austin and USAFA ($11,688.00 vs. $0.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition differs between UT Austin and United States Air Force Academy ($44,908.00 vs. $0.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at The University of Texas at Austin than at United States Air Force Academy (42% vs. 0%).

USAFA vs. UT Austin Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, USAFA or UT Austin? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between UT Austin and USAFA.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at The University of Texas at Austin (1380) is 40 points higher than at USAFA (1340).
  • Incoming UT Austin students have a 1 point higher typical ACT composite (median estimate) (30 vs. 29 at USAFA).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: United States Air Force Academy 1230/1440; The University of Texas at Austin 1250/1510.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: United States Air Force Academy 26/33; The University of Texas at Austin 27/33.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: USAFA - Required; UT Austin - Required.
  • Typical fall application deadline: USAFA Dec 31, 2026; UT Austin Dec 1, 2026.
  • Accepted freshman USAFA students have a 0.01 point higher average high school GPA (3.81) than students at UT Austin (3.8).
  • UT Austin has a higher acceptance rate (26.6%) than USAFA (14.1%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 78.5% at USAFA vs. 47.4% at UT Austin.

USAFA vs. UT Austin Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for USAFA and UT Austin? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.