UCI vs. UT Austin

Should I go to University of California Irvine or The University of Texas at Austin? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UCI or UT Austin is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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University of California Irvine vs. The University of Texas at Austin comparison
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Overview

UCI UT Austin
Location Irvine, CA Austin, TX
Setting Rural Fringe Large City
Enrollment 35,937 52,384
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #91 #100
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website uci.edu utexas.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UCI UT Austin
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $11,698
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $41,070
Room & Board $17,699 $13,058
Avg Net Price $14,033 $17,434
Avg Grant Aid $17,411 $8,321
% Receiving Grant Aid 80% 86%

Admission

UCI UT Austin
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 119,191 60,055
Admitted 25,212 18,830
Acceptance Rate 21.2% 31.4%
Enrolled % 22.5% 48.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.75 3.8
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Very High Exceptional
Applicant Competition Very High High
ACT Range 26/33 26/33
SAT Range 1230/1430 1230/1500
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2024 Dec 1, 2024

Academics

UCI UT Austin
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 18:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (23%)
  • Biology (16%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Engineering (8%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Communication (13%)
  • Business (12%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • Biology (9%)

Outcomes

UCI UT Austin
Graduation Rate 85% 81%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $61,800 $68,600
Making Student Loan Payments 76% 77%
Median Student Loan Debt $17,000 $22,250
Median Loan Payment $175 $230

Diversity

UCI UT Austin
% Men 45% 44%
% Women 55% 56%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 15% 44%
% Black 2% 4%
% Hispanic 25% 22%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 4%
% International 16% 5%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

UCI UT Austin
% In-State 81% 88%
% Out-of-State 7% 8%

Campus

UCI UT Austin
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • The University of Texas at Austin is larger than than UCI based on total student enrollment (52,384 students vs. 35,937 students)

UCI vs. UT Austin Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCI or UT Austin?

  • The University of Texas at Austin is 1.2% more expensive to attend than UCI for in-state tuition ($11,698.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 1.4% higher at UCI than The University of Texas at Austin ($41,636.00 vs. $41,070.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Irvine than UT Austin ($14,033 vs. $17,434)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at The University of Texas at Austin are 35.5% lower than costs at University of California Irvine ($13,058 vs. $17,699)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at The University of Texas at Austin than University of California Irvine (86% vs. 80%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Irvine students is 109.2% larger than aid received The University of Texas at Austin ($17,411 vs. $8,321)

UCI vs. UT Austin Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, UCI or UT Austin? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between UT Austin or UCI .

  • The average SAT score at The University of Texas at Austin (1297) is 122 points higher than at UCI (1175)
  • Incoming UT Austin students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (29) than students at UCI (27)
  • Accepted freshman UT Austin students have a 0.05 point higher average high school GPA (3.8) than students at UCI (3.75)
  • UT Austin has a higher acceptance rate (31.4%) than UCI (21.2%)

UCI vs. UT Austin Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCI or UT Austin? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between UT Austin and UCI.

  • The graduation rate at UCI is higher than The University of Texas at Austin (85% vs. 81%)
  • Graduates from The University of Texas at Austin earn on average $6,800 more per year than UCI graduates after ten years. ($68,600 vs. $61,800)
  • University of California Irvine students graduate with a $5,250 lower median federal student loan debt than UT Austin graduates. ($17,000 vs. $22,250)
  • UCI graduates are paying $55 less per month on federal student loans than UT Austin graduates. ($175 vs. $230)
  • More UT Austin graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UCI students, three years after graduation. (77% vs. 76%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/