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UT Austin graduation and retention rates

4- and 6-year graduation rates, first-year retention, the trend, how UT compares, and what 4 years cost

Graduation and retention, latest classes

UT labels each rate by the fall it reported it, not the year the class started. The federal numbers name the class that started.

  • 4-year graduation · UT, fall 202677.7%
  • 6-year graduation · UT, fall 202689.0%
  • 6-year graduation · UT, fall 202589.2%
  • 4-year graduation · Federal data (NCES), started fall 201874%
  • 6-year graduation · Federal data (NCES), started fall 201889%
  • Back for a second year · Federal data (NCES), started fall 202397%
  • Back for a second year · UT, fall 202597.1%

Compared with other Texas schools

All four come from NCES College Navigator, the U.S. Education Department’s college data site. The 4- and 6-year rates are for students who started in fall 2018, and retention is for those who started in fall 2023.

  • UT Austin · 4-year / 6-year74% / 89%
  • Texas A&M University · 4-year / 6-year61% / 84%
  • Texas Tech University · 4-year / 6-year47% / 69%
  • Texas State University · 4-year / 6-year34% / 55%
  • UT Austin · Back for a second year97%
  • Texas A&M University · Back for a second year94%
  • Texas Tech University · Back for a second year85%
  • Texas State University · Back for a second year80%

Is the 4-year rate going up?

UT’s own 4-year rates, by the fall it reported each one.

  • Fall 201972.2%
  • Fall 202072.8%
  • Fall 202173.5%
  • Fall 202274.5%
  • Fall 202374.8%
  • Fall 202475.0%
  • Fall 202576.0%
  • Fall 2026 · Highest ever77.7%
What percent of UT Austin students graduate in 4 years?77.7% in UT’s fall 2026 report

UT reports a 4-year graduation rate of 77.7% for fall 2026, a record. On the federal measure for students who started in fall 2018, it’s 74%.

The federal figure is for an older class, students who started in fall 2018.

UT student achievement data

What is UT Austin’s 6-year graduation rate?89.0% in UT’s fall 2026 report

UT reports 89.0% for fall 2026 and 89.2% for fall 2025. The federal figure for students who started in fall 2018 is 89%.

NCES College Navigator

What is UT Austin’s freshman retention rate?97% come back for a second year

97% of full-time first-year students who started in fall 2023 came back in fall 2024. UT’s own news release puts the fall 2025 figure at 97.1%, the highest ever.

UT’s Student Achievement report also tracks a later step, staying from the second year into the third. That rate is 94.4% for students who started in 2024.

Is UT’s graduation rate going up?Yes, 72.2% to 77.7% since 2019

Yes. UT’s 4-year rate rose from 72.2% in its fall 2019 report to 77.7% in fall 2026. It’s up about 25 points from 2013, when it was 52%.

The 6-year rate has moved less, from 85.6% to 89.0%, because there’s less room to climb.

UT’s September 2025 news release gave 75.7% for that year’s 4-year rate. Its Student Achievement report now shows 76.0%.

How does UT’s graduation rate compare with Texas A&M?74% vs. 61% in 4 years

For students who started in fall 2018, UT graduated 74% in 4 years and 89% in 6. Texas A&M graduated 61% and 84%.

How does UT compare with Texas Tech and Texas State?UT is 27–40 points ahead on 4 years

Same measure, same fall 2018 class: Texas Tech graduated 47% in 4 years and 69% in 6. Texas State graduated 34% and 55%. UT graduated 74% and 89%.

NCES College Navigator

What helps you finish in 4 years at UT?Full-time load, fixed tuition option

Full-time tuition at UT has no cap on the hours you take, so heavier semesters don’t cost more per term. Longhorn Fixed Tuition, an optional program for new students, locks your rate for four years.

UT credits student success programs started in 2012–2013 for the climb in graduation rates, and says closer housing and aid help too.

Texas One Stop tuition rates

How much does 4 years at UT Austin cost?$130,032–$141,544 for a Texas resident

UT’s 2026–27 cost of attendance for a Texas resident is $32,508–$35,386 a year. Times four, that’s $130,032–$141,544. UT doesn’t publish a 4-year total, so that’s our math: one year times four.

Living with parents is $24,998–$27,716 a year, or $99,992–$110,864 times four. UT says resident undergraduate academic costs are frozen for 2025–26 and 2026–27, so later years may change.

Out of state or international? UT’s 2026–27 nonresident estimate is $64,204–$72,916 a year.

UT cost of attendance International students

Do first-generation and Pell students graduate at lower rates?Rates run 66–68% in 4 years

In UT’s fall 2025 report, 66.0% of first-generation students and 67.3% of Pell-eligible students (lower-income students who qualify for federal Pell Grants) graduated in 4 years, against 76.0% for all students. The 6-year rates were 82.0% and 84.2%.

SourcesUT’s reports and federal data

Checked November 11, 2026. UT’s own rates come from its Student Achievement report and UT News. The comparison uses NCES College Navigator for all four schools.

Where UT ranksUT admissionsFinancial aid

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