University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX · founded 1883 · 52,000 students · public research university · Southeastern Conference (SEC)

Known for: Being a flagship public research university of immense size and influence, renowned for its top-ranked business, engineering, and law schools, its dominant athletics program, and its location in the vibrant city of Austin.

Rankings

U.S. News national: #32
QS World: #58
Times Higher Education: #47
ARWU Shanghai: #46
Forbes: #45

Top programmes

Business
Engineering
Computer Science
Law
Communication
Geosciences

Notable alumni

Matthew McConaughey — Academy Award-winning actor
Walter Cronkite — Legendary broadcast journalist, 'the most trusted man in America'
Michael Dell — Founder and CEO of Dell Technologies
Renée Zellweger — Academy Award-winning actress
James Baker — Former U.S. Secretary of State and Secretary of the Treasury
Wes Anderson — Academy Award-nominated film director
Roger Clemens — Major League Baseball pitcher, 7-time Cy Young Award winner

Traditions

Texas Fight song and 'Hook 'em Horns' hand sign
Lighting the Tower orange for victories
Hex Rally before playing Texas A&M
Eyes of Texas

If University of Texas at Austin were…

As a food: Franklin Barbecue brisket — Iconic, Texas-sized, worth the wait, and nationally recognized as top-tier despite being rooted in local tradition. UT Austin combines massive scale with genuine quality—it's not trying to be subtle or refined, just exce
As an athlete: Kevin Durant — One-and-done Longhorn who went on to dominate at the highest level, combining natural talent with relentless ambition. UT students arrive with big goals, use the platform to launch into elite careers, and maintain fierce
As a person alive today: Matthew McConaughey — Laid-back Texas charm mixed with serious ambition and accomplishment, equally comfortable at a football game and a Hollywood premiere. UT embodies that 'alright alright alright' confidence—fun-loving and spirited but als
As a historical figure: Lyndon B. Johnson — Larger-than-life Texan who wielded enormous power, got things done through sheer force of will, and never forgot where he came from. UT is the LBJ of universities—massive, politically savvy, unapologetically ambitious, a
As a movie or TV show: Friday Night Lights — Texas pride, football obsession, big dreams, and a community that believes in itself against all odds. UT students live in a place where sports, ambition, and culture collide, where everyone thinks they're destined for g
As a US president: Ronald Reagan — Charismatic, optimistic, confident in American exceptionalism, and beloved by a passionate base while critics roll their eyes at the swagger. UT projects that same sunny self-assurance—it knows it's great, it wants you t
As a city: Austin — Obviously—UT is inseparable from Austin's identity. Both are booming, creative, tech-forward, and convinced they're the best-kept secret that everyone already knows about. The university and city feed off each other's en
As an element: Gold — Valuable, lustrous, universally desired, and associated with wealth and success. UT students are chasing gold—top internships, elite jobs, big exits—and the school's combination of academic firepower, network, and locati
As a car: Ford Mustang GT Convertible — Big, bold, and quintessentially Texan—UT Austin roars with Longhorn pride, Sixth Street nightlife, and Silicon Hills ambition. Powerful public flagship that's equally at home at SXSW or a football stadium holding 100,000

Campus life

Campus life is energetic and deeply intertwined with the city of Austin. There is a massive school spirit centered around Longhorn sports, a huge variety of student organizations, and a vibrant social scene that benefits from Austin's renowned live music and cultural offerings.