How Tuition is Set
In 2003 the Texas Legislature gave public university governing boards the authority to set tuition rates. Governing boards are allowed to set different tuition rates as considered necessary for best support the academic mission of the institution. See Compare UT Tuition for information about how tuition at UT Austin compares with other Texas and peer institutions.
UT Austin uses a flat-rate tuition system, which includes all academic program costs and mandatory fees. The tuition rate is assessed each semester by college or program, resident status, and hours enrolled.
UT Austin forms an advisory committee following each legislative session and works with university leadership to provide information to the UT System Board of Regents. The group develops a proposal based on UTSYS guidelines and they combine all UTSYS submissions from other campuses to present to the Board for consideration.
In November 2019, the UT System Board of Regents approved a 2.6% increase for undergraduate students at all of its 8 academic campuses, including UT Austin, which applied to academic years 2020-21 and 2021-22. This increase matched the projection of higher education inflation for those two year periods. In addition, the Board approved a differential tuition increase of $550/$1,100 (resident/non-resident) for students in the McCombs School of Business and the Cockrell School of Engineering and $250/$500 (resident/non-resident) for students in the College of Natural Sciences. These differential rates are included in the advertised tuition rates. That approval can be found here.
Legislative Information
Here you will find legislative information regarding higher education tuition in Texas.
- Texas Legislation on Tuition 2021, 87th Legislature Regular Session, Texas Legislature Online
- Texas Legislation on Tuition 2019, 86th Legislature Regular Session, Texas Legislature Online
- Texas Legislation on Tuition 2017, 85th Legislature Regular Session, Texas Legislature Online
- Texas Legislation on Tuition 2015, 84th Legislature Regular Session, Texas Legislature Online
- Texas Legislation on Tuition 2013, 83rd Legislature Regular Session, Texas Legislature Online