Is UT Austin easier to get into than Michigan State?

The biggest practical tradeoff is that UT Austin is much more selective overall, while Michigan State is more accessible to a wider range of applicants. UT Austin gets a very large applicant pool, has especially intense competition for non-Texas residents, and some majors can be far harder to enter than the university as a whole. Michigan State is selective, but in most cases it is the more realistic target of the two.

For admissions difficulty alone, Michigan State is easier to get into than UT Austin. UT Austin also has a unique admissions structure because Texas students with very strong class rank can benefit from the state’s automatic admission policy, but that does not make the process easy for everyone. If you are out of state, UT Austin is usually a tougher admit than many students expect.

Another important difference is major-level selectivity. At UT Austin, applying to business, engineering, computer science, or other high-demand programs can make admission significantly harder. Michigan State has strong programs too, but it is usually less restrictive at the front door, and students often have more flexibility to explore before locking into a path.

So if your question is simply which school is easier to get into, the answer is Michigan State. UT Austin should usually be treated as more of a reach or high target, especially for out-of-state applicants or for competitive majors, while Michigan State is more likely to fall into the realistic target range for a broader set of students.