Is UT Austin or Stanford harder to get into overall?

Stanford is harder to get into overall. It is one of the most selective private universities in the country, and unlike UT Austin, it does not have a large in-state admission structure that guarantees or heavily favors many applicants. For overall university admission, Stanford is typically a much tougher reach for almost everyone.

UT Austin is still very competitive, especially because Texas law shapes much of its admissions process. A large share of seats goes to Texas residents through the state’s automatic admission system for top students, which makes UT much more accessible for strong in-state applicants than Stanford would be. At the same time, UT can feel much harder for out-of-state students because there are fewer spaces and less institutional reason to prioritize them.

The easiest way to think about it is by applicant type. For a high-achieving Texas student, UT Austin may be difficult for certain majors, but getting into the university overall is often more attainable than Stanford. For an out-of-state student, UT Austin becomes more selective than many people expect, but Stanford still remains the harder school in an overall sense because its admissions bar is extraordinarily high across the board.