Is UT Austin harder to get into than the University of Maryland for undergraduate admissions?

The biggest practical tradeoff is that UT Austin’s admissions are shaped heavily by Texas residency and major choice, while the University of Maryland is more straightforwardly selective across its applicant pool. For many students, especially out-of-state applicants or those aiming for competitive UT majors like business, engineering, or computer science, UT Austin can feel noticeably harder to crack. Maryland is certainly selective too, but UT’s structure makes it more unpredictable and often tougher in the most sought-after programs.

In broad terms, UT Austin is usually considered the harder admit, especially for non-Texas residents. Texas students have the automatic admission policy tied to class rank, but that does not guarantee entry to the most competitive majors, which adds another layer of selectivity.

Maryland is also a strong public university with competitive admissions, particularly for popular programs and for students applying from out of state. But compared with UT Austin, it is typically seen as a bit less difficult overall.

So if you are trying to place them on a realistic list, treat UT Austin as the more reach-like option in most cases, especially if you are not from Texas or you are targeting a high-demand major. Maryland can still be a reach depending on your profile, but it is usually the less selective of the two in a head-to-head comparison.