Is UT Austin harder to get into than Purdue for undergraduate admissions?

Yes. For most applicants, UT Austin is harder to get into than Purdue for undergraduate admission, and that is especially true if you are applying from out of state. UT Austin receives enormous demand, and some majors there are extremely difficult because admission is not just to the university but often to a specific college or program. Purdue is also selective and can be very tough in engineering or computer science, but overall it is usually viewed as more accessible than UT Austin.

One major difference is how constrained UT Austin is by Texas policy and enrollment structure. Texas residents who qualify for automatic admission under the state’s top-percent law take up a large share of the class, which leaves fewer spots for everyone else and makes holistic review more competitive. That pressure is felt across the applicant pool, especially in popular majors.

Another differentiator is major-level selectivity. At UT Austin, programs like business, engineering, computer science, and some natural sciences can be significantly harder than admission to the university as a whole. Purdue also has high-demand programs, especially engineering and CS, but the overall university is still not typically seen as quite as difficult to enter as UT Austin.

Residency matters a lot here. A Texas resident with strong grades may find UT Austin more attainable than an out-of-state applicant would, while Purdue can be a bit more predictable across residency groups.