Is UT Austin generally harder to get into than UMass Amherst?

UT Austin is generally harder to get into than UMass Amherst, particularly for applicants from outside Texas and for high-demand majors. UMass Amherst is selective too, but its overall admission bar is typically less restrictive across the university.

Major choice matters substantially at both schools, but especially at UT Austin. Programs such as computer science, business, engineering, and certain natural-science fields can be far more difficult to enter than the university overall. UMass Amherst also has more selective programs, including computer science, engineering, nursing, and business, yet UT Austin’s most sought-after programs tend to draw a deeper and more nationally competitive applicant pool.

For a broad admissions comparison, treat UT Austin as the more difficult admission target. That gap may narrow for a highly qualified Texas applicant applying to a less capacity-constrained UT Austin major, while a student targeting an especially selective UMass program should still view UMass as a reach-worthy option.