Is UT Austin more selective than Arizona State University for undergraduate admission?

Yes. The University of Texas at Austin is substantially more selective overall for undergraduate admission than Arizona State University. UT Austin receives a very large applicant pool and has limited capacity, while its Texas automatic-admission policy also leaves fewer spaces for applicants reviewed through the broader holistic process. Arizona State admits a much larger share of qualified applicants and is designed to provide access across a wide range of academic preparation levels.

A student who is academically near the top of their high school class, has a demanding course schedule, and presents strong grades and activities would still need to treat UT Austin as a reach or high-target choice depending on residency and major. Admission can be especially constrained for applicants outside Texas, since UT Austin gives considerable enrollment priority to Texas residents.

Arizona State is a more realistic option for students who want a large public university with broad program availability, numerous campus and academic pathways, and more predictable admission standards. Strong students can certainly find honors-level opportunities there, but the baseline likelihood of admission is much higher than at UT Austin.

Individual colleges and majors can change the picture, particularly at UT Austin, where several popular programs have admissions processes that are more competitive than the university’s overall process.