UT Austin: Quick Facts

Quick facts and statistics about the University of Texas


Overview

The University of Texas at Austin is one of the largest public universities in the United States. Since it's founding in 1883, UT has grown to over 21,000 faculty and staff, 16 colleges and schools, a 350 acre campus, and almost 50,000 students.

The university’s reach goes far beyond the borders of the main campus with satellite campuses and research centers across Texas, including the J.J. Pickle Research Campus, the Marine Science Institute, the McDonald Observatory, the Montopolis Research Center and the Brackenridge tract.

With an enrollment of 11,000 students and more than 3,500 master’s and doctor’s degrees awarded annually, the graduate school is a national leader in graduate degrees awarded and one of the largest graduate schools in the nation.

UT Austin awards more than 8,700 bachelor’s degrees annually in more than 100 majors across 170 fields of study.


Community

The University of Texas at Austin is Austin’s largest employer and one of the largest in the state of Texas. Generating $6 billion in business activity, the university creates more than 80,000 jobs and more than $2 billion in personal income annually.

Through annual events such as Explore UT, Gone to Texas, Austin Science Fun Day, Texas Memorial Museum Identification Day and Longhorn Halloween, the university opens its doors to the Austin community and shares its wealth of resources. Each spring, more than 30,000 visitors are drawn to campus for music, marches and spectacular fireworks in celebration of commencement.

Staff and students contribute more than three million hours of volunteer service to the community every year. Three out of four of the university’s students volunteer at least once a year, many through events sponsored by one of the 900 organized student groups.


Rankings

The university is annually ranked among the country’s very best public research universities and many of its colleges, schools and departments are considered among the finest in the nation. Because of its high academic quality and relatively low cost, the university is consistently cited as one of the best values in American higher education by publications such as the Fiske Guide to Colleges, the Princeton Review and the Kiplinger Business Magazine.

The Times of London, in a 2004 survey of colleges and universities around the world, ranked The University of Texas at Austin the 15th-best university in the world.

In the latest survey by the National Research Council, seven doctoral programs ranked in the top 10 in the nation, and 22 departments ranked in the top 25. Among Texas colleges and universities, The University of Texas at Austin ranked No. 1 in 30 of the 37 fields in which it was evaluated.


Athletics

In Big 12 Conference sports, Texas has claimed more titles in men’s and women’s sports than any other school since the league began operating in 1996. In football, Texas has won four national championships and ranks third in NCAA all-time victories.

From football to track, university athletics teams have earned more than 40 national championships. Current and former University of Texas at Austin athletes have won 88 Olympic medals, including 19 in Athens in 2004.

In a 2002 cover story, Sports Illustrated magazine named The University of Texas at Austin No. 1 among the nation’s 324 Division I athletic programs. The magazine cited the university’s success in athletic competition, attendance at sporting events on campus and a participation rate of more than 80 percent in intramural and club sports programs.

In 2005-06, the football team won the national championship at the Rose Bowl, the baseball team won the national title at the College World Series and the women’s track and field team won the NCAA indoor (2006) and outdoor (2005) track and field championships. All totaled last year alone, the university’s athletics programs claimed 11 Big 12 Conference championships.


By the Numbers

President: William Powers Jr.
Founded: 1883
Degrees awarded yearly: 12,000
Continuing education enrollment: 300,000 yearly
Estimated yearly cost for an undergraduate student: $18,400 (including tuition and housing)
Employees: 2,500 faculty and 14,000 staff members
Registered student organizations: 900
Graduate/undergraduate enrollment: 11,000 graduate / 39,000 undergraduate
Colleges/schools: 16
Total yearly budget: $1.7 billion
Research funding: $411 million
Museums and libraries: 7 museums and 17 libraries
Alumni: 450,000


Information source: www.utexas.edu