The University of Texas at Dallas
A STEM-heavy public research university founded by Texas Instruments' founders, with a famous chess team.
- Acceptance rate
- 69%
- First-year students entering fall 2025 (Common Data Set 2025-26)
- Students
- 30,139
- 23,007 undergraduates
- International
- 5%
- of students
- Student–faculty
- 23:1
- ratio
- Tuition
- $40,164
- From · 2026-27
About UT Dallas
UT Dallas grew out of the Graduate Research Center of the Southwest, set up in 1961 by Texas Instruments founders Eugene McDermott, Cecil Green and Erik Jonsson because the region could not supply enough scientists and engineers. It joined the University of Texas System in 1969, admitted only graduate students at first, added juniors and seniors in the 1970s and began enrolling freshmen in 1990. Today it is an R1 research university of 30,139 students (fall 2025), 23,007 of them undergraduates, on a suburban campus of about 640 acres in Richardson, 18 miles north of downtown Dallas.
Teaching is organised in seven schools, including the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, the Naveen Jindal School of Management, the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences and the Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology, plus the Hobson Wildenthal Honors College. The university offers 160 degree programs, 67 of them bachelor's degrees, and research runs from nanotechnology and space science to brain health at the Center for BrainHealth and the Callier Center in Dallas's Medical District.
Admission is broader than at the most selective Texas publics: UT Dallas admitted 25,115 of 36,353 first-year applicants for fall 2025 (69.1%), but the entering class is academically strong, with 176 National Merit Scholars among 4,948 freshmen. It suits self-motivated students who want a quantitative, career-oriented degree near a major corporate hub, and who are happy with a campus that is more studious than football-focused.
Disciplina Praesidium Civitatis
“An educated mind protects and strengthens democracy” — university motto
Why students choose UT Dallas
Engineering, computer science and management programs sit close to the Dallas-Fort Worth corporate economy; the university says all of the region's 24+ Fortune 500 companies have hired UT Dallas graduates.
Completed applications received by December 1 are automatically reviewed for the Academic Excellence Scholarship, and the Eugene McDermott Scholars Program selects about 20 scholars a year from any state or country.
The Hobson Wildenthal Honors College hosts the National Merit Scholars Program and the Terry Scholars cohort, giving high achievers a smaller community inside a large university.
The chess program has recruited more than 30 Grandmasters and won four President's Cup titles, and human-scale chessboards sit on the main mall.
Admissions
First-year students entering fall 2025 (Common Data Set 2025-26)
25,115 admitted from 36,353 applicants
Middle 50% of admitted students scored in this range.
Middle 50% of admitted students scored in this range.
4,948 first-years enrolled. By residence, 20,491 of 28,758 Texas applicants, 2,568 of 3,760 out-of-state applicants and 2,056 of 3,835 international applicants were admitted. UT Dallas has no waiting list. Texas students in the top 10% of their class who earn the Distinguished Level of Achievement are admitted automatically; students not admitted to a capacity-limited first-choice major may be offered a different major.
Typical entry requirements
| International secondary school record | Official transcript or mark sheets covering all secondary work from ninth grade through at least the end of 11th grade, with certified English translations where needed |
|---|---|
| English language | IELTS 6.5 · TOEFL iBT 80 Minimums: TOEFL iBT 80 (including Home and Paper editions), IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 105, PTE 67. Also met by SAT EBRW 560+ or ACT English 21+, three or more years at an English-medium IB, British-system or AP school, or citizenship of a country whose government language is English with education solely in English. |
Deadlines
- Priority deadline Non-binding Next deadline · In 56 daysDecember 1, 2026
Non-binding. Complete files received by this date get early review for admission and are automatically reviewed for the Academic Excellence Scholarship. Applications open August 1 on Common App and ApplyTexas.
- Regular deadline Non-binding In ~7 monthsMay 1, 2027
Rolling review up to this date; decisions take about four to six weeks after a file is complete. Files completed later are still reviewed but may not be processed in time for fall.
UT Dallas lists annual dates (applications open August 1, priority December 1, regular May 1) for domestic and international first-year applicants; they are applied here to the fall 2027 cycle. There is no Early Decision or Early Action. The priority deadline for first-year housing applications is April 1, 2027.
How to apply
Common App or ApplyTexas (submit only one); $75 application fee or approved waiver; official high school transcript through at least the end of 11th grade; optional essay, up to three letters of recommendation, resume and SAT/ACT/CLT scores, submitted through the Orion Applicant Center in Galaxy; international applicants add English proficiency evidence.
What admissions looks for
- Overall grades in academic coursework and the trend of achievement over time.
- Strength of the high school curriculum, including rigor such as AP, IB and dual credit courses.
- High school rank and GPA; class rank and academic GPA are rated very important in the CDS.
- Preparation for, and ability to succeed in, the intended major.
- What optional materials add: essay, recommendations, resume and test scores.
Tips for applying to UT Dallas
- 1 Submit a complete file by December 1: that is the only way to be automatically reviewed for the Academic Excellence Scholarship.
- 2 Use the optional essay, resume and up to three recommendations; UT Dallas reviews holistically and encourages all applicants to send them.
- 3 Choose your intended major carefully, since capacity-limited majors have extra requirements and you may be offered a different major.
- 4 If you are a strong Texas student, ask your counselor to certify your exact class rank using the High School Rank Certification Form.
- 5 If you want the McDermott Scholars Program or National Merit awards, check their separate application and deadline requirements early in senior year.
What are your chances?
Sign up to see your personalized admission chances for The University of Texas at Dallas
Sign up to see your chancesCosts & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in USD
UT Dallas awards need-based aid from the FAFSA and merit scholarships including the Academic Excellence Scholarship, the Eugene McDermott Scholars Program, National Merit and Terry Scholars awards, and a Top 10% Scholarship of $2,500 a semester for eligible Texas residents. Through the Comet Promise, eligible students admitted by the financial aid priority deadlines whose family income is $100,000 or less have full tuition covered by a mix of Comet Promise funds, scholarships, grants and exemptions. The Comet Scholars Program supports high-achieving students with significant financial need. Institutional need-based and merit aid is available to undergraduate nonresidents.
- $35,096-$38,124 for Texas residents; $60,596-$66,812 for non-residents, including books, transport and personal costs
- 2026-27 estimated cost of attendance, on campus (Admission affordability page and Financial Aid calculator)
- 62%
- Undergraduates receiving need- or merit-based aid
- 62%
- Graduating seniors with no student debt
- 311 students, averaging $9,427
- Undergraduate nonresidents awarded institutional aid (CDS 2025-26)
- $15,891
- Average net price after grants and scholarships
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters
Engineering and computer science (Erik Jonsson School)
Named for a Texas Instruments co-founder, the school is at the core of the university's STEM identity and sits beside the Telecom Corridor employers that recruit its graduates.
Naveen Jindal School of Management
Named after alumnus Naveen Jindal (MBA 1992), it is one of the university's largest schools and charges a slightly higher tuition rate.
Arts and Technology (ATEC)
Based in the Harry W. Bass Jr. School, it combines art, design and computing; alumni include MFA graduates Gabriel Dawe and Brian Fridge.
Behavioral and brain sciences
The school runs the Center for BrainHealth and the Callier Center for Communication Disorders in Dallas's Medical District.
Eugene McDermott Scholars Program
About 20 scholars a year, from any major, state or country, receive a scholarship package built around leadership and service.
Research
- Classified R1 (very high research activity), with more than 50 research centers and institutes.
- The Alan G. MacDiarmid NanoTech Institute, led by nanotechnologist Ray Baughman, works on conductive polymers and carbon nanotube materials.
- The Center for BrainHealth and the Callier Center for Communication Disorders run brain and communication-disorder research next to UT Southwestern Medical Center.
- The Texas Instruments Biomedical Engineering and Sciences Building, funded by a $120 million TI gift and dedicated in 2023, supports joint work with UT Southwestern.
Schools & faculties
- Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences
- School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences
- Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science
- School of Interdisciplinary Studies
- Naveen Jindal School of Management
- School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
- Hobson Wildenthal Honors College
College Scorecard: median earnings of $68,227 ten years after entry (and $57,249 six years after entry) for federally aided students. UT Dallas reports a 63% four-year graduation rate.
Student life
Most first-years live in the University Commons residence halls, three-bedroom suites near a dining hall, while older students move into on-campus apartments or the surrounding suburbs; about 29% of undergraduates are transfer students and many commute. Campus life runs through more than 400 student organizations and 26 fraternity and sorority chapters. Students are the Comets, the mascot Temoc is 'comet' spelled backward, and the 'Whoosh' hand salute is the standard show of spirit. Chess has an unusually high profile for a US campus.
- 400+ student organizations and 26 fraternity and sorority chapters.
- NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference athletics, with 15 conference titles in the past five years.
- Nationally competitive chess team, with four President's Cup titles since 1996.
- Human-scale chessboards, reflecting pools and a magnolia-lined allee on the main mall.
Housing. First-year students live in the University Commons residence halls (three-bedroom suites) and must buy a meal plan; the priority first-year housing deadline is April 1, 2027.
Location
UT Dallas sits in Richardson on the edge of the Telecom Corridor, about 18 miles north of downtown Dallas, with part of the campus inside Dallas County. It is a car-oriented suburban setting, but the region is one of the largest US job markets: Dallas-Fort Worth hosts 24+ Fortune 500 companies, six professional sports teams and two major airports.
Nearest airport: Dallas Love Field (DAL) and Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW)
Notable alumni
- AS Aziz SancarNobel Prize in Chemistry 2015 for DNA repair research (PhD 1977)
- JF James F. ReillyNASA astronaut who flew two Space Shuttle missions (BS, MS and PhD in geosciences)
- NJ Naveen JindalIndian steel industrialist and politician elected to India's Parliament; the Jindal School of Management is named for him (MBA 1992)
- DH David HansonFounder of Hanson Robotics, maker of human-like robots (PhD 2007)
- JV James Von EhrFounder of Zyvex, an early molecular nanotechnology company (MS in computer science)
- DC Dipak C. JainMarketing scholar who served as dean of Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management and of INSEAD (PhD in marketing)
- MC Michael C. BurgessU.S. congressman from Texas, 2003-2025 (MA in medical management, 2000)
- MJ Mike JudgeCreator of Beavis and Butt-Head and King of the Hill; took graduate math classes at UT Dallas without completing a degree
Frequently asked questions
What is the UT Dallas acceptance rate?
For fall 2025, UT Dallas admitted 25,115 of 36,353 first-year applicants, an acceptance rate of about 69%. International applicants were admitted at a lower rate (2,056 of 3,835).
Does UT Dallas require the SAT or ACT?
No. Tests are optional for admission and scholarships, and submitted scores can only help. Enrolled first-years who submitted scores had a middle 50% SAT of 1170-1390 and ACT of 24-32.
Does UT Dallas have Early Decision or Early Action?
No. It has a non-binding priority deadline of December 1, which also brings automatic review for the Academic Excellence Scholarship, and a regular deadline of May 1, with rolling decisions in between.
How much does UT Dallas cost?
For 2026-27 the Financial Aid office estimates tuition and fees of about $14,664-$17,692 for Texas residents and $40,164-$46,380 for non-residents and international students, plus $15,234 for on-campus housing and food.
What English test score do international students need?
The minimums are TOEFL iBT 80, IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 105 or PTE 67. SAT EBRW 560+ or ACT English 21+ also meets the requirement.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
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