Requirements and restrictions Cockrell School of Engineering
Program-specific requirements
Freshman applicants must meet the school’s Math Readiness Requirement.
In addition to submitting a complete application for admission, freshman applicants to the Cockrell School of Engineering should also review the following information regarding special application requirements, admission restrictions and the Math Readiness requirement.
- Admission Standards: Admission to the Cockrell School of Engineering is based on standards similar to but higher than those for admission to the University.
- Preparation: Students interested in majoring in engineering should prepare by taking math and science courses each year of high school.
- Engineering Honors Program: Admission to the Engineering Honors Program requires the completion of an additional application.
Restricted Admission: Cockrell School of Engineering
Because admission to the Cockrell School of Engineering is so competitive, automatic admission as a result of top 10% status is restricted to the most qualified applicants.
Admitting Students to Restricted Majors
- Top 10% Texas graduates are admitted based on their relative class rank (beginning with the top 1%, top 2%, top 3%, etc.) until spaces available for automatic admission within the major are filled. (No more than 75% of available spaces in a restricted major are filled through automatic admission.)
- If 75% of the available spaces in one of the majors are filled before all top 10% applicants are admitted, the remaining top 10% graduates compete with all other applicants for any remaining spaces. Admission decisions about these remaining spaces are based on individual review.
- Top 10% graduates who are not admitted to the major of their choice are considered for their second-choice major. All top 10% Texas high school graduates who meet UT Austin’s application requirements are admitted to the University, although they may not be admitted to their requested major(s).
Math Readiness Requirement
To be considered for admission to the Cockrell School of Engineering, you must meet the school’s math readiness requirement by the official admissions deadline to show that you’re ready for college level calculus courses. There are three options for fulfilling the requirement:
- Submitting scores from the SAT Subject Test in Mathematics of at least a 560 on the Level 1 exam or a 530 on the Level 2 exam.
- Submitting official AP Calculus exam scores of 3 or higher from the end of your junior year.
- Submitting a transcript that shows a grade of C or higher in a college-level pre-calculus or calculus course.
Applicants to engineering who don’t submit proof of math readiness by the admissions application deadline will be able to continue through the admissions process if they submit evidence of one of the following:
- A SAT I Math score of at least 600 or an ACT Math score of at least 26
- Documentation of concurrent enrollment in dual credit pre-calculus or calculus
If you’re admitted to engineering without meeting the math readiness requirement (the appropriate SAT Subject Test score, AP score, or grade in pre-calculus or calculus), you will be required to submit proof of math readiness before enrolling in the Cockrell School of Engineering.
For additional information, call the Cockrell School of Engineering’s Office of Student Affairs at 512-471-4321.
Practice Exams for the SAT Subject Tests
If you’re planning to apply to engineering, we’d like to help you prepare for the SAT Subject tests through practice Level IC and IIC exams. Download the following samples of each exam and scoring guide in PDF to gauge your performance:
Level IC Math (782K PDF - UT EID Required)
Level IIC Math (713K PDF - UT EID Required)
Download Adobe Acrobat Reader
Questions about the requirements for enrolling in the Cockrell School of Engineering? Call 512-471-4321.
Learn More about Engineering
Still not certain about your major choice? Learn more about the Cockrell School of Engineering.