Top 10% Rule
You may qualify for automatic admission to many public universities in Texas through the Top 10% Rule. To meet the requirements, you must graduate in the top 10% of your class at a recognized public or private high school in Texas or a high school operated by the U.S. Department of Defense and be a Texas resident or eligible to pay resident tuition. This rule has been modified for The University of Texas at Austin please see UT Austin Admissions for the most recent admissions information.
You will also have to ensure that all required documents are received by the institution you are applying to by the application deadline and be sure to enroll in college no more than two years after graduating from high school.
That's a lot of requirements! But wait, there's still more to do. You also have to:
- successfully complete the
or
- Earn
- a score on the ACT that at least meets the ACT's College Readiness Benchmarks, or
- a minimum score of 480 on the Evidenced-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) test and a minimum score of 530 on the mathematics test (no combined score) if the SAT was administered on or after March 5, 2016.
Be sure to check with the school's admissions office and go to The Tests You'll Need for more information about test requirements.
If you're admitted to college through the Top 10% Rule, you may still be required to provide SAT or ACT scores, but these scores are not used for admissions purposes.
Top 25% Admissions
Not in the Top 10% of your graduating class? Don't give up! You might still qualify for automatic admission. Some universities in Texas have automatic admission for students that graduate in the top quarter (25%) of their graduation class. You will probably need higher ACT or SAT scores to qualify. Go to Texas Institutions of Higher Education to find the schools you need to contact to learn more about automatic admissions and Top 25% requirements.
Additional Information and References
- Uniform Admission Policy (Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Rules)
- Uniform Admission Policy (Texas Education Code)
