UT Austin vs. Purdue vs. Georgia Tech vs. Illinois

Should I go to The University of Texas at Austin or Purdue University Main Campus? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UT Austin or Purdue is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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The University of Texas at Austin vs. Purdue University Main Campus vs. Georgia Institute of Technology Main Campus vs. University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign comparison
The University of Texas at Austin Purdue University Main Campus Georgia Institute of Technology Main Campus University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
The University of Texas at Austin Purdue University Main Campus Georgia Institute of Technology Main Campus University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
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Overview

 UT Austin Purdue Georgia Tech Illinois
Location Austin, TX West Lafayette, IN Atlanta, GA Champaign, IL
Setting Large City Midsize Suburban Large City Small City
Enrollment 53,082 52,905 47,946 56,563
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #105 #103 #137 #120
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit
Website utexas.edu purdue.edu gatech.edu illinois.edu
Team Colors                                        

Costs

 UT Austin Purdue Georgia Tech Illinois
Tuition (In State) $11,678 $9,718 $10,258 $12,712
Tuition (Out of State) $42,778 $28,520 $31,370 $31,208
Room & Board $14,136 $11,650 $12,760 $13,938
Avg Net Price $18,036 $12,421 $15,901 $14,297
Avg Grant Aid $12,060 $11,126 $13,423 $17,524
% Receiving Grant Aid 47% 39% 71% 48%

Admission

 UT Austin Purdue Georgia Tech Illinois
Applied 66,109 73,083 52,377 67,398
Admitted 19,253 36,763 8,622 29,446
Acceptance Rate 29.1% 50.3% 16.5% 56.2%
Enrolled % 48.7% 25.5% 43.6% 96.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.8 3.67 3.85 3.79
Typical High School Grades A- B+ A- A-
Admissions Standards Exceptional Exceptional Exceptional Exceptional
Applicant Competition High Low Very High Low
ACT Range 27/33 27/34 28/34 29/34
SAT Range 1230/1490 1190/1460 1330/1530 1270/1510
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Required to be considered for admission Required to be considered for admission Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Dec 1, 2025 Jan 4, 2026 Jan 5, 2026

Academics

 UT Austin Purdue Georgia Tech Illinois
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 14:1 18:1 20:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Communication (13%)
  • Business (12%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • Engineering (18%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Engineering Technology (8%)
  • Education (6%)
  • Work and Family Studies (6%)
  • Engineering (57%)
  • Business (14%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (6%)
  • Biology (5%)
  • Architecture (4%)
  • Engineering (40%)
  • Business (32%)
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • Communication (22%)
  • Psychology (17%)

Outcomes

 UT Austin Purdue Georgia Tech Illinois
Graduation Rate 81% 68% 79% 82%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $68,600 $61,200 $82,600 $66,500
Making Student Loan Payments 77% 78% 85% 78%
Median Student Loan Debt $22,250 $21,500 $24,000 $20,500
Median Loan Payment $230 $222 $248 $211

Diversity

 UT Austin Purdue Georgia Tech Illinois
% Men 10% 15% 43% 21%
% Women 10% 10% 17% 16%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium High Very High
HBCU No No No No
% White 44% 65% 51% 48%
% Black 4% 3% 7% 6%
% Hispanic 22% 4% 7% 10%
% Native American 0% 0% 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 2% 4% 3%
% International 5% 17% 11% 16%
% Unknown Race 1% 2% 2% 1%

Students

 UT Austin Purdue Georgia Tech Illinois
% In-State 88% 46% 58% 73%
% Out-of-State 9% 44% 34% 12%

Campus

 UT Austin Purdue Georgia Tech Illinois
Campus Housing Yes Yes Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No No Yes
Meal Plan Yes Yes Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No No No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • The University of Texas at Austin is larger than than Purdue based on total student enrollment (53,082 students vs. 52,905 students)

UT Austin vs. Purdue Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UT Austin or Purdue?

  • The University of Texas at Austin is 20.2% more expensive to attend than Purdue for in-state tuition ($11,678.00 vs. $9,718.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 50% higher at UT Austin than Purdue University Main Campus ($42,778.00 vs. $28,520.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Purdue University Main Campus than UT Austin ($12,421 vs. $18,036)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Purdue University Main Campus are 21.3% lower than costs at The University of Texas at Austin ($11,650 vs. $14,136)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at The University of Texas at Austin than Purdue University Main Campus (47% vs. 39%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by The University of Texas at Austin students is 8.4% larger than aid received Purdue University Main Campus ($12,060 vs. $11,126)

UT Austin vs. Purdue Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, UT Austin or Purdue? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Purdue or UT Austin .

  • The average SAT score at The University of Texas at Austin (1297) is 66 points higher than at Purdue (1231)
  • Incoming UT Austin students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (29) than students at Purdue (28)
  • Accepted freshman UT Austin students have a 0.13 point higher average high school GPA (3.8) than students at Purdue (3.67)
  • Purdue has a higher acceptance rate (50.3%) than UT Austin (29.1%)

UT Austin vs. Purdue Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UT Austin or Purdue? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Purdue and UT Austin.

  • The graduation rate at UT Austin is higher than Purdue University Main Campus (81% vs. 68%)
  • Graduates from The University of Texas at Austin earn on average $7,400 more per year than Purdue graduates after ten years. ($68,600 vs. $61,200)
  • Purdue University Main Campus students graduate with a $750 lower median federal student loan debt than UT Austin graduates. ($21,500 vs. $22,250)
  • Purdue graduates are paying $8 less per month on federal student loans than UT Austin graduates. ($222 vs. $230)
  • More Purdue graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UT Austin students, three years after graduation. (78% vs. 77%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/