Austin area colleges seeing record high enrollment numbers

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A number of Austin-area colleges have reported increased enrollment numbers compared to last fall, breaking all-time enrollment records.

The University of Texas at Austin announced Thursday that it "set seven new highs for key enrollment indicators" for the 2025-26 school year, which "reflect soaring student demand and student performance."

According to the UT announcement, the university’s total enrollment and incoming freshman class are the largest in its 142-year history, while graduation rates, retention rates, degrees conferred, and freshman applications also hit new highs.

UT highlighted the following enrollment stats in the release:

• Total enrollment for the fall term is 55,000, up 2.1% from the previous year.
• The entering freshman class of First-Time in College students is 9,900, up 7.5% from last fall.
• The University received a record 90,690 freshman applications for the Fall 2025 term, up 24.4% from last year and an increase of 51% since 2022.
• Students who are Texas residents make up 80.5% of all students, while another 10.2% are from outside of Texas, representing 48 other U.S. states and the District of Columbia.
• International enrollment of 5,140 is down 1.7% from 2024 and comprises 9.3% of all students.
• Among undergraduates, 10,030, or 22.6%, are first-generation students.

UT also noted that its retention rate, the percentage of first-year students who continue their studies into their second year, is at 97.1%, its highest ever. The four-year graduation rate also climbed to a record 75.7%.

“We are educating more students than at any time in our University’s history, and most importantly, we are doing it while maintaining our standard of academic excellence,” UT President Jim Davis said in a press release. “That is our commitment as the public flagship university in Texas. I am proud of our students for their achievements and grateful to our faculty and staff for their hard work in support of our students’ academic experience.”

Meanwhile, Texas State University also broke the all-time enrollment record this fall, with 44,596 students, a 9.6% increase over last year, which set the previous record.

Texas State's numbers played a significant part in record enrollment across the entire Texas State University System, too. Preliminary headcount enrollment across TSUS’s seven member institutions for the fall semester reached 102,190, a 7% increase compared to last fall, according to a release from the university system. This fall marks the first time that enrollment within the Texas State University System exceeded 100,000.

Fall 2025 headcount enrollment surpasses a goal set by Chancellor Brian McCall in 2023 to enroll 100,000 students by the Fall 2026 semester.

“These new enrollment numbers affirm we are meeting our mission of providing affordable, high-quality education to all Texans,” said Chancellor McCall. “By producing a more educated workforce, TSUS institutions are doing their part to support the state’s economic well-being and improve our graduates’ quality of life. I congratulate and commend our administrators, faculty, staff, and students who have contributed to the system's continued growth."

The Austin area's largest community college has also experienced high enrollment.

Austin Community College confirmed last month that it marked its highest first-day enrollment in school history. The college’s vice chancellor of instruction, Gaye Lynn Scott, said enrollment this fall is up more than 10% compared to fall 2024.

“Enrollment has increased by leaps and bounds compared to fall 2024 at this point in the registration cycle,” Scott said. “Today’s enrollment number is 43,394 students.”

There are several factors likely contributing to the enrollment growth, Scott said. She cited economic uncertainty, ACC’s free tuition program, and delivering a message that is resonating with Central Texans.

KXAN reporter Sam Stark contributed to this report.