Data Analysis
Demographic Shifts at UT Austin: A College-by-College Analysis
By Data Team | Published June 10, 2026
Between 2017 and 2025, the University of Texas at Austin expanded its overall female majority to 55.9%, alongside record-high Hispanic (25.8%) and Asian (22.9%) undergraduate enrollment. However, a college-by-college analysis reveals that these macro-level diversity metrics obscure highly concentrated gender and racial sorting within specific academic disciplines.
For students and parents navigating the admissions landscape, these figures demonstrate that the demographic reality of a student's experience depends heavily on their chosen major. Furthermore, this granular data provides university administrators with the objective metrics required to evaluate academic pipelines and localized enrollment trends.
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Architecture Enrollment Shift: The School of Architecture represents the fastest demographic shift in the university dataset. Between 2017 and 2025, female enrollment grew from 60.8% to 75.3%, shifting the college from a moderate female lean to a supermajority in less than a decade.
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Asian Density in STEM: Asian representation clusters heavily in quantitative fields. In the College of Natural Sciences, Asian students represent 36.2% of the body, and 33.5% in Engineering. Conversely, they represent only 8.4% in Education and 10.2% in Communication.
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Hispanic Representation Surges: As UT Austin pushes toward broader Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) metrics, the concentration of Hispanic students is most prominent in Education (41.8%) and the School of Social Work (36.4%), far exceeding the campus average of 25.8%.
The Gender Divide
The Gender Divide Trend (2017–2025)
Over the past eight years, the University of Texas at Austin witnessed significant shifts in gender distribution across its various colleges. Female enrollment accelerated in fields that historically remained balanced or slightly skewed. Between 2017 and 2025, the overall campus makeup expanded its female majority from 52.0% to 55.9%, but the disparity becomes most apparent when examining specific disciplines.
For example, official data shows that in the undergraduate Architecture program, female representation grew from 60.8% in 2017 to 75.3% (284 students) by 2025. Similarly, Geosciences shifted significantly from a male majority to a female majority, growing from 36.0% to 51.3% female enrollment in less than a decade. Other established pipelines, like the undergraduate Nursing program, maintained substantial female majorities (91.0% to 91.4%).
Traditional quantitative STEM and business domains retain historical male majorities, albeit with a gradual compression of the gap over the last five years, as seen in Engineering (27.5% female in 2017 to 33.6% in 2025) and Business Administration (46.2% to 48.3%). Tracking these college-specific demographics provides insight into changing academic pipelines and the realities of balanced academic ecosystems.
Female Enrollment Growth (2017 vs 2025)
Comparing percentage of total cohort identifying as female.
2025 Gender Divide Across Colleges
To visualize this sorting effect objectively, we have compiled the exact gender breakdown across primary UT Austin academic colleges based on our verified, cross-referenced 2025 dataset. The table is sorted by the highest female concentration and highlights how sharply individual colleges deviate from the campus-wide baseline of 55.9%.
| Academic College | Total Cohort | Women % | Men % | Visual Ratio (W/M) |
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| Campus Baseline (Average) | 55,000 | 55.9% | 43.9% |
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1. NURSING Undergraduate |
464 | 91.4% | 8.6% |
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2. SOCIAL WORK Undergraduate |
248 | 89.1% | 10.9% |
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3. ARCHITECTURE Undergraduate |
377 | 75.3% | 24.7% |
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4. COMMUNICATION Undergraduate |
4,250 | 73.7% | 26.1% |
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5. PUBLIC AFFAIRS Undergraduate |
92 | 70.7% | 29.3% |
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6. EDUCATION Undergraduate |
2,638 | 69.1% | 30.9% |
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7. FINE ARTS Undergraduate |
1,667 | 65.0% | 35.0% |
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8. LIBERAL ARTS Undergraduate |
11,592 | 61.0% | 38.8% |
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9. NATURAL SCIENCES Undergraduate |
11,355 | 58.0% | 41.9% |
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10. INFORMATION Undergraduate |
384 | 57.6% | 42.4% |
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11. GEOSCIENCES Undergraduate |
390 | 51.3% | 48.7% |
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12. BUSINESS ADMIN Undergraduate |
4,645 | 48.3% | 51.7% |
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13. CIVIC LEADERSHIP Undergraduate |
103 | 42.7% | 57.3% |
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14. ENGINEERING Undergraduate |
6,097 | 33.6% | 66.4% |
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Racial Demographics
Racial Demographics Trend (2017–2025)
Parallel to its gender shifts, UT Austin underwent a measurable transformation in its racial makeup since 2017. As Texas's population diversifies, the flagship university’s demographics naturally followed. Campus-wide, UT Austin saw White representation drop significantly from 42.5% in 2017 to 30.2% in 2025. Hispanic and Asian populations absorbed this shift, rising to historical campus highs of 25.8% and 22.9% respectively.
Tracking the data in individual colleges reveals the nuance of this trend. Asian student enrollment grew consistently in quantitative and highly selective fields, increasing in Natural Sciences from 28.1% in 2017 to 36.2% in 2025, and in Engineering from 25.1% to 33.5%. Conversely, the decline of White enrollment was universal, seen sharply in the Liberal Arts cohort (falling from 45.6% to 33.4%) and Architecture (from 47.2% to 35.9%).
Concurrently, Hispanic/Latinx representation saw broad increases as the university drives toward its Hispanic-Serving Institution goals, most notably reaching 41.8% in Education (up from 25.3%) and 36.4% in Social Work. Black or African American representation grew modestly overall (from 3.9% to 4.4%), but saw localized increases, more than doubling its share in the School of Nursing from 4.1% to 9.6%. Objective reporting of these shifting concentrations allows administrators to better map academic pipelines.
Racial Demographic Shifts (2017 vs 2025)
Comparing percentage representation across selected academic colleges.
ASIAN REPRESENTATION
WHITE REPRESENTATION
BLACK REPRESENTATION
HISPANIC / LATINX REPRESENTATION
2025 Racial Demographics Across Colleges
Similar to the gender divide, racial representation is far from monolithic. The table below aggregates the demographic racial breakdown for major academic units, highlighting where specific racial identities hold their highest concentrations compared to the 2025 campus average.
Note: The system automatically highlights the highest percentage and the lowest percentage within each column for comparative analysis. "Other" includes International, Two or More Races, Unknown, and Native groups.
| College / School | White % | Hispanic % | Asian % | Black % | Other % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Campus Baseline (Average) | 30.2% | 25.8% | 22.9% | 4.4% | 16.7% |
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ARCHITECTURE Undergraduate |
35.9% | 31.9% | 20.2% | 6.1% | 5.9% |
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BUSINESS McCombs School |
38.2% | 20.5% | 24.1% | 3.8% | 13.4% |
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COMMUNICATION Moody College |
42.1% | 28.3% | 10.2% | 5.1% | 14.3% |
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EDUCATION Undergraduate |
25.3% | 41.8% | 8.4% | 7.2% | 17.3% |
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ENGINEERING Cockrell School |
29.1% | 21.4% | 33.5% | 3.1% | 12.9% |
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LIBERAL ARTS Undergraduate |
33.4% | 32.1% | 11.5% | 5.8% | 17.2% |
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NATURAL SCIENCES Undergraduate |
24.5% | 22.8% | 36.2% | 3.8% | 12.7% |
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PHARMACY Professional |
31.5% | 19.1% | 37.0% | 5.8% | 6.6% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Based on our analysis of UT Austin's demographic shifts, here are answers to common questions regarding college pipelines.
Campus-wide, the university has seen a nearly 4% increase in female enrollment, reaching roughly 55.9% in 2025. Racially, the proportion of White students has declined from 42.5% to 30.2%, making room for historical highs in Hispanic (25.8%) and Asian (22.9%) representation.
Based on our 2025 dataset, the School of Nursing leads with 91.4% female enrollment, followed closely by the School of Social Work at 89.1%.
Yes, our data shows a universal decline across the major colleges. Liberal Arts saw one of the sharpest drops, falling from 45.6% White in 2017 to 33.4% in 2025, mirroring broader state demographic shifts.
The School of Architecture represents the fastest demographic shift. Between 2017 and 2025, female enrollment surged from 60.8% to 75.3%.
While making up roughly 22.9% of the campus overall, Asian students represent 36.2% of the Natural Sciences cohort and 33.5% of the Engineering cohort, compared to just 8.4% in Education.
The Cockrell School of Engineering maintains the largest male majority at UT Austin, with men comprising 66.4% of the undergraduate cohort as of 2025.
Data Sources
The admissions data and metrics referenced throughout this report are derived directly from the official University of Texas analytics repository. Percentages are calculated internally by Chicardgo School's data desk based on the provided datasets.
Further Reading
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Inside Southern Ivy's Growth Strategies: Rice and Emory Lead Asian Expansion, Duke and Tulane Tightened Enrollment
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