Out-of-State Acceptance Rates at Top Public Universities: UT Austin, UNC, UVA, Georgia Tech, UC and More

What are the out-of-state acceptance rates at selective public universities?

The table lists 21 public universities we cover that publish admission figures by residency. Each row uses the latest entering class available, so the years differ, and universities define out-of-state applicants in slightly different ways; the linked guide for each university gives the counts and sources.

Two public flagships often asked about are missing from the table. The University of Michigan does not publish admission figures by residency: its Common Data Set 2025-2026 leaves the residency columns blank. Its Office of Budget and Planning reports that 4,223 of the 8,659 first-year students who enrolled in fall 2026 were out-of-state, 48.8% by our calculation; that count appears to include international students (University of Michigan Office of Budget and Planning, fall 2026 first-year profile). We found no published out-of-state admit rate for Texas A&M either; our Texas A&M out-of-state guide explains its automatic admission rules.

Why are some public universities much harder for out-of-state applicants?

Several public universities and systems have a written rule or a structural choice that limits nonresidents. These rules work differently, and not all of them make admission harder for out-of-state applicants.

• UT Austin: Texas Education Code Section 51.803(j) bars UT Austin from offering admission to nonresident first-year students beyond the number needed to fill 10 percent of its first-year enrollment capacity, and automatic admission fills most Texas resident places (Texas Education Code Chapter 51).
• UNC Chapel Hill: UNC System Policy 700.1.3, a Board of Governors policy rather than a statute, caps students classified as nonresidents for tuition purposes in the first-year class at 18 percent of the number of first-year students enrolled the prior fall.
• Florida: Board of Governors Regulation 7.006 limits non-resident students to 10 percent of undergraduate enrollment across the State University System, not 10 percent at each campus. At UF, the out-of-state and in-state rates were close for fall 2025 (20.5% against 22.3%).
• University of California: state law includes an intent that nonresident students make up no more than 18 percent of undergraduates at each campus. UC Berkeley, UCLA and UC San Diego, which were above that level, were given several years to reduce nonresident enrollment, and their nonresident shares stood at 19 to 20 percent in 2025-26 (Legislative Analyst’s Office).
• Georgia Tech: Early Action 1 is open only to Georgia students, so out-of-state applicants apply in Early Action 2 or Regular Decision (Georgia Tech dates and deadlines).

In our view, these rules explain much of the gap between the in-state and out-of-state rates at UT Austin, UNC and Georgia Tech, where an out-of-state applicant competes for a limited share of the class against a national applicant pool. UVA and UC Berkeley are different: neither has a rule of this kind in our sources, UC’s 18 percent figure is a legislative intent rather than a cap, and at UC Berkeley the out-of-state rate (10.0%) is close to the California rate (12.4%). Both are simply very selective for everyone.

Where are out-of-state applicants admitted at higher rates than residents?

At several public universities the published out-of-state rate is higher than the in-state rate. For fall 2025, Virginia Tech admitted 58.9% of out-of-state applicants against 47.3% of Virginia residents, Maryland 45.5% against 43.7%, and Ohio State’s Columbus campus 46.4% against 45.1%. For fall 2026, UC Davis admitted 71.0% of domestic nonresidents against 34.7% of Californians, and UC Santa Barbara, UC Irvine, UC San Diego and UCLA also admitted nonresidents at higher rates than residents.

In our view, a higher out-of-state admit rate does not mean an easier admission for any given student. Admitted nonresidents can enroll at lower rates than residents, so a university may need more nonresident offers to fill its places, and nonresident tuition gives it a reason to want those students. The two applicant pools can also differ in strength, so the rates are not a like-for-like comparison. Our guide to UC out-of-state admissions shows the campus-by-campus pattern.

Which early deadlines can out-of-state applicants still use for fall 2027?

As of October 26, 2026, several October 15 early deadlines have passed. The table lists the early plans at several public universities in our series and whether each is still open.

Among the public universities in this table, UVA, Michigan and Florida offer binding Early Decision for fall 2027 entry. Michigan introduced Early Decision for students entering in fall 2026; The University Record called it “a new, binding program” (The University Record, July 9, 2025). In our view, an out-of-state family should commit to a binding plan at a public university only after comparing the nonresident cost against likely offers elsewhere, because an Early Decision admit cannot wait for other aid packages.

How much do public universities cost out-of-state students?

Nonresident costs vary widely, and universities report them in different ways, so the figures below are not strictly comparable.

• Georgia Tech estimates a 2027-28 first-year out-of-state cost of attendance of $55,018 on campus (Georgia Tech Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid).
• Virginia Tech lists a total on-campus cost of $55,212 for out-of-state students in 2026-27 (Virginia Tech Board of Visitors).
• UT Austin estimates a 2026-27 nonresident cost of attendance of $64,204 to $72,916 (Texas One Stop).
• The University of Maryland estimates a 2026-27 on-campus cost of attendance of $65,520 for out-of-state students (University of Maryland).
• The University of California estimates $90,100 for a new nonresident student living on campus in 2027-28 (University of California).

Our guide to whether an out-of-state flagship is worth it compares these costs with private universities and explains when a nonresident offer makes financial sense.

How should out-of-state applicants build a list of public universities?

In the view of Oriel Admissions, an out-of-state applicant should treat UT Austin, Georgia Tech, UNC, UVA, UC Berkeley and UCLA as reaches for nearly every applicant, because their nonresident rates sit near or below 15%. Universities where nonresidents are admitted at 30% to 60%, such as Illinois, Washington, Maryland, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Penn State and Virginia Tech, can serve as targets for strong students, subject to the major. Several of these universities admit by major, so the rate for a popular major can be far lower than the campus rate. Our out-of-state flagship strategy guide and our guide to reach, match and safety schools explain how to balance the list.

Frequently Asked Questions About Out-of-State Acceptance Rates

Sources: UT Austin Common Data Set 2025-2026, Texas Education Code Chapter 51, Georgia Tech 2026 First-Year Admitted Profile, Georgia Tech dates and deadlines, UNC Chapel Hill Common Data Set 2025-2026, UNC System Policy 700.1.3, UVA Office of Undergraduate Admission, 2025-2026 statistics, UC Office of the President, fall 2026 admit summary tables (preliminary), UC Office of the President, fall 2026 application summary tables, Legislative Analyst’s Office, University of California, tuition and cost of attendance, UC Admissions, dates and deadlines, University of Florida Common Data Set 2025-26, Florida Board of Governors Regulation 7.006, UGA Admissions, Early Action out-of-state decisions, UGA Admissions, Early Action in-state decisions, Illinois Enrollment Management, fall 2026 first-year report, Purdue News, 2025, University of Washington Common Data Set 2025-2026, Georgia Tech, undergraduate costs, University of Maryland Common Data Set, University of Maryland, cost of attendance, UW-Madison admissions data, Ohio State Common Data Set 2025-2026, Penn State University Park Common Data Set 2025-2026, Clemson Common Data Set 2025-2026, Virginia Tech Common Data Set, Virginia Tech Board of Visitors, 2026-27 tuition, University of Michigan Office of Budget and Planning, fall 2026 first-year profile, University of Michigan Common Data Set 2025-2026, The University Record, July 9, 2025, University of Michigan, first-year application plans, Texas One Stop, cost of attendance. All read October 26, 2026.

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