State of Texas Uniform Admissions Policy

Texas Education Code (TEC) 51.803-51.809 (State of Texas Uniform Admission Policy) requires that all first-time undergraduate students meet one of the following college readiness standards in order to be eligible to be considered for admission at a Texas Four-Year Public Institution.

  • Submit a transcript that indicates the student will graduate under the state’s Recommended or Distinguished/Advanced High School Programs; or
  • Submit a transcript that shows the student will graduate under the state’s Foundation High School program. Students graduating under the Foundation program must show proof of the distinguished level of achievement to be eligible for top 10% automatic admission. 

Out-of-State and Home-Schooled Students 
Out-of-state and home-schooled students are exempt from the Uniform Admissions Policy. 

Private High School Students in Texas (or Department of Defense high schools) 
Students attending a private high school in Texas (or Department of Defense high school) must claim an exemption to the state’s high school coursework requirements by one of the following methods: 

  1. Submit Official SAT/ACT Scores 
    To claim an exemption based on test scores, official SAT scores must be at least 480 for EBRW and 530 for Math. Official ACT scores must be at least 18 English, 22 Reading, 22 Mathematics, and 23 Science.
  2. Coursework "Equal in Content & Rigor" 
    Applicants who attend private Texas high schools that do not note a graduation plan on their transcripts may be exempt if they complete coursework that is “equal in content and rigor” to one of the state’s graduation programs. To claim an exemption under this option, submit an exemption form signed by an official representative of your school. 

Details about this exemption are available on the appropriate exemption form.