AUSTIN, Texas — New graduate enrollment at The University of Texas at Austin grew by 36.2% during summer and fall of 2021-22 and included a greater number of Asian American, Black, Hispanic and international students enrolling in its graduate programs.
Compared to the previous year, Asian American graduate student enrollment increased 49.4%, Black enrollment 27.7%, Hispanic enrollment 24.1% and international student enrollment 115.2%. These increases follow a decline in total new enrollments the previous year following the COVID-19 pandemic, led by fewer international students enrolling.
Additionally, the number of students who enroll after being admitted—or “yield”—rose from 42% during the previous year to 48% during summer and fall 2021-22.
Since 2018, the Graduate School has prioritized furthering diversity of underrepresented minority (URM) students on campus. The Graduate School has launched targeted diversity recruitment efforts at the graduate level, which included email, print and social media recruitment campaigns.
The Graduate School also has joined the National Name Exchange, which has expanded its outreach to URM students, and the California Alliance Research Exchange Program, which is dedicated to increasing opportunities in the professoriate for URM groups.
Notable enrollment-related figures (all comparisons are year over year, from summer/fall 2020 to summer/fall 2021):
- Overall, applications from all graduate students increased 24.2%; admissions increased 17.5%; and enrollments increased 36.2%.
- Applications from American Indian/Alaska Native graduate students increased 29.2%; admissions increased 57.1%; and enrollments remained the same.
- Applications from Asian American graduate students increased 58.8%; admissions increased 33.4%; and enrollments increased 49.4%.
- Applications from Black graduate students increased 30.8%; admissions increased 21.4%; and enrollments increased 27.7%. (This category includes both “Black or African American alone” and “Black or African American multiracial, excluding Hispanic.”)
- Applications from Hispanic graduate students increased 43.4%; admissions increased 27.5%; and enrollments increased 24.1%.
- Applications from international graduate students increased 13.1%; admissions increased 16.5%; and enrollments increased 115.2%.
- Applications from students of two or more ethnicities (excluding Hispanic and Black) increased 20.8%; admissions decreased 3.5%; and enrollments remained the same.