Top 10 Percent Rule for Admissions

Students who are in the top 10 percent of their graduating class are eligible for automatic admission to any public university in Texas.

To be eligible for automatic admission, a student must:

• Graduate in the top 10 percent of his or her class at a public or private high school in Texas, or
  
  
• Graduate in the top 10 percent of his or her class from a high school operated by the U.S. Department of Defense and be a Texas resident or eligible to pay resident tuition;
  
  
• Enroll in college no more than two years after graduating from high school; and
  
  
• Submit an application to a Texas public university for admission before the institution's application deadline (check with the university regarding specific deadlines).
  
  
• Students admitted through this route may still be required to provide SAT or ACT scores, although these scores are not used for admissions purposes. Students must also take the THEA test, unless exempted from the test requirement. Check with the admissions office regarding THEA, SAT, and ACT requirements. (General information on SAT, ACT, and THEA can be found by clicking on Test Information.)

After a student is admitted, the university may review the student's high school records to determine if the student is prepared for college-level work. A student who needs additional preparation may be required to take a developmental, enrichment, or orientation course during the semester prior to the first semester of college.

Admission to a university does not guarantee acceptance into a particular college of study or department, however.