The Cockrell School of Engineering is UT Austin's flagship engineering college, consistently ranked among the strongest public-university engineering programs in the country, and its master's programs (spanning mechanical, electrical, civil, aerospace, and other disciplines) sit at the center of Austin's booming tech and advanced-manufacturing economy. With Tesla's Gigafactory and a dense cluster of hardware, semiconductor, and advanced-engineering employers all within reach of campus, Cockrell's MS programs are a major draw for international engineering applicants. This guide covers acceptance rate context, costs, requirements, and outcomes specific to Cockrell's graduate programs.
UT Austin Cockrell School MS Engineering Acceptance Rate
UT Austin does not publish a program-specific acceptance rate for Cockrell School of Engineering master's programs. As with all UT Austin graduate admissions, the Graduate School is decentralized, and each engineering department (Mechanical, Electrical and Computer, Civil, Aerospace, etc.) reviews applications independently without releasing an official aggregate admit-rate figure.
| Metric | Figure | Source/Note |
|---|---|---|
| UT Austin undergraduate acceptance rate (university-wide) | 29.1% | Official proxy only — not Cockrell-specific |
| UT Austin graduate acceptance rate (university-wide) | Not published | Decentralized by department |
| Cockrell School MS acceptance rate | Not published | No official aggregate figure across Cockrell's many departments |
Honest read: Cockrell School of Engineering is one of UT Austin's most selective colleges even at undergraduate level, per UT Austin's own admissions data. No verified graduate-level acceptance rate exists for Cockrell as a whole or for any individual department within it, and selectivity varies meaningfully by specific department (Electrical and Computer Engineering and Mechanical Engineering tend to draw the largest, most competitive applicant pools within Cockrell). Applicants should confirm department-specific context directly rather than rely on a single Cockrell-wide number, since none is officially published.
UT Austin Cockrell School MS Engineering Fees and Cost of Attendance
An official Cockrell-specific graduate tuition figure was not confirmed in the sources reviewed for this guide. UT Austin's own dataset notes that Engineering (like McCombs Business) typically carries differential tuition above the university-wide base rate, meaning Cockrell master's students should expect costs at or above the undergraduate non-resident range shown below, used here as a directional reference only.
| Cost Item | Amount (USD/year) |
|---|---|
| Non-resident/international tuition (undergraduate base, for reference) | $42,554–$51,106 (Engineering typically toward the higher end via differential tuition) |
| Total cost of attendance (undergraduate base, for reference) | $64,204–$72,916 |
| Living expenses (undergraduate base, for reference) | ~$21,650 |
| Application fee | Not published specifically for graduate; undergraduate fee is $90 with no international fee waiver |
Confirm the exact current tuition figure directly with your specific Cockrell department (Mechanical, Electrical and Computer, Civil, Aerospace, etc.), since Engineering's differential tuition rate is not published as one single Cockrell-wide number.
Admission Requirements for UT Austin Cockrell School MS Engineering
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Minimum GPA | Not published as a single number; strong record in a relevant engineering or physical-science discipline expected |
| GRE/GMAT | Policy set independently by each Cockrell department, not a single university-wide rule — confirm current requirement directly |
| Application fee | Not confirmed for graduate; check with your target department |
| Intake | Commonly Fall; deadlines and decisions set independently by each department |
Documents required:
- Statement of purpose (program-specific)
- Letters of recommendation
- Official transcripts from all institutions attended
- CV/resume
- English proficiency scores (TOEFL/IELTS) unless waived
- GRE scores if required by the specific engineering department's current policy
Because Cockrell spans multiple distinct engineering departments, requirements — and selectivity — vary considerably by discipline. A mechanical engineering applicant and an electrical/computer engineering applicant are evaluated by entirely separate faculty committees with their own criteria, so always confirm requirements on your specific department's page rather than a general Cockrell or UT Austin Graduate School page.
How to Get Into UT Austin's Cockrell School MS Engineering Programs
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Apply to the department, not "Cockrell" broadly. There is no single Cockrell-wide admissions process — you're applying to a specific department (Mechanical, ECE, Civil, Aerospace, etc.) with its own faculty, research groups, and criteria. Tailor your SOP to that department's specific research strengths and named faculty.
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Connect your goals to Austin's advanced-manufacturing and hardware economy where genuine. Tesla's Gigafactory presence near Austin, alongside a growing semiconductor and advanced-manufacturing employer base in Texas, gives Cockrell engineering applicants a concrete, locally relevant career narrative — especially for mechanical, electrical, and materials-adjacent applicants.
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Confirm GRE/GMAT policy per department before your application. Since UT Austin's Graduate School doesn't set one university-wide testing rule, and Cockrell departments differ from each other, don't assume a GRE requirement (or its absence) carries over between departments even within the same school.
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Seek out named faculty and labs. Cockrell's research strength is distributed across many specialized labs; naming specific faculty whose work matches your interests in your SOP is one of the clearest signals of genuine fit for engineering graduate admissions committees.
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Start English-test prep early. UT Austin's own recommended prep timeline for undergraduate applicants (around 10 weeks) is a reasonable floor for graduate engineering applicants too, particularly since Cockrell's specific graduate English-proficiency minimums are not published as one confirmed university-wide figure and departments may expect scores above the undergraduate baseline in practice.
English Proficiency Requirement (IELTS/TOEFL) for UT Austin Cockrell MS Engineering
UT Austin's Graduate School does not publish one confirmed university-wide English-proficiency minimum for graduate programs; thresholds are set at the department level within Cockrell. The undergraduate minimums below are a useful reference point, but confirm your specific department's current requirement directly.
| Test | UT Austin undergraduate minimum (reference point) | Graduate policy |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS Academic | 6.5 overall | Not published university-wide; confirm your Cockrell department's specific minimum |
| TOEFL iBT | 79 overall (or 4 on ETS's new 1–6 CEFR-aligned scale, for tests from Jan 21, 2026 onward) | Not published university-wide; confirm your Cockrell department's specific minimum |
| Duolingo English Test | 115 (undergraduate) | Confirm graduate acceptance and minimum with your department |
| PTE Academic | Not accepted at undergraduate level | Confirm with your department directly |
Exemptions generally apply if you are a citizen of, and were educated in, a country where English is the sole official and primary conversational language (including Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and the UK), or if you completed at least three years of high school instruction in the US or a qualifying English-speaking country's system — confirm whether the same exemption logic applies to graduate admission in your specific department.
Career Outcomes After UT Austin Cockrell School MS Engineering
UT Austin does not publish a program-specific graduate employment rate or average starting salary for Cockrell School master's programs in its own dataset, but the university's undergraduate-level top recruiters give a strong directional read, since many of the same employers recruit heavily from Cockrell's graduate programs as well.
Top recruiters (UT Austin, university-wide):
- Tesla
- Apple
- Oracle
- Deloitte
- ExxonMobil
- Dell Technologies
Cockrell engineering graduates are particularly well-positioned for roles at Tesla (advanced manufacturing and automotive engineering), ExxonMobil (energy and petroleum/chemical engineering, a traditional Cockrell strength given Texas's energy sector), and Dell Technologies (hardware and systems engineering), alongside the broader Austin tech ecosystem's demand for hardware- and systems-adjacent engineering talent.
FAQ
Does UT Austin publish a separate acceptance rate for Cockrell School of Engineering master's programs? No. UT Austin's Graduate School is decentralized, and no official Cockrell-wide or department-specific graduate acceptance rate is published. Cockrell is known to be one of UT Austin's more selective colleges even at undergraduate level, but no verified graduate figure exists.
Do all Cockrell departments have the same admission requirements? No. Each department within Cockrell (Mechanical, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Civil, Aerospace, etc.) sets its own GRE policy, application deadlines, and specific requirements independently — always check your target department's own page rather than a general Cockrell page.
What IELTS or TOEFL score do I need for Cockrell School graduate programs? UT Austin's undergraduate minimums (IELTS 6.5, TOEFL 79) are a useful reference point, but no confirmed university-wide graduate minimum is published — Cockrell departments set their own thresholds, so confirm directly with your specific department.
How much does a Cockrell School MS program cost? An official Cockrell-specific graduate tuition figure wasn't confirmed in this research; Engineering typically carries differential tuition above UT Austin's base rate, with the undergraduate non-resident range ($42,554–$51,106/year) used here as a directional reference only.
Is the GRE required for Cockrell School master's programs? It depends entirely on the department — there is no single Cockrell-wide or UT Austin-wide GRE policy, so confirm current requirements directly with your target department.
Which companies recruit Cockrell School engineering graduates? Tesla, Apple, Oracle, Deloitte, ExxonMobil, and Dell Technologies are among UT Austin's top recruiters university-wide, with Cockrell graduates especially well-placed for Tesla's advanced manufacturing operations and Texas's broader energy and hardware sectors.