“R1 public research university in San Antonio with 350+ programs across six campuses totaling 1,200 acres.”
The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) is a large public research university and a designated Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) — one of only about 20 HSIs in the United States that also hold Carnegie R1 "Very High Research Activity" status. Founded in 1969, UTSA educates roughly 35,000 students across three San Antonio campuses (Main, Downtown, and the new Park West Athletics Campus), with a fourth San Pedro I building dedicated to data science, cybersecurity, and AI. The university's identity is tightly fused with San Antonio: a majority-Hispanic, bilingual, military-heavy metro where UTSA serves as the primary four-year engine of social mobility, tech talent, and biomedical research for South Texas. UTSA is best known nationally for cybersecurity — its programs are consistently ranked among the top in the country, supported by the Institute for Cyber Security, the National Security Collaboration Center, and federal designations from the NSA/DHS as a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense, Cyber Operations, and Cyber Research. The Carlos Alvarez College of Business is AACSB-accredited (placing it in the global top 5% of business schools), the Margie and Bill Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design anchors engineering and architecture, and the newly launched College of AI, Cyber and Computing (launched Fall 2025) consolidates UTSA's strengths in computer science, data science, AI, and cybersecurity under one roof. The university also operates a medical school (Long School of Medicine) and School of Dentistry through UT Health San Antonio. For international students, UTSA offers a rare combination at its scale: affordable non-resident tuition by US research-university standards, a Spanish-bilingual city that eases cultural adjustment, strong Latin American and South/Southeast Asian student communities, and direct industry pipelines into San Antonio's fast-growing cybersecurity and biosciences sectors (USAA, Rackspace, H-E-B, Valero, and the South Texas Medical Center all recruit heavily on campus). UTSA Global Initiatives runs a dedicated International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) office for F-1/J-1 advising, OPT/CPT authorization, and a Roadrunner International orientation; first-year students benefit from free tutoring, peer mentoring, and the university's Tomás Rivera Center for academic success.
Visa, OPT, H-1B alumni outcomes, and acceptance rates by country — sourced from FOIA, USCIS H-1B Hub, and DHS SEVIS.
Research Activity
Carnegie Classifications (2021)
Research classification
Carnegie Classification
Research ranking
UTSA
Student economic mobility
UTSA
Test Optional — You can submit scores if they help your case, but they're not required.
Official SourcePriority Freshman (Fall)
Priority consideration for merit scholarships and housing
Regular Freshman (Fall)
Final application deadline; documents due by June 15
Spring Freshman
The deep admissions playbook beyond the headline acceptance rate — round-by-round breakdowns, nationality data, requirements, and contact paths.
Domestic
$9,011
/yr
Out-of-State / Intl
$22,051
/yr
Beyond the sticker price — every named scholarship, the financial aid policy, need-aware notes, and a personalized net-cost estimate.
How life on campus actually feels — clubs, sports, traditions, housing realities, and how the school integrates with its city.
AACSB-accredited business school (top 5% of business schools worldwide) with programs in accounting, finance, cybersecurity analytics, entrepreneurship, and supply chain management. Strong ties to San Antonio's USAA, H-E-B, Valero, and Frost Bank corridors.
UTSA's newest college, integrating computer science, data science, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity. Houses the nationally ranked cybersecurity program and National Security Collaboration Center.
San Antonio's leader for engineering and built-environment research and instruction, with ABET-accredited programs in civil, mechanical, electrical, and biomedical engineering plus architecture and construction science.
Aligns public administration, public health, criminology, psychology, sociology, and demography — with a strong MPA and a nationally ranked MSW.
Houses life sciences, chemistry, mathematics, physics, and earth sciences. A major feeder into the Long School of Medicine and the South Texas Medical Center research workforce.
4 years
Consistently ranked among the nation's best cybersecurity programs; triple-designated NSA/DHS Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense, Cyber Operations, and Cyber Research. Direct pipelines into USAA, H-E-B cyber teams, and federal cyber labs in San Antonio.
4 years
STEM-designated CS degree housed in the new College of AI, Cyber and Computing, with specialization tracks in data science, software engineering, and AI — and 3-year STEM OPT eligibility for international graduates.
4 years
ABET-accredited program connected to the UT Health San Antonio Long School of Medicine and Texas Biomedical Research Institute; strong placement into medical school and biotech industry.
Where alumni go after graduation — top industries, grad-school continuation, and the qualitative outcomes story.
Sticker price (annual, out-of-state): $22,051
Net-cost estimate is US-resident-only — international applicants are typically excluded from need-based aid at most schools and should treat the sticker price as the planning baseline.
