The UT Austin Computer Science graduate program has again been recognized as top 10 in the country, according to the 2026–2027 U.S. News & World Report “Best Graduate Schools” rankings, released today. The program is known for its leadership in Artificial Intelligence, Computer Systems, Theory, and strong ties to the Austin tech ecosystem, attracting interest from top industry recruiters.
This accolade reflects UT’s ongoing investment in computer sciences, boasting world-class computing infrastructure, including 5,000+ NVIDIA GPUs, one of the largest generative AI computing clusters in academia. That investment is paying dividends: UT has become one of the nation's leading destinations for AI research, with its graduate AI program climbing steadily up the national rankings. The recently announced School of Computing, opening fall 2026, firmly cements UT as one of the top destinations in the country for computer science students and researchers.
UT Computer Science ranks 10th nationally with four “specialties,” or areas of research; also ranked in the top ten at UTCS: Artificial Intelligence moving up to 7th, Programming Languages ranked 7th, Computer Systems ranked 8th, and Theory coming in 9th.
The U.S. News & World Report graduate rankings, which are published separately from the yearly ranking of undergraduate programs, are considered the gold standard of graduate and professional rankings.
"In UT Austin's Computer Science Department, the work of our students and faculty is driving impact that reaches far beyond campus," says Department Chair, Peter Stone. "While rankings aren't what motivates us, it's nice to see that our peers in the field recognize that work.”
“We've invested heavily in research and infrastructure over the past five years to ensure our students are prepared to lead the future of all areas of Computer Science,” says Stone. “We're proud to be a public institution that offers a top-tier education across the entire discipline.”
“Computing has become central to nearly every field and discipline,” he says. “That's why the university's new School of Computing, launching this fall and bringing together Computer Science, Information, and Statistics and Data Science, is such an important development, not just for our department, but for the whole university. We look forward to welcoming students and faculty into a place where it's easier than ever to work across disciplines and tackle impactful, real-world problems."