Maggie Gunn made an unexpected discovery at The University of Texas at Austin.

“You can create an intense, small community and yet be part of a major public research university.”

Gunn, a Plan II honors and English honors student who is also earning a teaching certificate through the UTeach Liberal Arts Program, found mentors as well as research and teaching opportunities that are preparing her for a career in education.

Enjoying the resources of a prestigious university while still creating an individualized course of study? Students say that’s what makes The University of Texas at Austin stand out.

A new report based on a survey of 13,120 UT Austin undergraduates showed that 89 percent of all undergraduates — and 94 percent of seniors — participate in some kind of research. Those students are more likely to graduate within four years, earn higher GPAs and pursue graduate school than those who don’t take part in research.

The report dispels the common perceptions that undergraduates get lost in a large university and that meaningful research opportunities are limited to graduate students.

In fact, UT Austin undergraduates are participating in research in and out of the classroom at higher rates than is typical on most college campuses.

This is how The University of Texas at Austin prepares its leaders for the broader world.

“Without my research and hands-on experience in education at UT,” Gunn says, “most of what I would know would just be theory.”