@Jpgranier - I am following this and very curious to know your final decision:)
These schools are basically exactly the same. Just go with whichever is cheapest.
OP, this is a good problem to have. I don’t see a bad solution.
I would pick UT over UA even with the extra cost, but, @SouthFloridaMom9 is correct, the OP will be fine at either school.
^^us too @Zinhead, but our son is CS all the way (hasn’t seemed to veer off that path yet whatsoever, if anything it has solidified this semester) and doesn’t give a fig about football or greek life or trying something OOS (like I did in college).
There are people who would chew off their pinkie fingers to get themselves or their kid into UT-Austin. OK, I’m being over-the-top. 
It is not always a binary choice. Intangibles come into it.
I also think OP should consider whether she/he wants to be a bigger fish in a smaller pond or vice versa. Of course there are many highly talented students at UA, especially in honors. However, the student pools at each school are going to be a little different overall. For instance, my son’s humanities class at UF this semester has been killer for him. But he is in a class of very talented humanities-oriented kids from all over the state of FL. He doesn’t get to camp out solely in the engineering courses. That is something to think about too. It comes down to preference, how you function best as a student, etc.
Another question we asked our son - what do you want to see on your resume for the rest of your life, assuming you graduate?
Again, there are no absolute answers. It’s purely a preference. Don’t make the choice out of pride or fear. Try to think short and long-term.
We love what UA is doing, and would have been completely fine (and proud) if our son had chosen UA.
Personally I would focus on outcomes.
No two programs are identical.
You will have a lifetime of income that will be impacted by your choice. You will build a business and personal network as well that will open doors for you. Then there is preparation and placement. Some CS programs are very transparent where their graduates land jobs (Cornell comes to mind). If your goal is to continue to graduate school knowing how many students land at which schools is valuable.
Perhaps see what each school will share with you in helping to make your decision.
@SouthFloridaMom9 - 100% agreement with you. It’s personal choice. I couldn’t convince my son to apply to UA ( TX state, top 8% with 32 ACT) His first choice is UT, even though his chance to get in to UTCS is less than 5%. Already admitted to TAMU and UT Dallas CS programs!
@Jpgranier I am curious does in your above post it sounds like UT offers Valedictorians free tuition? Is that renewable or just for the first year at UT?
Eligibility:
Award Amount:
It’s for the first two semester’s tuition, no fees included (UT Austin has no tuition fees). Only applies to #1 graduates from Texas Accredited High Schools.
@informative you said “These schools are basically exactly the same.”
Can you please share what you mean by that?