Our goal in the admissions review process is to enroll an academically qualified and diverse student body, which is essential to the University's mission. In doing so, the University's educational and social environment prepares students to contribute to and thrive in a global society.
Styled ContentIf you are accepted to the University of Minnesota Twin Cities as a freshman, you will be admitted to one of the following colleges:
Admission to each of the University's eight freshmen-admitting colleges is very competitive, and the number of available spaces varies by college. Applicants are first considered for admission to the colleges listed in their application, in the order in which they are listed. Then, applicants are automatically considered for other U of M freshman-admitting colleges that may be a good fit with their academic interests and preparation.
At the University of Minnesota, we believe that selecting students from a highly talented group of applicants requires an individual assessment of all application materials submitted for each student; every application is read in its entirety.
Admission decisions are based on a very careful, overall assessment of each student's academic and context factors. Note that no single factor is the deciding factor in the decision.
Because the greatest predictor of college success is academic preparation, the strongest consideration in the decision is given to a student's high school record. Our promise to you is that we will look at the overall trend of your high school performance to understand your academic preparation. The following academic factors are considered:
Individual circumstances are also considered as part of the overall assessment of each application. Enrolling a diverse student body—with students bringing differing experiences, talents, and perspectives to their scholarly community—is essential to achieving the learning and development outcomes of a University of Minnesota education.
Our holistic review takes into consideration the individual circumstances that make each individual student unique. While we do not consider an applicant's race and ethnicity, we consider the following context factors in our decision review:
*November 1 is also the deadline by which freshman School of Nursing applicants must submit their application to the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. All nursing applicants will receive an admission decision on a single release date of December 15.
Admission decisions are based on a holistic review of each student's application materials. Each student who submits a complete application by either the early action or regular deadline will receive one of the following decisions. Please note that admission decisions are posted on the University's Application Tracker.
This table provides a general overview of the middle 50 percentile high school rank, high school unweighted grade point average, and standardized test scores of freshman applicants admitted for Fall 2024.
Overall, the middle 50 percent of students admitted for Fall 2024:
Please note the information presented in the table is a composite picture of admitted freshman applicants. These are not admission criteria.
For complete information on our application review factors, please see our admissions overview at z.umn.edu/review.
Styled ContentWhat does that mean? Middle 50% represents the academic components (GPA, test scores, class rank) of half of the students admitted, though students are admitted with academic scores above and below this range.
| High School Rank Percentile (if provided) | Unweighted High School GPA | ACT Composite * | SAT Composite * | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlson School of Management | 85 - 96 | 3.71 - 3.97 | 28 - 32 | 1350 - 1480 |
| College of Biological Sciences | 85 - 97 | 3.73 - 4.00 | 28 - 33 | 1350 - 1500 |
| College of Design | 69 - 92 | 3.40 - 3.89 | 26 - 31 | 1290 - 1440 |
| College of Education and Human Development | 65 - 91 | 3.38 - 3.86 | 24 - 29 | 1250 - 1420 |
| College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | 67 - 93 | 3.34 - 3.90 | 26 - 31 | 1300 - 1450 |
| College of Liberal Arts | 69 - 92 | 3.38 - 3.89 | 26 - 32 | 1320 - 1470 |
| College of Science and Engineering | 84 - 98 | 3.67 - 4:00 | 29 - 34 | 1400 - 1520 |
| School of Nursing | 89 - 97 | 3.84 - 4.00 | 27 - 31 | 1300 - 1410 |
*Please note: the University of Minnesota Twin Cities will not be requiring an ACT or SAT score for admissions through the Fall 2027 term. Learn more about our ACT/SAT policies.
Middle 50% Percentile - This represents the middle half of the admitted students’ academic components (GPA, standardized test scores, and class rank) that fall between the ranges listed. While this range represents half of the admitted cohort, students are admitted with scores both above and below this range
Core Academic GPA - We calculate a core academic GPA for each applicant using the grades for English, math, science, social science and foreign language courses reported. This provides a standard view of a school’s grading scale, which can vary greatly from school to school. Applicants do not need to calculate their own core GPA. Note, in our holistic review, we also consider an applicant’s school-supplied GPA for all courses on their academic record. Additional weighting for advanced coursework (honors, AP, IB etc.) is not included on core GPA, but is always considered as part of the academic rigor.
ACT/ SAT Score - The ACT and SAT score ranges listed in this table represent the students who chose to include a test score on their Fall 2024 application. Nearly 50% of admitted students chose not to submit a test score for Fall 2024.
Along with your admission to a specific college, we will automatically consider you for these programs:
President's Emerging Scholars is an educational opportunity program which ensures timely graduation of its participants by encouraging and supporting academic, career, and personal well-being through scholarships, programming, professional advising, and peer mentoring. Preference is given to first-generation students and other students whose applications demonstrate evidence of having overcome social, economic, or physical barriers to educational achievement.
The University Honors Program will enhance your University of Minnesota Twin Cities experience through enriched curriculum, interdisciplinary experiences, and exceptional community between your fellow honors students, faculty, and advisors. Honors admission is offered to the overall most competitive applicants from each freshman-admitting college.
Yes! Each and every application is read very carefully by more than one staff member in the Office of Admissions before a decision is made. This process ensures that each application is given a thorough, fair, and consistent review. Because we are committed to ensuring that each application receives very careful consideration, our review takes time to complete.
What factors do you consider when making an admissions decision?Each and every application is read very carefully by more than one staff member in the Office of Admissions before a decision is made. This process ensures that each application is given a thorough, fair, and consistent review. Admission decisions are based on a very careful, overall assessment of each student's academic and context factors. Note that no single factor is the deciding factor in the decision.
Because the greatest predictor of college success is academic preparation, the strongest consideration in the decision is given to a student's high school record. Our promise to you is that we will look at the overall trend of your high school performance to understand your academic preparation. The following academic factors are considered:
Individual circumstances are also considered as part of the overall assessment of each application. Enrolling a diverse student body—with students bringing differing experiences, talents, and perspectives to their scholarly community—is essential to achieving the learning and development outcomes of a University of Minnesota education.
Our holistic review takes into consideration the individual circumstances that make each individual student unique. While we do not consider an applicant's race and ethnicity, we consider the following context factors in our decision review:
Applicants are considered for up to two colleges listed on the application in the order the interest is indicated. If we are unable to admit the student to one of the colleges listed, the applicant is automatically considered for admission to all other U of M colleges that are a good fit with the academic interests, academic preparation, and other information included in a student's application materials. Admission decisions are based on a comprehensive, individualized review of the student's application, the overall strength of the applications received, and the number of spaces available in each of the University's freshman-admitting colleges.
