Review Process and Student Profile

Freshmen are admitted to one of the eight University of Minnesota freshman-admitting colleges based upon the information they provide in their applications for admission. Admission to the University of Minnesota is competitive. The competitiveness of admission each year is based on the number of applications received, the academic qualifications of the applicants, and the number of spaces available.

Enrolling an academically qualified, diverse student body is essential to the University’s educational mission. We are preparing students to be leaders in their fields of academic study. An academically prepared and diverse student body enhances the academic and social environment of the campus. Learning in an environment where diversity of thought, experiences, background, and understanding is valued is essential to the educational experience. This diversity among our students supports student development and learning inside and outside of the classroom, so that our graduates are prepared to thrive in a multiracial and multicultural world.

Admission is competitive and based on the number of applicants we receive, our holistic review of each application, and the number of spaces available in each college.

 

Holistic Review

Holistic Review

Academic Factors

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:

  • Coursework through high school graduation (Admitted students typically exceed the University's high school requirements. See course requirements.)
  • Grades in academic coursework
  • Class rank/Grade point average (if available)
  • Rigor of academic curriculum based on what is available in the high school (including enrollment in honors, AP, IB, A-Level, or college-level courses when available.)
  • ACT or SAT scores (Submitting an ACT/SAT score is not required on applications for the 2025, 2026, and 2027 terms. All students*, whether or not they submit a test score, will receive full consideration for admission, scholarships, and the University Honors Program. For more information, please visit our ACT/SAT FAQ
  • English Proficiency test score (when required)
  • Applicant's academic interests (We review a student's academic preparation related to the major/college for which they are seeking admission.)

Context Factors

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:

  • Evidence of exceptional achievement, aptitude, or personal accomplishment not reflected in the academic record
  • Participation in extracurricular activities related to your intended major
  • Strong commitment to community service, leadership, and educational involvement
  • Evidence of having overcome social, economic, or physical barriers to educational achievement
  • First-generation college student
  • Significant responsibility in a family, community, job, or activity
  • Contribution to the cultural, gender, age, economic, or geographic diversity of the student body
  • Personal or extenuating circumstances
  • Military service
  • Information received in open-ended questions
Academic Profile

Academic Profile of Fall 2024 Admitted Freshman Applicants by College

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:

  • Had a high school rank percentile between 75 and 95
  • Had an unweighted calculated high school grade point average between 3.52 - 3.96
  • Scored between 27 and 33 on the ACT*
  • Scored between 1350 and 1500 on the SAT*

Please note the information presented in the table is a composite picture of admitted freshman applicants. These are not admission criteria.

  • Admission decisions are based on an individual, overall assessment of each application.
  • 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 match with their academic interests and preparation.

For complete information on our application review factors, please see our admissions overview at z.umn.edu/review.


Styled Content

Middle 50 Percentile of Fall 2024 Admitted Freshman

What 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.

Understanding the table

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.