Review Process and Student Profile
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
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
|
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 |