Freshman Admission Requirements
Texas State University Admissions Standards
We require students complete the following curriculum or equivalent for assured admission. Students applying without this curriculum will go through our review process.
4 credits of English
Including: English I, II, III and IV
4 credits of Math
Including: algebra I and II, geometry and advanced math courses such as pre-calculus, calculus and statistics
4 credits of Science
Including: biology, chemistry and two advanced sciences such as physics, environmental science, anatomy and physiology, or integrated physics and chemistry (IPC) is acceptable between biology and chemistry
3 credits of Social Studies
Including: world/human geography or world history, U.S. history since 1877, U.S. government (half credit) and economics (half credit)
2 credits of Foreign Language
1 credit of Fine Arts
1 credit of Physical Education
Assured Admission
Assured admission is granted when students graduate with one of the following diploma types:
- (HB5) Distinguished Achievement
- (UAP) Distinguished
- (UAP) Recommended
- or equivalent
AND you meet the class rank and test score requirements listed in the chart below.
| Class Rank | Old SAT (prior to March 2016)** | New SAT (March 2016 and after) | ACT*** |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Class Rank
Top 10%
|
Old SAT (prior to March 2016)**
No minimum score*
|
New SAT (March 2016 and after)
No minimum score*
|
ACT***
No minimum score*
|
|
Class Rank
1st Quartile
|
Old SAT (prior to March 2016)**
920
|
New SAT (March 2016 and after)
1000
|
ACT***
20
|
|
Class Rank
2nd Quartile
|
Old SAT (prior to March 2016)**
1010
|
New SAT (March 2016 and after)
1090
|
ACT***
22
|
|
Class Rank
3rd Quartile
|
Old SAT (prior to March 2016)**
1180
|
New SAT (March 2016 and after)
1250
|
ACT***
26
|
|
Class Rank
4th Quartile
|
Old SAT (prior to March 2016)**
1270
|
New SAT (March 2016 and after)
1330
|
ACT***
29
|
*Although no minimum scores are required, you must still submit your SAT/ACT scores.
**The Old SAT score is the sum of the critical reading and math sections only.
***The ACT score is your composite score. An ACT writing section score is recommended.
Admission Review
If you do not meet the Assured Admission requirements, your application will be reviewed through our holistic review process. Texas State will consider your high school curriculum, admission essay(s), extracurricular involvement, leadership, community service, work experience, quality and competitive level of courses taken and grades earned, in addition to other factors presented in your application.
Every applicant who doesn't meet Assured Admissions requirements and is ranked in the top 75 percent of his or her class is automatically reviewed.
If time permits, you may retest before the application deadline for the purposes of raising your test scores to gain a more competitive advantage in the review process.
We strongly encourage anyone who is not offered freshman admission to attend another college, complete 30 hours of transferable credit with a minimum GPA of a 2.25, and apply for transfer admission.
Pathway Program Admission
Following application review, a select number of freshman applicants are invited to participate in the Pathway Program, a unique co-enrollment partnership between Texas State and Austin Community College (ACC). Faculty, staff and academic advisers at both institutions are committed to your success and work closely with Pathway participants. Once students meet all the program requirements, they are automatically granted full admission to Texas State.
Official SAT Practice
With Official SAT Practice, students get a 100% free, personalized practice program for the SAT through an exclusive partnership between Khan Academy and the College Board, the makers of the SAT. Research shows that students who prepared for the SAT using Official SAT Practice saw substantial improvements in their scores.
Non-Ranking Public and Private High Schools
Students from a non-ranking school who do not fall into the non-traditional school definition will be assigned a rank. This rank, determined by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, will be based on one's academic rigor, grades in academic courses, GPA (if available) and the profile of the high school.
For more information regarding the ranking process for applicants from non-ranking schools or other educational programs, contact your freshman Admission Counselor.
Nontraditional Secondary Education: GED and Homeschool Applicants
In accordance with Senate Bill 1543 (SB1543), applicants for admission who present evidence of completion of a nontraditional secondary education without an official class rank will have a class rank assigned by Texas State. The class rank will be comparable to the average class rank of other applicants who have equivalent ACT or SAT scores. A nontraditional secondary education includes Homeschool and GED graduates. Texas State requires an official homeschool or GED transcript and scores to demonstrate evidence of completion.
McCoy College: Limited Access
Certain majors (Accounting, Economics, Finance, Management, Marketing and Computer Information Systems) within the McCoy College of Business can be classified as Limited Access. Learn more about additional admission requirements for degree programs in the McCoy College of Business.
Additional Entry Requirements
Some majors at Texas State have entry requirements that must be completed in addition to receiving general admission to the university. These majors that require you to start as a "pre-major" and/or meet specific program requirements to be admitted to that major or degree program.