Admissions information
Community and Technical College Requirements
The state's community and technical colleges have an open
admissions policy. This means:
- You can enroll if you have a high school diploma or a GED. Even
without those, you may be admitted if you demonstrate potential
for success in college.
- No standardized tests are required for admission to the two-year
state colleges, and your high school grades and class rank are not
considered.
- After you have been admitted, you will be required to take a test for
placement in the appropriate courses based on your reading, writing
and mathematics skills.
- You are more likely to do well on the placement test if you complete
a "college prep" curriculum in high school, including four years of
English and three years of mathematics, science and social studies. If you did not, or if you had minimum passing scores
on the Minnesota Basic Standards test, you may not be admitted to
certain programs. Most likely, you will have to take developmental or
remedial courses that will not count toward a degree before you can
take college-level courses.
View application for admission
More information about the community and technical colleges in our system
Bachelor's and master's programs on the community and technical college campuses (PDF)
State university requirements
The seven state universities
generally will accept you if you can
answer yes to at least one of these
questions:
- Did you graduate in the top half of your high
school class?
- Did you score 21 or higher on the ACT
standardized test?
- Did you receive a combined score of 1,000 or
higher on the SAT standardized test?
Admission to some of the seven state universities
may require meeting slightly different
requirements. Check with the university
admissions office for details. Even if you don't
meet minimum requirements, you may be
considered for admission under special provisions.
Apply early for the best chance at
being admitted. Some universities and programs
do not have room for all qualified applicants.
For admission to a state university,
you also should have completed
these courses in high school:
- Four years of English, including composition, literature and speech
- Three years of math, including two years of
algebra, one of which is intermediate or
advanced algebra, and one year of geometry
- Three years of science, including one year each
of a biological and a physical science, all with significant
laboratory experience
- Three years of social studies, including one
year each of geography and U.S. History
- Two years of a single world language,
including non-English native languages
and American Sign Language
- One year of arts (visual arts and the performing arts of theater, music, dance and media arts)
Choosing a major
Some students know what they want
to study in college, but many
students explore their interests for a
year or two before selecting a major.
You can begin with liberal arts
courses while you are thinking about
a major.
Graduate programs
The state universities offer graduate
programs leading to master's degrees
and other advanced degrees and
certificates. Call the office of
graduate studies or the admissions
office for information and a graduate
program application.
Minors, special options and preprofessional programs
The state universities offer many ways
to pursue interests through a minor,
emphasis or preprofessional program. Check with the university
admissions office for details.
Preprofessional programs help
students prepare for advanced study
in areas such as agriculture,
architecture, dentistry, engineering,
law, medicine, optometry, pharmacy,
physical therapy and veterinary
medicine.
View application for admission
More information about the universities in our system
Online Education at Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
Online courses help busy students reach their goals
At the 32
state colleges and universities, you can take single courses via the
Internet, or you can complete a diploma, certificate, associate
degree, bachelor's degree or master's degree online. Many
programs listed in in our academic program search are also offered online, so ask the
college or university whether that option is available.
You can also check out online programs and courses offered by Minnesota State Colleges and Universities at www.minnesotaonline.org.
Through the www.minnesotaonline.org Web site, students can search among thousands of online courses and more than 200 degree, certificate and diploma programs offered by the 32 state colleges and universities.
Minnesota Online also provides student support, pre-admissions planning and advising seven days a week through e-mail, Ask a Question, Live Chat and a toll-free number.
Popular online programs include accounting, business management, child care, computer networking, dental assistant, elementary education, information security, law enforcement, liberal arts, marketing, medical coding, nursing, paralegal studies, and Web design and development.
Other helpful resources
College-prep checklists for high school students
Are you ready to go places? Get ready while you are in high school. If you are
a junior or senior in high school, you will find it helpful to review these college-prep
checklists to help you prepare for entering college.
Get started on a major by taking liberal arts
and sciences
Haven't picked a major? Don't worry.
Many students explore their interests before choosing
a major. You can begin with liberal arts courses for your first year or two.
International students
International students from more
than 50 countries attend Minnesota State Colleges and Universities in such diverse
fields as business, computer science, electrical engineering, mass communications
and aviation. More information is available for international students on this site or by contacting the college or university offering the program you wish to study.
Search for a program
Use the search program on this Web site to find a program you want to study in college and find out which colleges offer
it. If you can't find the specific program you are interested in, ask the university's admissions office about it.
Select a campus
Read institution profiles online, explore college and university Web sites and select a campus that fits your educational needs.
Study abroad opportunities
All of the system's universities offer opportunities to study abroad for a few weeks to a full year in locations such as Costa Rica, Malaysia or England. State colleges and universities admissions offices can help you get information about study abroad programs.
Last updated: 10/07
