UMASS MINIMUM ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS
The admissions standards for the UMass schools emphasize a strong academic high school
background so that students enter college ready to learn. These standards represent minimum
requirements: meeting them does not guarantee admission, since campus officials consider a
wide range of factors in admissions decisions. Students shall have fulfilled all requirements for
the high school diploma or its equivalent upon enrollment. It is important to note that
admissions standards for the state’s community colleges differ. Community Colleges may admit
any high school graduate or GED recipient.
Freshman Applicants
The new admissions standards for freshman applicants have two main parts:
1. 16 required academic courses.
2. A minimum required grade point average (GPA) earned in college preparatory courses
completed at the time of application.
*Applicants must also submit an SAT or ACT score.
Academic Course Requirement
Sixteen college preparatory courses distributed as follows are required. (A course is equivalent
to one full school year of study. Courses count toward the distribution only if passed.)
-4 courses English
-4 courses Mathematics (starting with graduating class of 2016) (Algebra 1 & 2 and
Geometry or Trigonometry, or comparable coursework)
-3 courses Science (Including 2 courses with laboratory work)
-3 courses Social Sciences (including 1 course in U.S History)
-2 courses Foreign Language (in a single language)
-2 courses Electives (from the above subjects or from the Arts & Humanities or Computer
Sciences)
Minimum Required Grade Point Average (GPA)
A minimum grade point average in college preparatory course work at the end of the seventh
semester is required for Freshman Applicants. The UMass schools require a weighted 3.0 GPA
for admission. For students whose GPA falls below the minimum, the provisional sliding scale
below will apply.
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SAT Scores
Applicants who meet the GPA requirement do not have to use the sliding scale for admission,
but still must submit SAT or ACT test scores for consideration if they are applying to a UMass
school within three years of high school graduation.
Sliding Scale for Freshman Applicants to UMass and State Colleges
SAT* score must be for
Applicant GPA
State Colleges
UMASS
2.51-2.99
2.41-2.50
2.31 -2.40
2.21-2.30
2.11-2.20
2.00-2.10
920
960
1000
1040
1080
1120
950
990
1030
1070
1110
1150
ACT score must be for
State
UMASS
Colleges
19
20
20
21
21
22
22
23
23
24
24
25
No Massachusetts University will admit a student with a GPA below 2.0.
*
SAT has changed to include three tests (Critical Reading, Math, and Writing) yet the
colleges have not included this third score (Writing) in their admissions process.
Consequently the above SAT numbers reflect a total derived from the addition of the
Reading and Math scores only.
*Meeting the admissions standards policy requirements does not guarantee admission.
Each college may have additional specific requirements. Moreover, specific programs (for
example, engineering or nursing) may have more rigorous requirements. Students should
consult admissions officers or college catalogs for details.
*If you have an Individual Education Plan, you are able to submit your IEP in place of
SAT scores to state schools only.
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