Admissions to Colorado Four-Year Schools
Colleges, particularly four-year and graduate schools, use many criteria when making admissions
decisions. These criteria may include academic performance, test scores, recommendations, essays
and extra-curricular activities or work experience. Different schools place different levels of importance
on these criteria when making a decision to admit a student. You can review the relative importance
schools place on these criteria on their school profile, admissions tab.
If you are interested in attending any Colorado public four-year institution, you need to plan ahead and
understand state-level admissions standards while working on your high school plan of study. These
standards apply both to first-time freshmen and transfer students, and they represent minimum
requirements for admission to a Colorado public four-year school. They do not apply to community
colleges, which have open enrollment. Meeting these standards does not guarantee admission to any
school.
The two standards discussed here include the Higher Education Admission Requirements (HEAR) and
the Index. For further detail, see the Admission Standards Policy. Once you understand these two
standards, be sure to review additional pointers about how college admission works and use the
worksheet to help you prepare for the admissions process, step-by-step.
All about HEAR (Higher Education Admissions Requirements)
All first-time freshman applicants and some transfer applicants who wish to attend a Colorado public
four-year college should plan to meet the Higher Education Admission Requirements (HEAR). HEAR
requires applicants that graduate from high school in 2008 and 2009 to meet the Phase One
coursework requirements, and applicants that graduate from high school in 2010 and later to meet
Phase Two requirements.
These coursework requirements are in place to ensure that admitted students are prepared to be
successful at a four-year institution. For more information on the Higher Education Admission
Requirements and what courses are required, either view the Admission Standards Policy , the
summary of requirements or the FAQ.
All About the Index
The standards for entering freshman into four-year schools are based on the calculation of an
admissions “index.” The index has two components: the student’s high school grade point average
(GPA) or class rank, and performance on the ACT or SAT standardized test.
To calculate your index score online, use the Colorado Department of Higher Education Index Score
Calculator or view the index score matrix . To use the matrix, find your ACT or SAT score along the
appropriate top horizontal row. Then find your GPA or class rank along the appropriate left vertical row.
The intersection of your two scores is your index score.
While some exemptions apply and schools may accept a low percentage of students who don’t meet
the required index score, in general, each public four-year college in Colorado must apply the index
standard as they make admissions decisions as follows:
Institution
Adams State College
Colorado School of Mines
Colorado State University
Colorado State University – Pueblo
Fort Lewis College
Mesa State College
Metropolitan State College of Denver
University of Colorado at Boulder
University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
University of Colorado at Denver & Health Sciences
University of Northern Colorado
Western State College
Freshman
Index
Score
80
110
101
86
92
85
76
103
92
93
94
80
If you already have a baccalaureate degree, have a non-U.S. transcript or are seeking to enter a nondegree program or two-year program at one of these schools, the index requirement may be waived.
Be sure to talk with your counselor or the college’s admissions officer and review the current standards
at the Department of Higher Education Website.
One Final Very Important Note
If you plan to attend a two-year community or junior college and then transfer to a four-year school, be
sure to ask admissions advisors at both the two-year and four-year schools about which credits will
transfer to the four-year school. And, review transfer requirements at the Department of Higher
Education Website.