Freshman Admission Requirements

Policy Statement

You will qualify for admission to Missouri State if you are (or will be) a graduate of an accredited high school and meet both the core curriculum and selection index requirements described below. If you have completed courses for college credit, you must also have at least a 2.00 grade point average on those courses. 

Home schooled students should refer to the policy for home schooled students.

Eligibility of international students is determined by the international student undergraduate admission policy.

Students age 22 or older who have not attended another college or university are exempt from the selection index and core requirements. 

High School Core Curriculum

The high school core curriculum was established by the Missouri Department of Higher Education.

• English: Four units, two of which must emphasize composition or writing. One unit may be speech or debate. Acceptable courses: English or language arts, literature, speech, debate, journalism (if writing intensive). Unacceptable courses: yearbook, dramatics, mass media.
• Mathematics: Three units. High school algebra and beyond, including algebra II (If algebra I is taken in 8th grade, three more units must be taken in high school). Acceptable courses: algebra I, geometry, algebra II, pre-calculus, math analysis. Unacceptable courses: computer math, pre-algebra, general math, consumer math. 
• Social Studies: Three units. Must include American history and at least one semester of government. Acceptable courses: world history, American history, American government, state/regional history, principles of democracy, civics, psychology, sociology, economics, political science, geography. Unacceptable courses: family relations, consumer education, personal finance.
• Science: Three units, not including general science. One unit must be a laboratory course. Acceptable courses: biology, chemistry, physics, anatomy and physiology, botany, zoology, integrated science, physical science, earth science. Unacceptable courses: general science, consumer science, environmental studies.
• Fine Arts: One unit. Graduates of accredited Missouri high schools meet this through completion of the fine-arts requirement for graduation. Acceptable courses: art, music (band, orchestra, choir, music appreciation or music theory), dance, drama, theatre appreciation. Unacceptable courses: speech, mass media, arts and craft.
• Academic Electives: Three units. Must be selected from foreign language and/or two or more of the areas listed above. Two units of a foreign language are strongly recommended. Acceptable courses: Must be selected from foreign language and/or a combination of two or more of the areas listed above or computer science (if algebra I is a prerequisite). Unacceptable courses: physical education, accounting, family studies, keyboarding, vocational courses.
• Additional Electives: Additional elective credit to bring total to 24 units (required of Missouri high school graduates).

For additional details and examples of core curriculum courses, please contact your high school counselor or our office. 

Selection Index

If you successfully complete the high school core curriculum (listed above) before graduating from high school and meet any one of the following criteria, you will be automatically admitted to Missouri State University:

• ACT score of 24 or higher (SAT 1090)
• 3.5 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale
• Class rank in the top 25 percent

Applicants who do not meet one of the automatic admission criteria listed above, but who have successfully completed the core-curriculum requirement before graduating from high school, will be admitted if they meet the requirements in the sliding scale below:

 **sum of critical reading and math scores

To calculate your class rank percentile: Subtract your rank in class from the number of students in your class then divide that number by the number of students in your class. For example, if you are ranked 24th in your class of 200, your class rank percentile is 88 [(200 - 24) ÷ 200 = 0.88 or 88th percentile].

If your school does not grade on a 4.00 scale: Convert your GPA to a 4.00 equivalent by multiplying your GPA by four and dividing that number by the scale your school uses. For example, if you have a 10.50 GPA on a 12.00 scale, your converted GPA equivalent is 3.50 [(10.50 x 4) ÷ 12 = 3.50].

Freshman Admission Alternatives

As a selective admission institution, our objective is to admit students with demonstrated potential for academic success. We recognize that some students have potential for success not clearly evident through standard measures of class rank, grade point average, and test scores. If you do not meet the requirements listed above, please review our freshman admission alternatives.

The Missouri State University system includes an open admission campus in West Plains (about 100 miles southeast of Springfield). Students who do not qualify for admission to the Springfield Campus may begin at the West Plains Campus, which offers programs that enable students to transfer seamlessly to Springfield. For information on the West Plains Campus, please visit www.wp.missouristate.edu or call 417-255-7955.

The university reserves the right to limit enrollment and to admit students on a space-available basis. Students are encouraged to apply early.

If you have any questions, please call the Office of Admissions at 417-836-5517 or 800-492-7900, or write to: Office of Admissions, Missouri State University, 901 S. National Ave., Springfield, MO 65897.