States with Automatic or Guaranteed College Admissions Policies

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States with Automatic or Guaranteed

College Admissions Policies

By: Jessica Callahan, Legislative Analyst II

March 3, 2021 | 2021-R-0077

Issue

Which states have guaranteed admission policies for their state universities? What is the eligibility

criteria under these policies? Are these policies established in statute?

Summary

This report uses research from the Education Commission of the States (“the Commission”), a

nonpartisan organization created by states that tracks and reports on state education policy.

According to the Commission, there are currently at least 12 states that guarantee admission to

their state universities for certain eligible students. Three states (Colorado, Illinois, and Texas) have

guaranteed admissions policies established in statute. Nine states have programs or initiatives

established by their state Departments of Education or Board of Regents, through policies or

regulation. Additionally, California has an admissions policy that prioritizes admission to eligible

students, but admission is subject to availability and students are subject to university enrollment

limits.

Generally, students must have graduated from a state public high school, have a certain class rank,

and have attained a certain ACT or SAT score to be eligible for a state’s guaranteed admission

program.

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States with Guaranteed Admission Policies

Arizona

Under an Arizona Board of Regents policy, each Arizona state university may guarantee admission

to undergraduate students who are state residents and meet certain requirements, including

demonstrating academic competency in certain subjects and (1) ranking in the upper 25

percentile of their high school graduating class or (2) having a 3.0 minimum cumulative grade point

average.

California

The University of California statewide guarantee offers the top 9% of California high school

graduates admission prioritization to any University of California (UC) campus if space is available.

The UC system uses an admissions index to determine a student's UC GPA by converting their ACT

or SAT scores to a UC score, which is then matched to their UC GPA.

Colorado

Under Colorado law, the Colorado State Board of Education and the Colorado Commission on

Higher Education was required to establish the criteria to create a Postsecondary and Workforce

Readiness Endorsed Diploma that guarantees admission to all open-access and moderately

selective institutions, and provides students with priority consideration for admission to selective

institutions.

The criteria includes student readiness in Math and English Language Arts, completion of an

Individual Career and Academic Plan, demonstration of 21

Century Skills, and mastery of

academic content in three content areas.

Florida

The Florida Department of Education's Talented Twenty Program guarantees admission, within

space and fiscal limitations, to a University System of Florida institution if a student (1) graduates

from a Florida public high school in the top 20% of their class and (2) completes the 18 required

high school units listed in state regulations (Board of Governors Rule (6.002(2)(c)). A student must

also submit ACT or SAT scores (no minimum score required).

Illinois

Illinois recently passed a bill (Public Act 101-0448) creating a four-year pilot automatic admission

program for in-state public higher education institutions, with the exception of the University of

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Illinois, Illinois State University, Governors State University, Northeastern Illinois University, and

Chicago State University. This law requires them to automatically admit first-time freshman

students who were in the top 10% of their graduating class no more than two years before the

academic year in which they are applying. Students must also complete the minimum college

preparatory curriculum requirements and attain the required ACT or SAT composite scores.

The bill also requires the Illinois Student Assistance Commission to increase these institutions’

outreach efforts to academically high-performing Illinois high school seniors who are most likely to

be eligible for automatic admission, and to provide them with information and counseling on

financial assistance and other opportunities.

Idaho

The Idaho State Board of Education's Direct Admissions Initiative proactively offers admission to

public high school seniors to the state public higher education institutions. Students with (1) a GPA

equal to or greater than 3.0 or (2) an SAT math and reading score multiplied by GPA equal to or

greater than 2,835 automatically receive notification of admission to any of the state's eight public

colleges and universities. Students who do not meet one of those benchmarks are admitted to any

of the state's six public colleges and universities that offer associate or certificate programs. Once a

student is accepted, they must complete an admission application and begin applying to the

institutions of their choice.

Iowa

The Iowa State Board of Regents guarantees admission to high school students who score at least

245 on a Primary Regent Admission Index (RAI). The RAI is calculated using the student's ACT

composite score, high school GPA, and the number of high school courses completed in core

subject areas. Students who meet the minimum requirements will qualify for automatic admission

to the University of Iowa, Iowa State University, and the University of Northern Iowa.

Kansas

Kansas state universities follow the Kansas Board of Regents Qualified Admissions criteria to

automatically admit students who graduate from a state public high school. Four universities

(Emporia State University, Pittsburg State University, Fort Hays State University, and Wichita State

University) require a 1060 SAT score or a cumulative 2.25 GPA; Kansas State University requires a

1060 SAT score or 3.25 GPA; and the University of Kansas requires (1) a 1060 SAT score and a

3.2.5 GPA or (2) a 1160 SAT and a 3.0 GPA.

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Mississippi

The Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning established criteria that

guarantees certain high school graduates admission to state public universities (Board of Trustees

Policies and Bylaws § 602(B), page 95). Students must have completed a College Preparatory

Curriculum (specified numbers of units of academic and elective courses) with (1) a minimum 3.2

GPA; (2) a minimum 2.5 GPA and rank in the top 50% of their class with an ACT score of at least 16;

or (3) a minimum 2.00 GPA and an ACT score of at least 18.

Missouri

The Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development established Admissions

Selectivity Categories to admit students to its public four-year higher education institutions. The

institutions decide which selectivity category to use.

Highly selective institutions require students to have attained a combined percentile score (the sum

of their high school percentile rank and the percentile rank attained on the SAT or ACT) of 140

points or greater, and students with an ACT score of 27 or greater (or equivalent SAT score) are

automatically admitted.

Selective institutions require students to have attained a combined percentile score of 120 points

or greater, and students with an ACT score of 24 or greater (or equivalent SAT score) are

automatically admitted.

Moderately selective institutions require students to have attained a combined percentile score of

100 points or greater, and students with an ACT score of 21 or greater (or equivalent SAT score) are

automatically admitted.

Montana

The Montana Board of Regents of Higher Education guarantees student admission to a four-year

state university if certain requirements are met, including completion of the Regents' College

Preparatory Program and demonstrated proficiency in mathematics and writing. Students must also

attain a certain composite score on the ACT or SAT (ranging from 20-22 on the ACT or 1050-1120

on the SAT, depending on the institution), a high school GPA of at least 2.5, or a ranking in the top

50% of their graduating class.

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South Dakota

South Dakota's Proactive Admissions Initiative guarantees certain students general admission to

the state's public universities and technical institutes. This applies to students who earned a Level

3 or 4 on their 11

grade Smarter Balanced test in English and math or composite ACT score of 18

(certain degree programs and majors may have additional requirements).

Texas

Texas public higher education institutions (with the exception of University of Texas-Austin; see

below) are required by statute to automatically admit high school graduates who graduated in the

top 10% of their class (Education Code § 51.803). Students must have (1) completed a

distinguished level of achievement under the Foundation High School Program or the

Recommended or Advanced High School Program, (2) completed a comparable curriculum from a

non-public Texas high school, or (3) satisfied college readiness benchmarks on the ACT or SAT.

Under the law, the University of Texas-Austin must automatically admit enough students to fill 75%

of available state resident spaces prior to notifying state school officials the class rank that high

school juniors are required to attain to be automatically admitted. For the summer and fall of 2021

and the spring of 2022, students are required to be in the top 6% of their class by the end of their

junior year to qualify for automatic admission (Education Code § 51.803(d)).

The law also requires the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to increase these institutions’

outreach to academically high-performing high school seniors who are most likely to be eligible for

automatic admission, and to provide them with information and counseling on financial assistance

and other opportunities.

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