3.4 Undergraduate Admissions

Board Policies
Chapter 3 - Educational Policies

Access a PDF copy of this policy

Program credit length requirements and waiver criteria for all academic awards are set by statute and/or the chancellor.

Part 1. Purpose
To establish admission standards for individuals applying to a college or university.

Part 2. Definitions

Academic program
A cohesive arrangement of college-level curricular requirements leading to an academic award.

Admission
The initial entrance into a Minnesota State college or university as an undergraduate candidate for a certificate, diploma, or degree.

Applicant
An individual applying for admission to a Minnesota State college or university. The individual has not yet been admitted.

Part 3. Admissions
Consistent with their specific missions, colleges and universities shall consider for admission applicants who are able to benefit from the educational offerings.

Colleges shall be committed to open access admissions with required minimum standards. Universities shall base admission standards on completion of secondary education as well as academic achievement as demonstrated through specific high school course taking and academic performance standards.

All colleges and universities shall provide clear, accessible information to prospective students and applicants regarding admission requirements.

Academic programs may have additional requirements. Admission to a college or university does not guarantee subsequent acceptance into such programs.

Related Documents:

To view related Minnesota statutes, go to the Revisor's Office website. You can conduct a search from this site by typing in the statute number

  • Minn. Stat. 136F.302 Regulating the Assignment of Students to Remedial Courses
  • Minn. Stat. 136A.861 Intervention for College Attendance Programs Grant

To view related federal statutes, go to the U.S. Government Publishing Office site (https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/search/home.action). You can conduct a search from this site by typing in the statute number

  • 20 U.S.C. 1091 § 484 Student Eligibility
  • 34 CFR 668 Student Assistance General Provisions

Policy History:

Date of Adoption: 01/18/95
Date of Implementation: 07/01/95
Date of Last Review: 06/18/24

Date and Subject of Amendments:

06/18/24 – Full review, reorganized current language, deleted “prospective” from the Part 1. Purpose, added the definitions “academic program” and “applicant” and deleted the definitions “college” and “university” in Part 2. Definitions, and replaced “students” with “applicants” in Part 3. Admissions.

10/17/18 - The detailed policy language relating to the admission “process” was deleted from the policy, and will be added to System Procedure 3.4.1 Undergraduate Admissions. Language was added that addresses open admissions at colleges, various standards for universities depending on the program, and any additional admission requirements that are involved with academic or career programs.

07/20/11 - amended Part 2 to consider students for admission. Amended Part 3 to require a passing score on the Ability to Benefit Test for students who do not have a high school diploma or a GED. Amended Part 4, A2 to allow state universities to use the high school grade point average as an admission criterion when the class rank is not available.

Additional HISTORY.

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