CU-Boulder Admission Requirements
Acceptance Rate
| Measure | Difficulty | |
|---|---|---|
| Admission Standards | Very High | |
| Applicant Competition | Very Low |
Can I get into CU-Boulder? The school has a 80% acceptance rate. Last year, 28,861 out of 36,148 applicants were admitted making University of Colorado Boulder an easy school to get into with a very good chance of acceptance assuming you meet the requirements. Academically, it has very high requirements for admission test scores, generally admitting students who score in the top 22 percent. University of Colorado Boulder typically accepts and attracts "B+" average high school students. Only 23% of those admitted chose to enroll in the school. Most incoming freshmen graduated in the top quarter of their high school class.
80% are accepted,
can you get in?
SAT Requirements
| SAT Test | 25th Percentile Score |
|---|---|
| SAT Reading 25th | 630 |
| SAT Math 25th | 590 |
| SAT Composite 25th | 1220 |
| SAT Test | 25th Percentile Score |
|---|---|
| SAT Reading 75th | 690 |
| SAT Math 75th | 710 |
| SAT Composite 75th | 1400 |
SAT Scores you need to get in
What are the SAT requirements for students to be admitted to University of Colorado Boulder?
University of Colorado Boulder typically requires applicants to be in the top 22 percent of SAT test takers. The school consistently takes SAT composite scores down to 1220 on a 1600 scale, below which admission should be considered a reach. We estimate some students could be accepted with SAT's as low as 1130. The estimated average SAT composite for admitted freshman is 1310 out of 1600. 29 percent of applicants submit SAT scores to the school. Note: SAT scores presented on this page have been adjusted upwards per the College Board's concordance tables for test takers after March 2016.
Estimated Chance of Acceptance by SAT Score
| SAT Score (1600 scale) | Competitiveness | Admission Chances |
|---|---|---|
| 1400 and Above | Good | >87% |
| 1310 to 1400 | Avg + | 80%-87% |
| 1220 to 1310 | Avg - | 70%-80% |
| 1130 to 1220 | Reach | 58%-70% |
| Less than 1130 | Low | <58% |
ACT Requirements
| ACT Test | 25th Percentile Score |
|---|---|
| ACT Reading 25th | 24 |
| ACT Math 25th | 24 |
| ACT Composite 25th | 25 |
| ACT Test | 75th Percentile Score |
|---|---|
| ACT Reading 75th | 31 |
| ACT Math 75th | 29 |
| ACT Composite 75th | 30 |
ACT Scores needed to get accepted
What are the ACT requirements for prospective students to get into CU-Boulder?
Admission data indicates that CU-Boulder regularly accepts students with ACT's of 25 and above. Successful applicants typically send ACT scores in the top 22 percent nationally. We estimate the school accepting minimum ACT composite scores around 22 in some instances. Prospective students submitting an ACT composite of 28 or higher should be in the upper half of applicants - and students with a 30 and above have very competitive chances. Scoring well on the ACT is very important as 81 percent of applicants submit ACT scores to University of Colorado Boulder.
Estimated Chance of Acceptance by ACT Score
| ACT Score | Competitiveness | Admission Chances |
|---|---|---|
| 30 and Above | Good | >88% |
| 27 to 30 | Avg + | 80%-88% |
| 25 to 27 | Avg - | 72%-80% |
| 23 to 25 | Reach | 63%-72% |
| Less than 23 | Low | <63% |
Estimated GPA Requirements
You will need very good grades in high school to get into University of Colorado Boulder. The average high school GPA of the admitted freshman class at University of Colorado Boulder was 3.56 on the 4.0 scale indicating that primarily B+ students are accepted and ultimately attend. If your high school grades are above the average 3.56 GPA, you have a very good chance of being admitted as CU-Boulder accepts 80% of all applicants.
| High School GPA | Freshmen Within Range | Admission Chances |
|---|---|---|
| 3.75+ | 39% | Good |
| 3.50 to 3.75 | 18% | Avg + |
| 3.25 to 3.50 | 19% | Avg - |
| 3.00 to 3.25 | 15% | Reach |
| 2.75 to 3.00 | 8% | Reach |
| 2.50 to 2.75 | 1% | Reach |
| 2.25 to 2.50 | N/A% | Low |
| 2.00 to 2.25 | N/A% | Low |
High School Class Rank
56% of University of Colorado Boulder freshman were in the top twenty five percent of their high school graduating class.
| High School Class Rank | Freshmen Within Range |
|---|---|
| Top 10% of class | 27% |
| Top 25% of class | 56% |
| Top 50% of class | 88% |
| Bottom 50% of class | 12% |
| Bottom 25% of class | 1% |
Admission Statistics
| Women | Men | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applied | 17,294 | 18,854 | 36,148 |
| Accepted | 14,295 | 14,566 | 28,861 |
| Acceptance Rate | 83% | 77% | 80% |
| Enrolled | 3,068 | 3,501 | 6,569 |
| Percent of Admitted Who Enrolled (Admission Yield) | 21% | 24% | 23% |
Fall 2019 Application Deadline
The application deadline for Fall 2019 has passed. Applications were due on Jan 15, 2019.
Admission Requirements
What are the requirements for admission to University of Colorado Boulder and what considerations affect admission decisions?
| Test Scores | Required |
| High School GPA | Required |
| High School Class Rank | Recommended |
| Completion of College Preparatory Program | Recommended |
| Recommendations | Recommended |
| Demonstration of Competencies | Neither required nor recommended |
Credits Accepted
| AP Credit | Yes |
| Dual Credit | Yes |
| Credit for Life Experiences | No |
Primary data source, U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=126614 IPEDS survey data for University of Colorado Boulder.
