C
#4 Best Public Universities in Colorado

CU Denver Admission Requirements

Denver, Colorado

 5 Reviews

Chances of getting into University of Colorado Denver

Acceptance Rate

Admitted 
72%
Admission Difficulty for University of Colorado Denver
Measure Difficulty
Admission Standards Challenging 
Applicant Competition Low 
How hard is it to get into CU Denver and can I get accepted?

The acceptance rate at CU Denver is 72%.  It ranks #6 in Colorado for lowest rate of acceptance. CU Denver is a moderately competitive school to get into with a strong chance of acceptance if you meet the requirements. Last year, 10,395 out of 14,428 applicants were admitted.

The school has challenging admission requirements, generally admitting students who can score in the top 49 percent on standardized admission tests. University of Colorado Denver typically accepts and attracts "B+" average high school students with an average GPA around 3.46. 16% of those admitted chose to enroll in the school.

The CU Denver application fee is $50 and applications are due by Jul 22.

Test Optional

Submission of SAT or ACT scores is not required for admission to University of Colorado Denver. If you submit test scores, they will be considered with your application, but they are not mandatory. 29% of students submitted SAT scores and 9% submitted ACT scores for admission for the 2021/2022 academic year..

CU Denver SAT Scores

SAT Requirements & Average SAT Score

SAT Range 
1030-1250
Applicants Submitting SAT 
29%
SAT Scores for University of Colorado Denver
SAT Test 25th Percentile Score
SAT Reading 25th 520
SAT Math 25th 510
SAT Composite 25th 1030
SAT Scores for University of Colorado Denver
SAT Test 25th Percentile Score
SAT Reading 75th 630
SAT Math 75th 620
SAT Composite 75th 1250
Average SAT Score 1140

SAT Scores you need to get in

What are the SAT requirements for students to be admitted to University of Colorado Denver?

University of Colorado Denver is a test optional school meaning applicants are not required to submit SAT scores with their application. The position on SAT scores from the school is "considered but not required".

Students who get into University of Colorado Denver score in the top 55 percent of all SAT test takers.. The SAT composite score range for the middle 50% of students is 1030-1250.

Find other colleges with similar SAT score requirements

Data Sources, IPEDS for Fall 2021 starting class

Estimated Chance of Acceptance by SAT Score

University of Colorado Denver admission chances by SAT score
SAT Score (1600 scale) Competitiveness  Admission Chances 
1250 and Above Good >83%
1140 to 1250 Avg + 72%-83%
1030 to 1140 Avg - 58%-72%
920 to 1030 Reach 42%-58%
Less than 920 Low <42%
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CU Denver ACT Scores

ACT Requirements & Average ACT Score

ACT Range 
21-28 
Applicants Submitting ACT 
9%
ACT Scores for University of Colorado Denver
ACT Test 25th Percentile Score
ACT Reading 25th 20
ACT Math 25th 18
ACT Composite 25th 21
ACT Scores for University of Colorado Denver
ACT Test 75th Percentile Score
ACT Reading 75th 28
ACT Math 75th 26
ACT Composite 75th 28
Average ACT Score 24

ACT Scores needed to get accepted

What are the ACT requirements for prospective students to get into CU Denver?

University of Colorado Denver is test optional. Students are not required to submit ACT scores with their application. The policy on ACT scores is "considered but not required".

CU Denver regularly accepts students who score 21 and above on the ACT. These students typically score in the top 43 percent nationally. The ACT composite score range for the middle 50% of students is 21-28.

Find other colleges with similar ACT score requirements

Data Sources, IPEDS for Fall 2021 starting class

Estimated Chance of Acceptance by ACT Score

University of Colorado Denver admission chances by ACT score
ACT Score Competitiveness  Admission Chances 
28 and Above Good >84%
24 to 28 Avg + 72%-84%
21 to 24 Avg - 60%-72%
18 to 21 Reach 46%-60%
Less than 18 Low <46%
Calculate My Chances 

CU Denver GPA

Estimated GPA Requirements & Average GPA

Avg. High School GPA 
3.46*
Typical High School Grades 
B+

What GPA do you need to get into University of Colorado Denver?

Applicants require above average high school grades to get into CU Denver. The average high school GPA of the admitted freshman class at University of Colorado Denver was 3.46 on the 4.0 scale indicating that primarily B+ students are accepted and ultimately attend. The school ranks #10 in Colorado for highest average GPA. If your high school GPA meets these requirements, there is a good chance you will be accepted as CU Denver accepts 72% of students who apply.

 What do these ratings mean?

Explore more colleges with similar GPA requirements

*This school has not released high school GPA data for its incoming freshmen. In these cases, CollegeSimply employs an artificial intelligence (AI) process to predict GPA based on this school's test scores and a large sample of other colleges' data. 3.46 is an estimate of the school's average incoming freshman GPA.

Applying

Admission Statistics

University of Colorado Denver admission statistics
Women Men Total
Applied 9,007 5,421 14,428
Accepted 6,581 3,814 10,395
Acceptance Rate 73% 70% 72%
Enrolled 1,004 684 1,688
Percent of Admitted Who Enrolled (Admission Yield) 15% 18% 16%
Data Sources, IPEDS for Fall 2021 starting class

Fall 2023 Application Deadline

Applications are Due
Jul 22, 2023
Days left to Apply
120

Applicants have 120 days left until the Fall 2023 term applications are due on Jul 22, 2023.

Application Fee

The cost for prospective students to apply to University of Colorado Denver is $50.

Application Requirements

What are the requirements for admission to University of Colorado Denver and what student information is used for admission decisions?

University of Colorado Denver Application Requirements
Test Scores Considered but not required
High School GPA Required
High School Class Rank Neither required nor recommended
Completion of College Preparatory Program Recommended
Recommendations Neither required nor recommended
Demonstration of Competencies Neither required nor recommended

Credits Accepted

High School Credits Accepted at University of Colorado Denver
AP Credit Yes
Dual Credit Yes
Credit for Life Experiences No
Other Colleges to Consider 

Primary data source, U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=126562 IPEDS survey data for University of Colorado Denver.

FAQs

Does University of Colorado Denver prefer SAT or ACT?

29% of students submit their SAT scores to CU Denver. 9% of applicants send their ACT scores when applying.

What is my chance of getting into University of Colorado Denver?

72% of those who apply are granted admission to CU Denver. Admission competition is low and the college has challenging admission standards. See if your grades and scores are good enough for admission.

What SAT score is required for University of Colorado Denver?

The middle 50% of addmitted applicants have SAT scores between 1030 and 1250. 29% of students submit SAT scores when applying. See if your SAT score is good enough for admission.

What ACT score is required for University of Colorado Denver?

The middle 50% of addmitted applicants have ACT scores between 21 and 28. 9% of students submit ACT scores when applying. See if your ACT score is good enough for admission.