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#15 Best Public Universities in Texas

SHSU Admission Requirements

Huntsville, Texas

 2 Reviews

Chances of getting into Sam Houston State University

Acceptance Rate

Admitted 
97%
Admission Difficulty for Sam Houston State University
Measure Difficulty
Admission Standards Extremely Easy 
Applicant Competition Very Low 
How hard is it to get into SHSU and can I get accepted?

The acceptance rate at SHSU is 97%.  It ranks #67 in Texas for lowest rate of acceptance. Sam Houston State University is an easy school to get into with a very good chance of acceptance if you meet the admission requirements. Last year, 11,161 out of 11,556 applicants were admitted.

The school has extremely easy admission requirements, generally admitting students who can score in the top 66 percent on standardized admission tests. Sam Houston State University typically accepts and attracts "B" average high school students with an average GPA around 3.25. Most incoming freshmen graduate in the top half of their high school class. 26% of those admitted chose to enroll in the school.

The SHSU application fee is $50 and applications are due by Aug 1.

Test Optional

Submission of SAT or ACT scores is not required for admission to Sam Houston State University. If you submit test scores, they will be considered with your application, but they are not mandatory. 57% of students submitted SAT scores and 16% submitted ACT scores for admission for the 2021/2022 academic year..

SHSU SAT Scores

SAT Requirements & Average SAT Score

SAT Range 
950-1120
Applicants Submitting SAT 
57%
SAT Scores for Sam Houston State University
SAT Test 25th Percentile Score
SAT Reading 25th 480
SAT Math 25th 470
SAT Composite 25th 950
SAT Scores for Sam Houston State University
SAT Test 25th Percentile Score
SAT Reading 75th 570
SAT Math 75th 550
SAT Composite 75th 1120
Average SAT Score 1040

SAT Scores you need to get in

What are the SAT requirements for students to be admitted to Sam Houston State University?

Sam Houston State University 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 Sam Houston State University score in the top 69 percent of all SAT test takers.. The SAT composite score range for the middle 50% of students is 950-1120.

Find other colleges with similar SAT score requirements

Data Sources, IPEDS for Fall 2021 starting class

Estimated Chance of Acceptance by SAT Score

Sam Houston State University admission chances by SAT score
SAT Score (1600 scale) Competitiveness  Admission Chances 
1120 and Above Good >98%
1035 to 1120 Avg + 97%-98%
950 to 1035 Avg - 94%-97%
865 to 950 Reach 90%-94%
Less than 865 Low <90%
Calculate My Chances 
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SHSU ACT Scores

ACT Requirements & Average ACT Score

ACT Range 
18-23 
Applicants Submitting ACT 
16%
ACT Scores for Sam Houston State University
ACT Test 25th Percentile Score
ACT Reading 25th 17
ACT Math 25th 16
ACT Composite 25th 18
ACT Scores for Sam Houston State University
ACT Test 75th Percentile Score
ACT Reading 75th 26
ACT Math 75th 23
ACT Composite 75th 23
Average ACT Score 20

ACT Scores needed to get accepted

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

Sam Houston State University is test optional. Students are not required to submit ACT scores with their application. The policy on ACT scores is "considered but not required".

SHSU regularly accepts students who score 18 and above on the ACT. These students typically score in the top 62 percent nationally. The ACT composite score range for the middle 50% of students is 18-23.

Find other colleges with similar ACT score requirements

Data Sources, IPEDS for Fall 2021 starting class

Estimated Chance of Acceptance by ACT Score

Sam Houston State University admission chances by ACT score
ACT Score Competitiveness  Admission Chances 
23 and Above Good >99%
20 to 23 Avg + 97%-99%
18 to 20 Avg - 95%-97%
16 to 18 Reach 92%-95%
Less than 16 Low <92%
Calculate My Chances 

SHSU GPA

Estimated GPA Requirements & Average GPA

Avg. High School GPA 
3.25*
Typical High School Grades 
B

What GPA do you need to get into Sam Houston State University?

Applicants require above average high school grades to get into SHSU. The average high school GPA of the admitted freshman class at Sam Houston State University was 3.25 on the 4.0 scale indicating that primarily B students are accepted and ultimately attend. The school ranks #55 in Texas for highest average GPA. If your high school grades are above the average 3.25 GPA, you have a very good chance of being admitted as SHSU accepts 97% of all applicants.

 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. 3.25 is an estimate of the school's average incoming freshman GPA.

High School Class Rank

71% of Sam Houston State University freshman were in the top half of their high school graduating class.

High School Class Rank for admitted Sam Houston State University students
High School Class Rank Freshmen Within Range
Top 10% of class 11%
Top 25% of class 36%
Top 50% of class 71%
Data Source, Peterson's Data

Applying

Admission Statistics

Sam Houston State University admission statistics
Women Men Total
Applied 7,586 3,970 11,556
Accepted 7,378 3,783 11,161
Acceptance Rate 97% 95% 97%
Enrolled 1,904 1,004 2,908
Percent of Admitted Who Enrolled (Admission Yield) 26% 27% 26%
Data Sources, IPEDS for Fall 2021 starting class

Fall 2023 Application Deadline

Applications are Due
Aug 1, 2023
Days left to Apply
131

Applicants have 131 days left until the Fall 2023 term applications are due on Aug 1, 2023.

Application Fee

The cost for prospective students to apply to Sam Houston State University is $50.

Application Requirements

What are the requirements for admission to Sam Houston State University and what student information is used for admission decisions?

Sam Houston State University 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 Sam Houston State University
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=227881 IPEDS survey data for Sam Houston State University.

FAQs

Does Sam Houston State University prefer SAT or ACT?

57% of students submit their SAT scores to SHSU. 16% of applicants send their ACT scores when applying.

What is my chance of getting into Sam Houston State University?

97% of those who apply are granted admission to SHSU. Admission competition is and the college has extremely easy admission standards. See if your grades and scores are good enough for admission.

What SAT score is required for Sam Houston State University?

The middle 50% of addmitted applicants have SAT scores between 950 and 1120. 57% of students submit SAT scores when applying. See if your SAT score is good enough for admission.

What ACT score is required for Sam Houston State University?

The middle 50% of addmitted applicants have ACT scores between 18 and 23. 16% of students submit ACT scores when applying. See if your ACT score is good enough for admission.