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Colorado College Guide
Admissions Standards and Pre-collegiate Curriculum
Open Admissions vs. Admission Standards
Public two-year colleges in Colorado are considered open admissions, so they are open to all students, regardless of previous academic experience. As a result, the application and admission processes at two-year colleges differ from that of four-year institutions. At two-year colleges, a high school diploma (or GED equivalent) is not required (though some do encourage you to have one), nor is completion of a college preparatory program expected. Because everyone who applies is accepted, no admission factors are considered in the admission decision, but some two-year colleges do have application deadlines when it comes to financial aid. So, if you want to be considered for financial assistance, you will need to plan ahead.
On the other hand, the public four-year colleges and universities in Colorado, in conjunction with the Colorado Commission on Higher Education, have established admissions standards that govern the eligibility of students who apply to these colleges as new freshmen. Currently, these standards are expressed in terms of an "admission index", which is calculated using a student's GPA or percentile class rank, and standardized test scores (ACT or SAT). (See the  Admissions Index Table.) Contact the institution of your choice for assistance in determining your index score.
Each four-year public college is assigned an admission standard (i.e., a target index score) that may be part of the admission decisions for first-time freshman. While students meeting or exceeding the freshman admissions index are not guaranteed admission to a given college, the student's index score is an important consideration as colleges choose their freshman class each year.
A freshman student with an index score below the admission standard for the college to which s/he is applying is not automatically excluded from consideration for admission. The four-year public colleges may enroll a specified percentage of their admitted students whose admissions index falls below the college's admission standard through what is called the "window."
Beginning with the high school class graduating in the spring of 2008, a pre-collegiate curriculum will be added to the admission standards for four-year schools, as indicated below:
|
English Units |
Math Units |
Natural Science Units |
Social Studies Units |
Other |
Beginning with spring 2008 high school graduates |
4 |
3 (Algebra I and higher) |
3 (two of which must be lab-based) |
3 (one of which must be U.S. history or world civilization) |
2 units of academic electives |
For spring 2010 and later high school graduates |
4 |
4 (Algebra I and higher) |
3 (two of which must be lab-based) |
3 (one of which must be U.S. history or world civilization) |
2 units of foreign language, 2 units of academic electives |
Those who seek admission as a freshman to a four-year public institution who have graduated from high school in the spring of 2008 or later will be subject to both the index and the pre-collegiate curriculum requirement for regular admission. Those not meeting one or the other may still be eligible for admission through the window process.
For more information on admissions standards at Colorado public institutions, and on the pre-collegiate curriculum requirement, please refer to the (CCHE) website and click on "Admissions Standards."
Target Admissions Index Scores
The specific index score at each Colorado public 4-year institution is listed below:
Institution Name |
Freshman Admissions Index |
Adams State College* |
80 |
Colorado School of Mines |
110 |
Colorado State University |
101 |
Colorado State University - Pueblo** |
82 |
Fort Lewis College |
80 |
Mesa State College* |
80 |
Metropolitan State College of Denver*** |
76 |
University of Colorado - Boulder |
103 |
University of Colorado - Colorado Springs |
92 |
University of Colorado - Denver |
93 |
University of Northern Colorado |
94 |
Western State College |
80 |
*Does not apply to degree-seeking students in certificate or associate programs.
**Formerly the University of Southern Colorado. Index of 82 effective with Fall 2003, index of 84 expected for Fall 2004, and index of 86 for Fall 2005 in accordance with change in role, mission, and name change.
***Applies to admitted students 19 years of age or younger
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