Standards for Freshmen

Graduated from an Accredited High School

If you graduated from an accredited high school and are under 21, you will be considered for general admission based on your high school grades and test scores on either the ACT or SAT. Boise State's admission index is used to determine your admissibility. This index assigns more weight to your high school grades than your test scores.

In addition, you must have completed all courses in the Idaho College Admission Core. If you have met the requirements of the index but have not completed all core classes, you will be considered for provisional admission.

If you graduated from high school in 1989 or later and are 21 or older, you will be considered for general admission if you had at least a 2.0 unweighted cumulative high school grade-point average (GPA). In addition, you must have completed all courses in the Idaho College Admission Core. If you did not complete all core classes, you will be considered for provisional admission.

If you graduated from high school before 1989 and never attended college, you will be considered for general admission.

Completed GED Certificate

If you completed the GED and are under 21, you will be considered for provisional admission if you meet the minimum standard score on the GED (see below) and have a minimum ACT composite score of 17 or a minimum SAT combined critical reading and math score of 830.

If you completed the GED in 1989 or later and are 21 or older, you will be considered for provisional admission if you meet the minimum standard score on the GED (see below).

If you completed the GED prior to 1989 and your standard score average is at least 50, you will be considered for general admission.

Minimum standard score requirements:

50 if GED completed prior to January 1, 2002.
500 if GED completed after January 1, 2002

Home School or Unaccredited High School Graduate

If you graduated from an unaccredited high school or home school program and did not complete a GED, you will be considered for provisional admission with an ACT composite score of at least 17 (or SAT combined critical reading and math score of at least 830) and the following minimum scores on the COMPASS exam (46 on Algebra, 68 on Writing and 85 on Reading). ACT or SAT scores are not required if you are 21 or older.