An undergraduate grade point average of 3.000 (A = 4.000) is required by CSU regulation for admission

If you want to get in, the first thing to look at is the acceptance rate. This tells you how competitive the school is and how serious their requirements are.

The acceptance rate at CSU is 81.4%. For every 100 applicants, 81 are admitted.

This means the school is lightly selective. The school will have their expected requirements for GPA and SAT/ACT scores. If you meet their requirements, you’re almost certain to get an offer of admission. But if you don’t meet CSU’s requirements, you’ll be one of the unlucky few people who gets rejected.

Many schools specify a minimum GPA requirement, but this is often just the bare minimum to submit an application without immediately getting rejected.

The GPA requirement that really matters is the GPA you need for a real chance of getting in. For this, we look at the school’s average GPA for its current students.

Average GPA: 3.69

The average GPA at CSU is 3.69.

(Most schools use a weighted GPA out of 4.0, though some report an unweighted GPA.

With a GPA of 3.69, CSU requires you to be above average in your high school class. You’ll need at least a mix of A’s and B’s, with more A’s than B’s. You can compensate for a lower GPA with harder classes, like AP or IB classes. This will show that you’re able to handle more difficult academics than the average high school student.

SAT and ACT Requirements

Each school has different requirements for standardized testing. Most schools require the SAT or ACT, and many also require SAT subject tests.

You must take either the SAT or ACT to submit an application to CSU. More importantly, you need to do well to have a strong application.

CSU SAT Requirements

Many schools say they have no SAT score cutoff, but the truth is that there is a hidden SAT requirement. This is based on the school’s average score.

Average SAT: 1180

The average SAT score composite at CSU is a 1180 on the 1600 SAT scale.

SU SAT Score Analysis (New 1600 SAT)

The 25th percentile New SAT score is 1090, and the 75th percentile New SAT score is 1280. In other words, a 1090 on the New SAT places you below average, while a 1280 will move you up to above average.

Here’s the breakdown of new SAT scores by section:

Section	Average	25th Percentile	75th Percentile
Math	585	530	640
Reading + Writing	595	540	650
Composite	1180	1090	1280