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Freshman Admission Requirements

For admission to SDSU, we look for one of the following academic achievements:

• An ACT composite score or ACT superscore of 18 or SAT Math and Reading/Writing subscore total of 970.
• Level 3 or higher on Math and English Language Arts Smarter Balance Assessment.
• A high school cumulative GPA of 2.6 or higher.
• A ranking in the top 60 percent of graduating class.

Students should also complete the following core courses with a “C” average or above:

• Four years of English (or ACT English subscore of 18 or above).
• Three years of advanced math—Algebra I and higher (or ACT math subscore of 20).
• Three years of laboratory science (or ACT science reasoning subscore of 17).
• Three years of social science (or ACT reading subscore of 17).
• One year of fine arts (or AP Fine Arts score of three or above) Includes vocal, instrumental and studio arts.

What to submit:

• Admission application
• $20 application fee (Skip this if you’ve already attended any South Dakota public university, including SDSU, within the last year).
• Final, official high school transcript (Don’t send this yourself; we need to receive it directly from your school).
• Official ACT or SAT score report (If these are on your high school transcript, that’s perfect).
• Official post-secondary transcripts (If you've enrolled in high school dual credit classes).

Home Schooled or Non-Accredited High School Graduates

Students who are home schooled or attend a non-accredited high school can be admitted to SDSU using one of two different criteria:

• Meet the minimum academic course requirements, listed in the Freshman Admissions Requirements above, with a “C” Average or higher. Must be demonstrated by a certified home school or non-accredited high school transcript approved by SDSU.

OR

• Obtain an ACT composite score or ACT superscore of 18 or SAT Math and Reading/Writing subscore total of 970.

Home schooled or Non-Accredited High School Graduates must submit an official transcript (in a semester format) for review from either an accredited regional authority or home school provider in conjunction with state requirements.

Non-High School Graduates

To be admitted to SDSU students must be at least 18 years of age. Applicants who did not graduate from high school or a homeschool program must meet one of the following requirements:

• Complete the General Educational Development (GED) test with the following minimum test scores:
  • Scores earned since Jan. 1, 2014: Reach a score of at least 145 on each subject and a total score of 580 or higher across all four subjects;
  • Scores earned before Jan. 1, 2014: Reach a score of at least 150 on each subject and a total score of 600 or higher across all four subjects; or
• Complete the High School Equivalency Test (HiSET) and obtain a minimum score of 15 on each of the five subsections; or
• Complete the Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC) and obtain a minimum score of 500 on each of the five subtest categories.