Enrolling at Cleveland State
First-Time Freshman Applicants
First-time freshman applicants are those individuals who have not completed any college-level course work after earning a high school diploma or its equivalency (GED). The following materials constitute a complete application from a first-time freshman applicant:
- A completed Cleveland State application (online or paper)
- An official copy of the student’s grade transcript sent directly from the high school showing the applicant’s graduation date
- Students currently enrolled in high school are encouraged to apply early in their senior year prior to graduation. They may be admitted conditionally until their final, official transcripts showing the high school graduation date are received at Cleveland State.
- If the applicant did not graduate from high school, an official copy of the student’s GED scores must be sent directly from the Ohio Department of Education (or the state that has issued the diploma) in addition to an official copy of the high school transcript.
- Official scores from either the American College Test (ACT) or the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), if the applicant graduated from high school fewer than five (5) years prior to the application date.
- Note that these scores may be sent directly from the testing agencies or included on the student’s official high school transcript sent directly from the high school.
- A one-time, $30 undergraduate application processing fee.
- Completed College-Prep form (current high school students only).
First-time freshmen applicants must meet the following criteria for admission:
- Completion of 13 units of the state-specified, core curriculum in high school
- 4 units of English and
- 3 units each of mathematics, social science, and natural science.
(additionally, 2 units of foreign language and 1 unit of visual/performing arts are strongly recommended)
- Attainment of at least a 2.3 grade-point average (GPA) in high school
- Mandatory completion of the ACT or SAT with a minimum score of 16 or 750, respectively. Students taking the new SAT should earn a minimum combined score of 750 on the math and critical reading sections.
Students must meet the minimum criteria stated above for admission to Cleveland State University. Students not qualifying for provisional admission will be offered dual or deferred admission upon (1) successful completion of specified course work at a regionally accredited, two-year or four-year college or (2) completion of a dual admissions program at an area community college. Provisional students will be limited to part-time study (11 hours or fewer) beginning Fall Semester 2008.
Each of our academic colleges has specific admissions guidelines for direct entrance into the colleges. Students not meeting these requirements may be considered for pre-admission into one of our academic colleges. In some circumstances, students may be admitted into University Studies.