Admissions

First Year

Admission Requirements

Students from accredited public or private high schools will be reviewed for admission as first year student applicants, including students who have earned college credit while in high school (e.g. Running Start). Transfer students who have completed less than 30 transferable quarter credits (20 semester credits) at the point of application will be reviewed as a first year student applicant.

  • Graduate from high school with a cumulative unweighted GPA of at least 2.5. (3.0 or higher = automatic admission if college prep coursework requirement met. Students with a 2.99 GPA or lower may be required to participate in holistic review and are required to participate in Summer Scholars.)
  • Complete 15 units* of college preparatory coursework with grades of C- or better in the following areas:
    • English/Language Arts: 4 units
    • Science: 3 units (one year of lab science is recommended) effective 2012
    • Social Studies: 3 units
    • Second Language: 2 units of the same language (This applies to Oregon high school graduates only. Oregon residents who earn a GED are not held to the second language requirement. There is no language requirement for high school graduates outside of Oregon)
    • Math: Students interested in attending a state of Oregon public higher education institution should take at least three years of high school math. The third year could be satisfied by any math course with a primary focus on concepts in algebra, calculus, data science, discrete mathematics, geometry, mathematical analysis, probability, or statistics. 
      • Prospective students are encouraged to take a fourth math course in their senior year of high school.
      • Those intending to study a STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) major or another field for which calculus is required are strongly encouraged to take pre-calculus and, if possible, calculus in high school.

Optional: Take the SAT or ACT and have scores sent directly to Portland State University

  • SAT School Code is 4610
  • ACT School Code is 3492

Admission for Students with Non-Standard High School Backgrounds

Admission for Students Who Did Not Graduate From High School

Steps to Apply

Submit Your Application and $60 Application Fee

Apply to Portland State with the PSU Application, the Common Application, or the Coalition Application. 

Undergraduate applicants may be eligible for a waiver of their $60 admission application fee. Based on the information you provide in your application, we will determine if you are eligible for a fee waiver.

Apply

Submit Official Transcripts

Official transcripts are required from all the schools you've attended, see our official records policy for details.

Electronic Submission: Transcripts may be submitted via a secure transcript delivery service (such as Parchment) or sent directly from a school official to admissions@pdx.edu.

Mail Submission: Submit official transcripts in their original sealed envelopes from all schools attended and mail them to PSU at the address below.

Portland State University
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
PO Box 751
Portland OR 97207-0751

Optional: Submit Test Scores

Submission of test scores is optional, and not required to receive an admission decision. PSU accepts the SAT and ACT tests. 

Submit via testing agency using PSU's School Code:

  • SAT Code: 4610
  • ACT Code: 3492

Test scores may also be reported on an official high school transcript. Notify your admissions counselor if you intend to submit test scores on your transcript.

Submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

Submission of the FAFSA is not required to receive an admission decision. We encourage students to submit the FAFSA as soon as possible after October 1.

Submit FAFSA

Submit the Oregon Student Aid Application (ORSAA) - IF NEEDED

Oregon residents who have undocumented status, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), or a valid U-visa should submit the ORSAA instead of the FAFSA. Do not complete the ORSAA if you are (1) a U.S. citizen, (2) a legal noncitizen with an Alien Registration number, or (3) an international student who is in the United States with a valid visa.

If you aren't sure which application you should submit, Use the FAFSA/ORSAA Filter Tool. 

ORSAA Information

Check Your Application Status

If you have submitted an application to Portland State University, you can log in to PSU's application portal to review the status of your application. You will be notified via email for each document you submit and your admission decision.

If you are not receiving email communications from Portland State University, be sure to check your @pdx.edu email account. Once you set up your student account all communications will be sent to that email address. If you are not receiving information from us in any email inboxes, please contact us at admissions@pdx.edu.

Check Application Status

Admission for Students with Non-Standard High School Backgrounds

Students who attended high school at non-accredited or non-standard high schools or were homeschooled can be considered for admission through one of the two options below.

Applicants who attended an accredited high school that does not confer traditional letter grades may require holistic review for admission. To be considered, students must request communication be sent directly from their Registrar to admissions@pdx.edu stating an official cumulative GPA. Transcripts containing “keys” to calculate an official GPA are insufficient; the conferring institution must communicate a student’s official GPA directly to PSU. It is the applicant’s responsibility to request this communication. Portland State’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions will review all submitted coursework and notify students of their admissibility. 

Students who did not graduate from high school can be considered for admission through either of the following options:

Option 1: General Education Development (GED), ACT®, HiSET®, SAT® or TASC®

PSU accepts five nationally recognized High School Equivalency exams that show college and career readiness to allow for admission without a standard high school diploma. Below are the minimum scores required for admission for each exam. 

  • General Education Development (GED)
    • Taken after January 1, 2014: Minimum overall average score of 170 AND minimum score of 150 on each subject test.
    • Taken between January 1, 2002 and December 31, 2013: Minimum overall average score of 580 AND minimum score of 410 on each subject test.
    • Taken before January 1, 2002: Minimum overall average score of 46 AND minimum score of 40 on each subject test.
  • ACT®: Minimum composite score of 22.
  • HiSET®: Minimum score of 15 on each subject test area AND at least 4/6 on the essay component of the Language Arts-Writing subject test.
  • SAT®: Minimum score of 1120 across the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and Math sections.
  • TASC®: Minimum score of 580 on Language Arts-Reading; 560 on Mathematics, 560 on Language Arts-Writing; AND at least 6/8 on the Language Arts-Writing essay.

Option 2: Apply as a transfer student

Review the admission requirements for transfer students. 

PSU does not accept the California High School Proficiency Exam (CHPSE). A student must present GED, HiSET, or TASC scores.

Admission for Students Who Did Not Graduate from High School

Applicants who did not graduate from high school may also be considered for admission.

Option 1: General Education Development (GED), HiSET®, or TASC®

PSU accepts three nationally recognized High School Equivalency exams that show college and career readiness to allow for admission without a standard high school diploma. Below are the minimum scores required for admission for each exam. 

  • General Education Development (GED)
    • Taken after January 1, 2014: Minimum overall average score of 170 AND minimum score of 150 on each subject test.
    • Taken between January 1, 2002 and December 31, 2013: Minimum overall average score of 580 AND minimum score of 410 on each subject test.
    • Taken before January 1, 2002: Minimum overall average score of 46 AND minimum score of 40 on each subject test.
  • HiSET®: Minimum score of 15 on each subject test area AND at least 4/6 on the essay component of the Language Arts-Writing subject test.
  • TASC®: Minimum score of 580 on Language Arts-Reading; 560 on Mathematics, 560 on Language Arts-Writing; AND at least 6/8 on the Language Arts-Writing essay.

Option 2: Apply As a Transfer Student

Review the admission requirements for transfer students.