University of Connecticut – Acceptance Rate, GPA, and Requirements

Established in 1881, the University of Connecticut is a public research institution settled in the sleepy hamlet of Storrs. The UConn campus is conveniently located only an hour away from Providence, RI, and 90 minutes from Boston, MA. 

The school offers a large variety of degree programs and research opportunities for undergraduate students, as well as over 150 different programs of study for graduate students.  

There are over 700 clubs and organizations students at UConn can join, including 40+ social fraternities and sororities. 

Aside from football and ice hockey, UConn’s sports teams compete in the NCAA’s Division I and in the Big East Conference. The school’s athletes are known as the huskies.

The men’s basketball team is perhaps the most well-known of the school’s athletic programs due to its fiercely competitive history. 39 NBA players and 41 WNBA players are UConn alumni, including two-time NBA All-Star Andre Drummond

UConn Olympians and Paralympians have gone on to win a total of 27 gold medals, one silver medal, and seven bronze medals, representing a total of 14 different countries and competing in 15 different sports.  

UConn alumni also include Super Bowl winners, hall of fame inductees in several sports, academy award winners, Pulitzer prize-winning authors, a number of Hollywood actors and directors, and many other notable individuals. 

For those who are interested in learning more about what UConn’s admissions process is like, here is more information about the school’s acceptance rates, GPA requirements, and much more. 


University of Connecticut Acceptance Rate

University of Connecticut
Public domain photo by Daderot via Wikimedia Commons

The acceptance rate for the University of Connecticut is 49%, according to the Princeton Review. Other sources, however, state that the school’s acceptance rate is as high as 56%. 

Regardless of which of these two figures is more accurate, it can be said that the UConn admissions process is moderately selective, especially in comparison to the 70.1% average acceptance rate for all colleges and universities in the United States. 

Half of the students who UConn accepts have an SAT score between 1170 and 1390 or an ACT score between 27 and 32. 

The average GPA for accepted applicants is 3.76, meaning that successful UConn applicants have generally earned mostly As and only a few Bs in high school.  

Through an agreement with the Connecticut Community College System, UConn also has a guaranteed admission program.

This program is open to those who are enrolled in a liberal arts program at a community college and wish to transfer to UConn without having to go through the usual graduation process. 

After completing an associate degree and achieving the minimum grades in all courses required by the desired program of study, students in this program are automatically eligible to enroll at UConn without formally submitting an application.     


University of Connecticut Out-of-State Acceptance Rate

There is little recent data regarding the acceptance rate at UConn for out-of-state students, since the publicly available admissions statistics are generally not broken down according to students’ residency. 

In 2010, 60% of out-of-state students applying to UConn were accepted. Since the overall acceptance rate that year was 54.3% — very close to what it was more recently — one might reason that the out-of-state acceptance rate is now similar to that of 2010.  

About 60% of first-year students at UConn’s Storrs campus are Connecticut residents. In a typical year, out-of-state students make up about 30% of the freshman class, and international students represent the remaining 10%. 

However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the issues with international travel it has caused, UConn’s incoming class of 2025 is composed of only 6% international students, and 34% out-of-state students.   

Thus, a 77% majority of the college’s current first-years are from Connecticut. The school has stated that this breakdown is consistent with past trends, and that they expect the ratio of resident and nonresident students to remain relatively consistent in the future. 

For Connecticut residents, UConn’s tuition and fees for one year add up to about $34,000. The cost of out-of-state tuition and fees, on the other hand, comes to a total of over $57,000. 


GPA for University of Connecticut

University of Connecticut
Topshelver, Edwina Whitney Residence Hall, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CC BY-SA 4.0

UConn does not require any specific high school GPA for first-year applicants, instead opting to utilize a comprehensive review process

This means that although GPA is one of many considerations involved in making admissions decisions, applicants will not be denied on the basis of low GPA alone. 

Selection for admission to UConn is based on a holistic review of the applicant’s past academic performance and the degree of rigor reflected in the high school course they have taken. Involvement in clubs, organizations, and community service is also taken into consideration.

UConn’s admissions team will also take into account the personal qualities of the applicant in order to evaluate how well they will fit in and contribute to the campus community. 

More specifically, the school states that it looks for applicants who show responsibility, empathy, and an appreciation for multiculturalism.    

Further, the admissions department will consider any personal hardship or extenuating circumstances that may have contributed to an applicant’s academic underperformance during high school, striving to understand better the student’s potential than can be reflected by numbers alone. 

That being said, competitive UConn applicants will have a GPA of 3.76 or higher, since this is the median GPA for accepted students.


SAT & ACT Requirements for University of Connecticut

SAT or ACT test scores are currently an optional element of the application process at UConn.

The school originally decided to suspend standardized testing requirements in light of the difficulties for testing that the pandemic has created, but plans to make this change had already been in the works, according to UConn Trustee Jeanine Gouin.

Starting with the 2021 application cycle, UConn admissions will take part in a three-year pilot program in which SAT or ACT scores are not required, although applicants may still submit their test scores if they would like to do so

This change is intended to ameliorate inequalities in the admissions process for students who do not have access to test prep programs or struggle with test-taking for whatever given reason, such as those who speak English as a second language. 

UConn hopes that this three-year trial will make the admissions process more fair, especially for historically underrepresented groups of applicants, with the intention of allowing a more diverse set of students to become part of the student body.  

Internal institutional studies over the past several years have indicated that although students who had high SAT or ACT scores do generally tend to continue to be successful academically while studying at UConn, there is no correlation between test scores and future academic success for those who received low test scores. 


Other Requirements and Admission Tips for UConn

University of Connecticut
Daderot, Anna Mabel Snow Hall – University of Connecticut, CC0 1.0

In order to be eligible for admission to UConn, applicants must have completed four years of English, three years of math and electives, and two years of social studies, science, and a foreign language. 

For students whose first language is not English, English counts as a foreign language and therefore can satisfy the language requirement. 

In addition, students who are interested in applying to the School of Engineering must have taken high school chemistry and physics. 

For School of Nursing applicants, high school chemistry is also required.

To apply to UConn, students can begin by completing either the Common Application or the Coalition Application. 

There will be a nonrefundable $80 application fee, payable either through the application itself or by check or money order to the college. Alternatively, fee waivers are available for those who may need them. 

The UConn application also requires a personal essay. 

Last, the application bundle must include a self-reported academic record, an official secondary school transcript, or GED records. 

Optional supporting documents can include SAT or ACT scores and two letters of recommendation for students who feel as though these supplements will strengthen their application. Recommendation letters can be sent to the school by fax, email, or by postal mail. 


Essays for University of Connecticut

The personal essay is a mandatory part of the Common Application and the Coalition Application, so all students who apply to UConn must complete it. 

Consisting of anywhere from 250 and 650 words, the personal essay is the applicant’s opportunity to let their individuality shine through. UConn advises students to select a topic that is important to them, rather than worrying about what the best or most popular subject may be. 

Emphasizing UConn’s holistic approach to admissions, the personal essay offers students a chance to showcase who they are, what makes them unique, and what they care about. 

UConn advises students to write about their own experiences and show who they are through their writing instead of merely stating their attributes outright. 

They also encourage applicants to be creative, include details, highlight the areas of their identity that may not be illuminated through the information on the application alone, and be as authentic as possible.

Of course, the essay is also an opportunity for the UConn admissions team to evaluate the applicant’s writing skills, so students must demonstrate writing ability as they cover the topic they select. 


Is University of Connecticut Right for You?

Ultimately, deciding which college is right for you is a matter of knowing what you want to get out of your college experience. There is no hard-and-fast guide to what you should look for in a school, since each individual student will have different desires, needs, and goals. 

One factor to consider when choosing which universities to apply to is setting. Both the school’s location and what sort of environment you will find on campus have significant influence over student satisfaction. 

For those who prefer the quaint, small-town community experience over the bustling city environment you will find at urban colleges, UConn’s Storrs campus could be a great place to go to school. 

For students who are passionate about sports, the school’s robust athletic programs are also a benefit of attending UConn. The university’s long history of turning out Olympic gold medalists and hall of fame inductees is proof of the high quality training they offer. 

Outside of athletics, UConn is known for being one of the top public research institutions in the country. With over 30,000 students currently involved in undergraduate research, internationally renowned faculty members teach the school’s many degree programs. 

The state of Connecticut is dedicated to supporting UConn’s mission to foster knowledge through competitive, innovative inquiry, by means of providing funding to enrich the resources the school can make available to students.  

All in all, UConn has a lot to offer its students. Strong academic and athletic programs are just a few examples of the opportunities that attending this school will give students, not to mention the campus’ location in charming northeastern Connecticut. 

Those who choose UConn are happy with their choice, as shown by the school’s impressive 93% retention rate.