Freshman: Admission Requirements

A freshman applicant is a student who has graduated from (or is still in) high school and has not earned any college grades beyond the end of summer immediately following high school graduation or who has not earned any college credit. Students who attend a college or university summer term immediately after high school graduation are considered freshman applicants. Students who complete college/university courses while in high school are considered freshmen, regardless of the units earned.

Admission offices at the 22 universities use three factors to determine eligibility.

Most applicants who are admitted meet the standards in each of the following areas:

• Specific high school courses (referred to as the “a-g” courses)
• Grades in “a-g” courses
• Graduation from high school

Some CSU campuses set higher admission standards for certain majors or for students applying from outside the local admission area. Because many campuses receive more applications than they can accommodate, additional admission criteria may be applied to all applicants.

See Impaction at the CSU to determine if the campus or major you are interested in applying to is impacted and may have higher or additional admission criteria.

Many CSU campuses use local admission policies for students who graduate or transfer from high schools and community colleges that are historically served by a CSU campus in that region. See CSU Local Admission & Service Areas for each campus here (PDF).

The three factors used to determine the admissibility of nonresident students are the same as those used for California residents.

Nonresident students need to complete the same pattern of courses but must hold a higher grade point average (GPA). See “Grades in ‘a-g’ Courses” section below for GPA requirements.​​

Please note that California residents receive priority whenever admission space is limited.

The CSU requires a minimum 15-unit pattern of courses for admission as a first-time freshman. Each unit is equal to a year of study in a subject area. A grade of C or better is required for each course you use to meet any subject requirement.

There are career and technical education (CTE) courses that can be used to meet any of the subject area requirements listed above. Please refer to the University of California’s Course List Search for the entire listing of approved courses.

If you can demonstrate competency in a language other than English that is equivalent to or higher than that expected of students who have completed two years of language other than English study, you may be allowed a waiver for this language requirement. For further information, contact the CSU campuses to which you are applying.

• You can complete appropriate high school courses with a grade of C or better either in summer school or in adult school. Courses in this category must be those found on the high school or adult school UC "a-g" course lists. Some adult schools may not have “a-g” course lists.
• You may also complete college courses with a grade of C or better in the missing subject areas.
• You can earn an acceptable score on examinations such as the SAT subject examinations, Advanced Placement (AP) examinations, or International Baccalaureate examinations.
• If you are unable or do not choose to make up your subject deficiency, you may earn at least 60 units, including 30 semester units of general education from a California Community College or other college and transfer as an upper-division transfer student, where only your college performance is considered for admission.

All students must be able to meet the academic, accreditation and technical standards required for admission or participation in their chosen program of study. Students with disabilities, therefore, are not excused from course prerequisites, GPA requirements or degree requirements. However, in some limited circumstances, substitution of course requirements based on a documented disability may be appropriate.

Such substitutions are granted only when it is clear that the student’s disability makes completion of the requirement(s) impossible and when the course in question is not a fundamental element of the curriculum. A course substitution means that the credit hours for the course are met through an alternate course. A course substitution may not alter or reduce the number of credits needed for degree completion or create a fundamental alteration in the program of study.

Students should visit their campus’s admissions website for the process to appeal an admission denial when the student’s disability directly impacts their ability to complete an admission requirement.

The grades you earn in high school are the most important factor in CSU admission decisions. Your high school grade point average is calculated using your grades in all your college prep "a-g" classes completed after the 9th grade.

• California residents or graduates of California high schools will be eligible for admission by earning a 2.50 or greater “a-g” GPA.
• Any California high school graduate or resident of California earning a GPA between 2.00 and 2.49 may be evaluated for admission based upon supplemental factors.
• Non-California residents may be eligible for admission to the CSU by earning a 3.00 or greater “a-g” GPA along with other supplemental factors utilized by the individual campus, including those outlined by impacted campuses and programs.
• Any non-California high school graduate earning a GPA between 2.47 and 2.99 may be evaluated for admission based upon supplemental factors.

Campuses and programs designated as impacted may utilize higher “a-g” GPA thresholds for applicants, as well as identify supplemental criteria and their relative weights, in making admission decisions.

Each CSU campus will determine the supplemental factors used with GPA to determine eligibility. See the Supplemental Factors by campus for campus details.

Try our CSU GPA Calculator

To be eligible for admission to the CSU, applicants must have graduated from high school and earned a high school diploma or equivalent.

While earning a traditional high school diploma is the preferred path, students who are unable to do so may demonstrate completion of secondary education through an approved equivalency option. Acceptable alternatives include the General Education Development (GED) test, the High School Equivalency Test (HiSET), or the Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC).

Please note that earning one of these equivalency credentials does not waive the CSU’s course or grade requirements for freshman admission.

The CSU assigns extra points for up to eight semesters of approved honors level, International Baccalaureate (IB) and Advanced Placement (AP) courses taken in the last three years of high school. Courses must be officially designated as “Honors,” “IB,” or “AP” on your high school’s approved “A–G” course list (see UC Course List Search) to receive extra points. ​