College Admissions

Public Universities

The Council is charged with establishing the minimum college admissions criteria for Kentucky public institutions.

College Admission

A traditional high school graduate or adult learner must have at least a 2.5 GPA (on a four-point scale) to be admitted to a state university in Kentucky.

Students admitted with a GPA is between 2.0 and 2.49, are required to enter into a learning contract. The contract includes:

• Support services expectations (advising, mentoring, tutoring, etc.) for both the student and the institution.
• Student learning goals and expectations.
• Required student participation in a financial literacy program.
• How student progress is monitored.
• The specified length of the learning contract. 

The student and college enter into an agreement outlining certain measures to ensure the student's success.  The contract is signed upon enrollment.

Transfer Students

The minimum admission requirement for transfer students is a GPA of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale.  Students must have earned at least 24 credit hours. Career and technical courses must meet certain learning outcomes and program requirements in order to transfer.

Transfer students meeting the GPA and credit hour requirement are not required to fulfill a learning contract as part of admission. 

However, if a transfer applicant has less than 24 credit hours, they must meet general admissions requirements, which may include the learning contract.

Visiting Students

A visiting student is a student enrolled in one institution but enrolls in another to obtain course credit. This is sometimes done if a required course is full or if the student cannot attend classes at the institution granting the credential. Visiting students must meet the same admissions requirements as transfer students.

Non-Degree-Seeking Students

A non-degree seeking student is a student who takes undergraduate courses at a college without receiving credit for those courses. Non-degree status affords an individual the opportunity to pursue learning for the sake of learning without the pressures of meeting degree program requirements. Students who fall into this category are exempt from minimum admission requirements. 

If after enrolling as a non-degree -seeking student, the student wishes to change to degree-seeking status, they must meet minimum general admissions requirements.

Dual Credit Students

To participate in a dual credit program, high school students must have an unweighted, cumulative high school GPA of 2.5. Once admitted, they must meet the college's minimum GPA requirement to remain enrolled. To take in dual credit courses, they must meet a course's prerequisites, if any.  Students must meet the academic readiness benchmarks in order to enroll in gateway math, English, and reading courses.

Admission to a Degree Program

To be admitted to a specific program within a college or university, a student may need to meet additional requirements, such as GPA, an ACT score or having taken certain coursework. These admissions requirements are set by the school, and are not part of the state's admissions policy.

Course Placement

A student can be admitted to a university, but not academically ready for college-level courses. Academic readiness, also known as "college readiness," is based on a student's scores on entrance exams such as the ACT, SAT or other exams recognized by the institution.  

If a student is not college ready, they will be required to take a corequisite education course, which is a credit-bearing gateway course that includes enhanced academic supports, such as additional hours of instruction, tutoring, mentoring, or advising.

For more information, visit our college readiness page.

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Guiding Legislation

• Admissions guidelines for public postsecondary institutions - 13 KAR 2:020
• Minimum requirements for high school graduation - 704 KAR 3:305

Implementation Guidance

• Minimum Admissions and Academic Readiness: KAR 2:020 Implementation Guidance
• Minimum High School Graduation Requirements Implementation Guidance

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KCTCS

College Admission

The Kentucky Community and Technical College System has open admissions, meaning the student must have only graduated from high school or have obtained a GED. However like university admissions, certain programs within the KCTCS system may have requirements, such as ACT scores or minimum GPAs.

Dual Credit Students

General Education

For admission into general education dual credit courses offered by either KCTCS or a public university, students must have high school GPA of 2.5 and meet the course's prerequisites.

Career and Technical Education

For admission to a KCTCS institution or public university for dual credit courses in career and technical education, students must meet institutional course prerequisites.