Southeast Missouri State University Average GPA & Admissions

Cape Girardeau, MO · Public · 4-year

  • Acceptance rate: 74% for fall 2024
  • Average high school GPA: 3.53, as reported by the college for 2025–26
  • ACT, middle 50%: 15–20 composite
  • Average net price: $14,843 a year (2022–23)
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Type your GPA to compare it with what Southeast Missouri State University reported: an average GPA of 3.53 (2025–26), an acceptance rate of 74% for fall 2024 and an ACT middle 50% of 15–20.

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A guide based on reported data, not a prediction. Southeast Missouri State University reviews each application.

Southeast Missouri State University average GPA

Southeast Missouri State University reported an average high school GPA of 3.53 for its first-year students who submitted one (99% did), in its 2025–26 Common Data Set. The college doesn't say whether it's weighted or unweighted.

How their high school GPAs were spread:

High school GPAShare of first-year students
4.0
21.1%
3.75–3.99
18.2%
3.50–3.74
17.5%
3.25–3.49
16.6%
3.00–3.24
10.1%
2.50–2.99
12%
2.00–2.49
3.2%
1.00–1.99
1.2%
Below 1.0
0.2%
First-year students who submitted a high school GPA, as Southeast Missouri State University reported in its 2025–26 Common Data Set. The college doesn't say whether these GPAs are weighted or unweighted.

An average, not a cutoffColleges calculate GPA in different ways, so these figures can't be compared directly with your own GPA.

Southeast Missouri State University acceptance rate

Southeast Missouri State University admitted 7,691 of 10,461 first-year applicants for fall 2024, an acceptance rate of 74%, according to what it reported to the U.S. Department of Education.

Southeast Missouri State University is a public 4-year university in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, with 7,926 undergraduates.

SAT and ACT scores

Scores of the first-year students who entered Southeast Missouri State University in fall 2024 and submitted them. Half of them scored between the 25th and 75th percentiles:

Test25th percentileMedian75th percentile
ACT Composite151720
ACT English121519
ACT Math151618
5% submitted ACT scores, as Southeast Missouri State University reported to the U.S. Department of Education.

The U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard estimates an average SAT score of 950 for admitted students.

Admission requirements

What Southeast Missouri State University looks at when it decides on first-year applicants, as it reported to the U.S. Department of Education for fall 2024:

Admission factorStatus
High School GPAYour cumulative high school grade point average.Required
High School RecordYour transcript: the courses you took and the grades you earned.Required
High School Class RankYour ranking relative to other students in your graduating class.Considered if submitted
Test ScoresSAT or ACT scores.Considered if submitted
College Preparatory ProgramCompletion of a college preparatory curriculum in high school.Not considered
RecommendationsLetters of recommendation from teachers, counselors, or other mentors.Not considered
Essay or Personal StatementA personal statement or essay written for your application.Not considered
Other TestsOther admission tests, such as the Wonderlic or WISC-III.Not considered
Demonstration of CompetenciesEvidence of specific skills through portfolios, auditions, or other demonstrations.Not considered
Work ExperiencePaid or volunteer work.Not considered
Legacy StatusWhether a parent or other relative attended the college.Not considered
Requirements can differ by program and applicant type, so check with Southeast Missouri State University's admissions office before you apply.

AP credit

Southeast Missouri State University awards college credit for Advanced Placement (AP) exams, according to what it reported to the U.S. Department of Education for 2024–25. The college decides which exams and scores earn credit.

It also awards credit for life experience, such as work or military service.

Average net price

First-time, full-time undergraduates paying in-state tuition who received grant or scholarship aid paid an average net price of $14,843 a year at Southeast Missouri State University in 2022–23, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

Net price is the full cost of attendance minus grants and scholarships.

Frequently asked questions

How selective is Southeast Missouri State?

Moderately selective: more than half of applicants got in. Southeast Missouri State University admitted 74% of first-year applicants for fall 2024.

Can I get into Southeast Missouri State with a 3.0 GPA?

It would be on the low side there: 16.6% of Southeast Missouri State University's first-year students who submitted a GPA had one below 3.0, as the college reported in its 2025–26 Common Data Set, and it admitted 74% of applicants for fall 2024. Colleges calculate GPA in different ways, so compare on the same scale and look at your courses and test scores too.

What are Southeast Missouri State's ACT score ranges?

The middle 50% of Southeast Missouri State University's fall 2024 first-year students who sent scores had ACT composite 15–20, according to what the college reported to the U.S. Department of Education. A quarter scored below that range.

Is Southeast Missouri State test optional?

Check Southeast Missouri State University's admissions website for the current rule: testing policies change from year to year. Southeast Missouri State University was test optional: it considered SAT or ACT scores if you sent them, it said in its report to the U.S. Department of Education (fall 2024). Of its fall 2024 first-year students, 5% sent ACT scores.

How much does GPA matter at Southeast Missouri State?

A lot: Southeast Missouri State University requires high school GPA and high school record. It considers high school class rank and test scores if you send them. It doesn't consider college preparatory program, recommendations, essay or personal statement, other tests, demonstration of competencies, work experience and legacy status. That's what it reported to the U.S. Department of Education for fall 2024.

What is Southeast Missouri State's acceptance rate?

Southeast Missouri State University's acceptance rate was 74% for fall 2024: it admitted 7,691 of 10,461 first-year applicants, as it reported to the U.S. Department of Education.

What share of Southeast Missouri State students had a 3.5 GPA or higher?

56.7% of Southeast Missouri State University's first-year students who submitted a high school GPA had 3.50 or higher, and the largest group (21.1%) had a 4.0, as the college reported in its 2025–26 Common Data Set. The college doesn't say whether these GPAs are weighted or unweighted.

Is there a minimum GPA for Southeast Missouri State?

Southeast Missouri State University doesn't set a minimum GPA we could verify. Its first-year students averaged 3.53, as reported by the college in its 2025–26 Common Data Set. The college doesn't say whether that average is weighted or unweighted.

How much does Southeast Missouri State cost after financial aid?

First-time, full-time undergraduates paying in-state tuition who received grant or scholarship aid paid an average of $14,843 a year at Southeast Missouri State University in 2022–23, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Net price is the cost of attendance minus grants and scholarships.

Does Southeast Missouri State give credit for AP exams?

Yes. Southeast Missouri State University awards college credit for Advanced Placement (AP) exams, as it reported to the U.S. Department of Education for 2024–25. The college decides which exams and scores earn credit.

Before you apply, check Southeast Missouri State's official admissions site: requirements can differ by program and change from year to year.

Sources

  1. College Navigator: Southeast Missouri State UniversityU.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, IPEDS (2024–25 provisional data): admissions, test scores and admission factors for fall 2024, undergraduate enrollment for fall 2024, net price for 2022–23 and credit policies for 2024–25.
  2. Southeast Missouri State University Common Data Set 2025–26Southeast Missouri State University: average high school GPA of first-year students and how their GPAs were spread.
  3. College Scorecard dataAverage SAT: an estimate by the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard (June 10, 2026 release).

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