Portland State University (PSU)

Your Opinion: Is this School Hard to Get Into?
You already voted!

PSU can be found in Portland, OR, a public college which focuses on only a select few programs offered. PSU has about 26,000 students enrolled yearly.

A SAT or ACT exam may be required before applying to this college. Scores between 1000 (25th percentile) - 1220 (75th percentile) for the SAT exam and in the range of 18 (25th percentile) - 24 (75th percentile) on the ACT is usually submitted among applicants that get into this school. Based on sampled GPA data collected and applied, it is estimated that the Portland State University (PSU) average GPA range for accepted students is around 2.89 - 3.25. About 100% of all students which applied were admitted at PSU, and from those that were granted acceptance about 25% continued on to attend. Using acceptance rate data from previous years, we can project that the Portland State University (PSU) acceptance rate in 2021 is going to be around 86%. You can get more information from the admissions office website at .pdx.edu.

Overall Portland State University (PSU) Acceptance Rate - Fall 2020

95.8%

The overall acceptance rate for Portland State University was reported as 95.8% in Fall 2020 with over 6,860 college applications submitted to Portland State University. Both in state and out of state applicants are included in these figures. We do not have data on transfer acceptance rates currently.

Accepted Applicants Profile

  • PSU ACT Scores: 18 - 24
  • PSU Average GPA: 2.89 - 3.25

How Hard Is It to Get into Portland State University?

Applicant Selectivity: Medium

When determining how difficult it is for students to get into PSU, ACT/SAT test scores and high school average GPA ranges of accepted students of previous years can help estimate the selectivity of a school.

Historical Trend and Acceptance Rate 2024 Projection

The historical trend chart shows acceptance rates from the previous years, from which we have projected the acceptance rate for the 2024-2025 school year. The overall acceptance rate trend for Portland State University has been slowly getting higher over the past years.

Acceptance Rate By Year

  • 2016-2017: 89.4%
  • 2017-2018: 92.4%
  • 2018-2019: 90.2%
  • 2019-2020: 95.8%
  • Projected PSU Acceptance Rate 2024-2025: 86.2%

How Does Portland State University (PSU) Compare?

95.8%
This School
56.7%
National Avg

The acceptance rate for Portland State University is sixty-nine percent higher than the national average of all colleges which is around 56.7%.

Nearby Similar College Acceptance Rates

SchoolAcceptance Rate
Oregon State University82.3%
University of Oregon81.8%
Central Washington University84.9%
University of Washington-Seattle Campus51.8%
Western Washington University90.4%

Admissions Rates & Enrollment Rates - Details

General Recommendations & Requirements for Admissions

  • High School GPA Scores are Required
  • School Records are Required
  • College Prep Classes are Required
  • Submit Recommendation Letters are Recommended
  • TOEFL Exam (Foreign Language Students) are Required

Number of Applicants, Percent Accepted, and Enrolled Students (Fall 2020)

TotalMaleFemale
Applicants6,86136.6%63.4%
Admitted6,57336.1%63.9%
Enrolled1,67440.3%59.7%

Average ACT/SAT Scores of Applicants to Portland State University (PSU) (Fall 2020)

SAT® SectionScore Range
Critical Reading500 - 630
Math500 - 590
Total Score1000 - 1220
ACT®Score Range
English16 - 24
Math17 - 24
Composite Score18 - 24
To learn more about the data and calculations that power this site, please visit our data discussion page.