Placement in College-Level Courses

Applicants seeking degrees, diplomas, or credit certificates must provide evidence of readiness for college-level courses. A variety of means are accepted, including high school cumulative GPA, standardized tests, previous college-level coursework in English and mathematics, transfer credit, other credit for prior learning for required courses in English and mathematics, or possession of an associate or higher degree.

High School Cumulative GPA

High school cumulative GPA alone may serve as the placement indicator. To use high school cumulative GPA as evidence of readiness for college-level courses, applicants must provide a copy of the official high school transcript showing a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher (83% or higher on a percent grade scale or B or higher on a letter grade scale. High school cumulative GPA measures effort over time, so only the final cumulative GPA at the end of the senior year may be used for placement purposes. Transcripts with pass/fail grades and/or multiple grades excluded from the cumulative GPA may not be eligible as a measure for placement. All transcripts are subject to review. Students presenting a credential other than a regular diploma (as defined by the state where the high school is located) may not be eligible to use high school cumulative GPA for placement purposes.

There are no age limits on high school GPA being used as evidence of college readiness. Students who wish to take college-level courses prior to high school graduation may use junior high school GPA as an additional measure.

Standardized Tests

Students may submit standardized test scores for placement purposes. The College accepts SAT scores.

Previous Coursework, Transfer Credit, or Other Credit for Prior Learning

Previous coursework, transfer credit, and other credit for prior learning may exempt students from testing and qualify them for college-level placement in the respective subject.

If students do not have one of the college-readiness indicators above, they may enter a college-level course by taking advantage of the co-requisite support model to refresh their skills. For students with no indicator of college readiness, the co-requisite support model should be considered before ACCUPLACER testing.