Berea College: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics

Berea College is a private liberal arts college with an acceptance rate of 38%. Located in Berea, Kentucky, and founded in 1855, Berea College is one of nine Work Colleges in the U.S. Students pay no tuition, and all students receive significant financial aid for all four years of attendance. Most Berea students are first generation students from the Appalachia area. Accepted students work 10 to 15 hours a week on campus or in the community as part of Berea's Labor Program. Since its founding, Berea has had a non-sectarian Christian identity. Berea is a member of the Work Colleges Consortium.

Considering applying to Berea College? Here are the admissions statistics you should know, including average SAT/ACT scores and GPAs of admitted students.

Acceptance Rate

During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, Berea College had an acceptance rate of 38%. This means that for every 100 students who applied, 38 students were admitted, making Berea's admissions process competitive.

SAT Scores and Requirements

Berea College requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, 16% of admitted students submitted SAT scores.

This admissions data tells us that most of Berea's admitted students fall within the top 35% nationally on the SAT. For the evidence-based reading and writing section, 50% of students admitted to Berea scored between 520 and 590, while 25% scored below 520 and 25% scored above 590. On the math section, 50% of admitted students scored between 510 and 623, while 25% scored below 510 and 25% scored above 623. Applicants with a composite SAT score of 1210 or higher will have particularly competitive chances at Berea.

Requirements

Berea College does not require the optional SAT essay section. Note that Berea participates in the scorechoice program, which means that the admissions office will consider your highest score from each individual section across all SAT test dates.

ACT Scores and Requirements

Berea College requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, 83% of admitted students submitted ACT scores.

This admissions data tells us that most of Berea's admitted students fall within the top 36% nationally on the ACT. The middle 50% of students admitted to Berea received a composite ACT score between 22 and 27, while 25% scored above 27 and 25% scored below 22.

Requirements

Berea does not require the optional ACT writing section. Unlike many universities, Berea superscores ACT results; your highest subscores from multiple ACT sittings will be considered.

GPA

Berea College indicates that most admitted students have a minimum GPA of 3.0 in college preparatory level coursework. This data suggests that most successful applicants to Berea College have primarily B grades.

Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph

The admissions data in the graph is self-reported by applicants to Berea College. GPAs are unweighted. Find out how you compare to accepted students, see the real-time graph, and calculate your chances of getting in with a free Cappex account.

Admissions Chances

Berea College has a competitive admissions process with a low acceptance rate due to the college's unique mission of providing a nearly free education to students with significant financial need. However, Berea also has holistic admissions process involving factors such as "community service, character and personal qualities, social maturity and demonstrated interest in the College." Each application is considered based on transcripts, test scores, financial eligibility, letters of recommendation, and personal interviews. Students with strong academic potential and financial need from Appalachia receive preference at Berea.

In the scattergram above, note that most successful applicants to Berea tend to have GPA's of B+ or better, SAT scores (ERW+M) of 1000 or higher, and ACT composite scores of 20 or better. However, test scores are only one part of the admissions requirements for Berea.

All admissions data has been sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics and Berea College Undergraduate Admissions Office.