Undergraduate Admissions
First-Time Freshman Admission Requirements
Admission to Fresno State is competitive in certain majors because Fresno State continues to have more qualified applicants than can be accommodated by state funding. This is called " program impaction", which means that meeting the minimum CSU minimum eligibility requirements does not guarantee admission to Fresno State. Visit our Freshman Impaction Information to learn more about our impacted programs.
All First-time freshmen must meet the following CSU minimum eligibility requirements:
- be a high school graduate or equivalent;
- complete the 15-unit comprehensive “a-g” pattern of college preparatory courses; and
- earn a qualifying “a-g” grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 or 3.0*
More information about each of these requirements is provided below.
*Depending on an applicant's student type and GPA, multi-factor admission scores may be used to increase eligibility. See Multi-Factor Admissions Score (MFAS) for more information below.
| Area | Subject | Years | Specifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | History and Social Science | 2 years required | Must include one year of U.S. history and government. |
| B | English | 4 years required | Acceptable courses include literature and/or composition courses. |
| C |
Mathematics |
3 years required; 4 recommended |
Acceptable courses include algebra I, geometry, algebra II, and other advanced courses that require algebra and geometry as prerequisites. |
| D |
Laboratory Science |
2 years required; 3 recommended |
Must include one year of biological science and one year of physical science. Both must have a laboratory component. |
| E |
Language Other than English |
2 years required; 3 recommended |
Must be the same language. (Subject to waiver for applicants demonstrating equivalent competence.) |
| F |
Visual and Performing Arts |
1 years required |
Must be a year-long visual and performing arts course selected from visual art, dance, drama/theater, or music. May complete two semester-long courses from the same discipline. |
| G |
Electives |
1 year required |
College preparatory courses selected from the areas listed above or other approved college preparatory A–G courses. |
There are career and technical education (CTE) courses that can be used to meet any of the subject area requirements listed above. Please refer to https://www.ucop.edu/agguide/ for the entire listing of approved courses.
Applicants will be considered eligible for admission to Fresno State if they meet one of the following:
- CA-Residents or Graduates of a California high school who have an a-g coursework GPA of 2.5 or above
- Non-CA Resident or Graduate of an out-of-state high school who have an "a-g" coursework GPA of 3.00 or above
The grade point average is calculated on all a-g courses completed after 9th grade. When filling out the admission application, your GPA should include a-g courses taken the summer after 9th grade through 11th grade.
| Grade | Grade Points |
| A | 4 |
| B | 3 |
| C | 2 |
| D | 1 |
| F | 0 |
Honors, AP, College, or IB Classes
- In your calculation, add an extra point to any UC-approved honors, AP, college or IB grades used to satisfy A-G requirements in which you received a grade of C- or better.
- Up to 8 semesters can be awarded extra points in the GPA calculation.
- Up to two honors points can be awarded for UC-approved honors courses taken in the 10th grade.
- No extra points are added to grades of D+ or lower.
- In order to be an "approved honors course," the high school course must be identified as honors on the official high school "a-g" course list. The “a-g” course list can be found at https://hs-articulation.ucop.edu/agcourselist.
More information about GPA calculation can be found on the CSU GPA Calculator website.
For admission to the CSU, graduation from high school and receipt of a high school diploma are admission requirements.
GRADUATION OPTIONS
It’s always best to stay in high school to receive your high school diploma. Sometimes, though, that’s just not possible to do. There are options for completing the equivalent of a high school diploma. So if you cannot earn your diploma, consider the General Education Development program (GED), High School Equivalency (HiSET), or Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC) exams. These are examinations that, upon successful completion, offer the equivalent of a high school diploma.
Fresno State will be utilizing a Multi-Factor Admissions Score (MFAS) process to evaluate their incoming freshman students. SAT or ACT tests will no longer be utilized or considered as part of the admission eligibility review, and will not be used as part of the MFAS score.
Self-reported information submitted in the Cal State Apply application will be used to determine eligibility. The MFAS score is a combination of your GPA from “a-g” coursework, and additional supplemental factors, if applicable.
Applicants will be considered eligible for admission to Fresno State if they meet one of the following:
- CA-Residents or Graduates of a California high school who have an a-g coursework GPA of 2.5 or above, and have met the minimum “a-g” coursework requirements.
- Non-CA Resident or Graduate of an out-of-state high school who have an "a-g" coursework GPA of 3.00 or above, and have met the minimum "a-g" coursework requirements.
The following supplemental factors will be utilized for Fresno State applicants who fall below the CSU minimum a-g coursework GPA:
For California high school graduates or CA-residents earning an “a-g” GPA of 2.00-2.49 and non-California residents or out-of-state high school graduates with an “a-g” GPA of 2.5-2.99, Fresno State will utilize up to eight (8) additional “a-g” courses taken above the required 30 semester minimum (15- unit comprehensive “a-g” pattern of college preparatory course).
All applicants who graduate from a high school in our local area will benefit from an additional 100 Local Advantage Points towards their admission score.
For reference, please see historical impaction tables.
To view the list of impacted programs for first-time freshman students.
To review the minimum CSU requirements for first-time freshmen.
Resources:
To review the CSU minimum first-time freshman requirement, visit https://www2.calstate.edu/apply/freshman/getting_into_the_csu/Pages/admission-requirements.aspx
To review the CSU first-time freshman guidance, visit https://www2.calstate.edu/apply/freshman/Pages/first-time-freshman-guidance.aspx
For first-time freshman frequently asked questions, visit https://www2.calstate.edu/apply/Pages/first-time-freshman-faq.aspx