Public
Accredited · Higher Learning Commission
Durango, Colorado
93.2% Acceptance Rate
Fort Lewis College — Admission Snapshot 2026
A complete at-a-glance picture of every metric that matters for your 2026 application
93.2%Acceptance Rate
3.3Avg GPA
1084Avg SAT
20Avg ACT
$25,558Annual Cost
$46,349Grad Salary
36.1%Pell Grant
Acceptance Rate
93.2%
Avg GPA
3.3
Avg SAT
1084
Avg ACT
20
Selectivity
Inclusive
Institution Type
Public
Campus
Branch Campus
Accredited By
Higher Learning Commission
SAT Middle 50%
980–1220
ACT Middle 50%
16–24
Avg Net Price
$17,339
Need-Based Aid
36.1% receive Pell
Fort Lewis College is a distinctive public liberal arts institution in Colorado, recognized for its commitment to Native American education and its stunning setting in the Four Corners region. Admissions are holistic, evaluating students on their academic preparation and their potential to contribute to a diverse, community-oriented campus. Applicants should emphasize their interest in hands-on learning, environmental stewardship, or cultural engagement, as the college values students who seek an active, place-based academic experience.
Competitive applicants often demonstrate strong performance in a balanced high school curriculum and a clear motivation for the college's unique regional and interdisciplinary programs. Highlighting extracurricular leadership and any history of service or community involvement is highly recommended. The admissions committee looks for individuals who are not only academically ready for a rigorous liberal arts education but who are also eager to participate in a campus culture that prizes collaboration, sustainability, and personal discovery.
Fort Lewis College Acceptance Rate
Fort Lewis College (FLC) runs an open-access admission policy — with a 93.2% acceptance rate, the focus is on getting qualified students in, not filtering them out.
What to Expect
- Eligibility First: A high school diploma or GED typically clears the main bar.
- Plan Ahead for Placement: Placement tests can shape which courses you start in — worth preparing for.
Selectivity at a Glance
Inclusive
Selectivity scale: Inclusive — 93.2% acceptance rate
Most Selective (0%)Open Enrollment (100%)
Recommended Academic Profile
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.30 – 4.00
Target Match
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.10 – 3.29
Competitive Reach
Focus on Score Compensation
Below 2.85
Secondary Reach
Requires Contextual Support
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard (Nov 2025).
Fort Lewis College Application Deadlines & Admission Dates 2026
Fort Lewis College follows a Rolling Admissions policy, meaning applications are reviewed as they arrive and there is no single fixed deadline, though the priority deadline of December 1 is recommended for the best chances of admission and financial aid.
Key Admission Dates
⏳ 128 days left — Priority
Rolling Admissions — Apply Anytime
FLC reviews applications continuously throughout the year. Seats and scholarships are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, so applying early gives you a significant advantage for both admission and financial aid.
Priority
December 1
💡 The scholarship deadline (December 1, 2026) often falls before the regular admission deadline. Submit your application and FAFSA early to be considered for maximum aid.
Deadlines are verified from official institutional sources but may change each cycle. Always confirm final dates on the official website.
FLC GPA Requirement
The average GPA of admitted students at FLC is 3.3. That makes admissions here competitive, but not extremely selective. Most admitted students carry a mix of A's and B's.
In the 3.00–3.3 range, a high SAT or ACT score still carries real weight.
Most schools report GPA on a weighted or unweighted 4.0 scale differently — for an unweighted profile like this, students with AP/IB coursework typically carry a weighted GPA of 3.50–3.70.FLC GPA & Admission Outlook
Assessment: Holistic review is critical for admission.
Recommended Strategy: Requires Contextual Factors (Leadership, hardship, or talent).
Where your GPA falls in this range shapes what the rest of your application needs to do:
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.30 – 4.00
Strategic Reach
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.10 – 3.29
Competitive Match
Focus on SAT/ACT Compensation
2.90 – 3.09
Secondary Reach
Personal Statement & Impact
Below 2.89
Institutional Reach
Requires Significant Contextual Factors
Evaluation Metrics That Matter Here
- No personal essay or letter of recommendation required for first-year admission - GPA and self-reported transcript drive the decision.
- Native American Tuition Waiver covers full tuition (not fees, housing, or books) for any federally recognized U.S. tribe member, not just regional tribes - roughly 40% of the student body is Native American, among the highest shares of any non-tribal college nationally.
- General admission review is rolling with a fall-term deadline around August 1, but institutional scholarship and priority housing windows close well before that - waiting until the general deadline forfeits the largest merit dollars.
- Application fee is $40 with need-based waivers available; 2.0 GPA is the hard floor for admission consideration.
- Rigor Over Raw Number: A slightly lower GPA (say 3.8) paired with multiple AP or IB courses often outweighs a flat 4.0 from a standard curriculum.
- Trajectory Matters: A lower start in 9th or 10th grade, followed by a clear upward trend senior year, reads as academic resilience rather than a weakness.
Data verified via IPEDS, College Scorecard (Nov 2025) and the Common Data Set (CDS). Expert Review led by Sohaib Khan and Dr. Waseem.
Check Your Admission Chances at FLC
Admission Chance Predictor
Real-Time Sensitive Analysis — based on Fort Lewis College's verified institutional data
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Calculating Profile...
Adjust the sliders to see how every decimal point affects your outcome.
Your SAT Score 1200
Your Unweighted GPA 3.00
✅ Verified Data: Institutional records for 2026.
Calculated via College Portal's Human-Intelligence (HI) Methodology & Editorial Standards. Verified by Sohaib Ahmad Khan.
Fort Lewis College (FLC) Test Requirements
Standardized scores still matter here: aim for the middle 50% range of the 2026 admitted class below, and if FLC is test-optional, a high score submitted voluntarily still helps with merit scholarships.
Can I Get Into FLC Without SAT or ACT?
FLC considers scores when submitted, without requiring them. Prepare well and submit your best attempt — most applicants test 2–3 times.
Fort Lewis College Average SAT Score: 1084
The average SAT score of admitted students at Fort Lewis College is 1084 on the 1600-point scale.
SAT Competitiveness
SAT 1084 — Accessible
This average is on the lower end nationally, making a strong score here a genuine advantage.
Key Insight: Aim for the 75th percentile (1220 SAT or 24 ACT) to stand out. Below average? Fort Lewis College allows Score Choice for the SAT, so a retake only helps — a low sitting never has to be sent.
If your score is below 980, retaking the SAT is strongly recommended to improve your chances at FLC. Retaking multiple times is completely normal — most competitive applicants sit for it two or three times. There's no official limit on attempts.
SAT Scores Breakdown by Sections
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Math | 535 | 480 | 590 |
| SAT Reading | 565 | 500 | 630 |
| SAT Composite | 1084 | 980 | 1220 |
Below 980, you're behind most admitted students; at 1220 or above, you're ahead of 75% of them. (25th/75th percentile = the score below which that share of admitted students fall.)
View list of all colleges with average SAT score of 1100
Can I get into Fort Lewis College (FLC) with a 1200 SAT?
A 1200 SAT puts you ahead of most of FLC's admitted class — but admissions still weighs GPA, course rigor, and essays alongside it. A strong score opens the door; the rest of your profile decides what happens next.
Fort Lewis College (FLC) ACT Requirements
The average ACT score at FLC is 20.
ACT Competitiveness
ACT 20 — Less Competitive
This average is slightly below the national ACT mean.
ACT Scores Breakdown by Sections
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACT Math | 20 | 16 | 23 |
| ACT English | 19 | 15 | 23 |
| ACT Composite | 20 | 16 | 24 |
Can I get into Fort Lewis College with a 24 ACT?
A 24 ACT puts you ahead of 75% of FLC's admitted students — a strong position, though the ACT is only one benchmark among several admissions weighs.
Unlike the SAT, the ACT scores four separate sections — English, Math, Reading, and Science — each on a 1–36 scale. A noticeably weak section (Science, especially, at STEM-focused schools) stands out to reviewers, so it's worth checking your section breakdown for outliers before applying.
Your ACT score clears the first filter, but GPA, course rigor, extracurricular depth, recommendations, and essays are what carry an application the rest of the way at FLC.
Your 2026 Admissions Roadmap for FLC
Inclusive Strategy: Success & Transfer
FLC provides an open gateway to higher education. Success here is about using available resources well and planning your longer-term academic or career path.
File tribal documentation with the application, not after
The Native American Tuition Waiver requires proof of tribal enrollment (Certificate of Indian Blood or tribal membership card) submitted directly to Admissions, and college policy requires this on file at least 10 business days before term start. Students eligible for the waiver should submit documentation alongside - not after - their admission application, since late certification can push a student past enrollment deadlines and force a semester of paying full tuition before the waiver applies.
Let your transcript do the talking - there's no essay to fall back on
FLC requires no personal essay and no letter of recommendation for first-year applicants; the decision runs almost entirely on GPA and self-reported coursework. That means the strategic move is loading junior and senior year with the highest-level math and science your school offers - there's no supplemental essay later to compensate for a light course schedule.
Submit test scores anyway if they help your merit tier
Testing is optional for admission, but Freshman Tuition Merit Scholarships (Presidential, Provost, Dean's) are calculated using the higher of your ACT or SAT composite at the time of admission. A test-optional applicant sitting on a strong score should submit it purely to raise the automatic merit calculation - it cannot hurt a test-optional review, and skipping it can cost real scholarship dollars.
Use the merit-award petition if senior year improves
If your GPA or test score improves after you're admitted, FLC has a formal petition process through the Financial Aid Office to move you into a higher merit scholarship tier. This isn't advertised at the point of admission - most admitted students never file it, which is exactly why it's worth doing if your final transcript or a retake beats what you submitted.
Expert Insight:
Test-optional and essay-free admission leads many applicants to disengage after hitting submit - but the 2.0 GPA floor is real, and a senior-year slide in grades or course rigor can shift an otherwise-admitted student into remedial math or English placement during registration, a consequence that shows up after acceptance, not before.
FLC Profile
Full Name
Fort Lewis College (FLC)
City
Durango
State
Colorado
ZIP Code
81301-3999
Type
Public
Campus
Branch Campus
Official Website
Accredited By
Higher Learning Commission (NCACHE)
Is a FLC Degree Worth It?
At $25,558/year against a $46,349 median graduate salary, FLC is worth weighing against your specific program and financial situation — the numbers below give you a real basis for that decision.
The average household income among admitted students is $61,700, with a graduate unemployment rate of 4.26%.
How much does a degree from FLC Cost?
The sticker price is $25,558/year, but the average net price students actually pay — after Pell and federal grants — is closer to $17,339.
36.1% of students receive a Pell Grant and 29.1% take federal loans at FLC — file your FAFSA early and list FLC as a choice to be considered for both.
How much does a FLC Graduate earn?
Median earnings 10 years after enrollment (roughly 4–6 years post-graduation) are $46,349 — about 14% above the U.S. median graduate income.
Compare Similar Colleges
Less Competitive Schools
These schools have lower average SAT or ACT scores than Fort Lewis College. If your SAT or ACT score is slightly lower, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville State University | Jacksonville, AL | 1055 | 21 |
| Marion Military Institute | Marion, AL | 1043 | 20 |
| University of Arkansas at Little Rock | Little Rock, AR | 1049 | 21 |
| Arkansas Tech University | Russellville, AR | 1050 | 21 |
| Southern Arkansas University Main Campus | Magnolia, AR | 1050 | 20 |
| University of Arkansas-Fort Smith | Fort Smith, AR | 1050 | 21 |
| Colorado Mesa University | Grand Junction, CO | 1070 | 23 |
| Western Connecticut State University | Danbury, CT | 1044 | 24 |
| Baptist University of Florida | Graceville, FL | 1045 | 20 |
| Florida College | Temple Terrace, FL | 1068 | 19 |
Equally Competitive Schools
These schools have the same range of average SAT or ACT scores as Fort Lewis College. If your SAT or ACT score is competitive, you'll be competitive for these schools also.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auburn University at Montgomery | Montgomery, AL | 1090 | 21 |
| Spring Hill College | Mobile, AL | 1090 | 22 |
| Troy University | Troy, AL | 1086 | 22 |
| University of the Ozarks | Clarksville, AR | 1088 | 21 |
| Pacific Union College | Angwin, CA | 1093 | 22 |
More Competitive Schools
These schools have higher average SAT or ACT scores than Fort Lewis College. If you improve your SAT or ACT score, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huntingdon College | Montgomery, AL | 1148 | 23 |
| University of South Alabama | Mobile, AL | 1119 | 23 |
| Tuskegee University | Tuskegee, AL | 1121 | 22 |
| Arkansas State University | Jonesboro, AR | 1119 | 22 |
| University of Central Arkansas | Conway, AR | 1117 | 22 |
Degree Programs at FLC
Bachelor Degree Programs
Frequently Asked Questions About FLC Admissions
Median earnings for Fort Lewis College graduates sit around $46,349 a year.
At about $25,558 a year, Fort Lewis College is on the more affordable end.
About 36.1% receive a Pell Grant at Fort Lewis College — moderate odds, largely income-dependent, but an early FAFSA filing still helps.
At 93.2%, Fort Lewis College's acceptance rate is on the more attainable end compared to top-tier selective schools.
Admitted students at Fort Lewis College average a 3.3 GPA.
Fort Lewis College doesn't publish a hard GPA floor — but landing at or above 3 keeps you in the typical applicant range; below it, lean on essays and recommendations.
Below 2.9, Fort Lewis College becomes a harder reach — though a strong test score, meaningful activities, and AP/IB coursework can still make a real case.
A strong SAT score matters at Fort Lewis College — aim above 1084, ideally within the 980–1220 range admitted students typically fall in.
The application deadline for Fort Lewis College is December 1. Rolling Admissions is also offered, so applying early improves your chances.
The scholarship/financial aid priority deadline is December 1, 2026. Submit FAFSA before then for maximum consideration.
Yes — transfers are common. Have transcripts, recommendation letters, and a solid personal statement ready to make your case.
Strong academics, a focused extracurricular profile, and standout essays move the needle most — along with a competitive SAT/ACT score where relevant.
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