Non-Profit Private
Accredited · Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Mount Berry, Georgia
61.9% Acceptance Rate
Berry College — Admission Snapshot 2026
A complete at-a-glance picture of every metric that matters for your 2026 application
61.9%Acceptance Rate
3.84Avg GPA
1223Avg SAT
26Avg ACT
$55,714Annual Cost
$53,800Grad Salary
24.3%Pell Grant
Acceptance Rate
61.9%
Avg GPA
3.84
Avg SAT
1223
Avg ACT
26
Selectivity
Somewhat Selective
Institution Type
Non-Profit Private
Campus
Main Campus
Accredited By
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
SAT Middle 50%
1100–1278
ACT Middle 50%
23–29
Need-Based Aid
24.3% receive Pell
Berry College, founded in 1902 in Mount Berry, Georgia, is a private liberal arts college renowned for its stunning 27,000-acre campus the world's largest contiguous college campus. Ranked #4 in Regional Universities South by U.S. News, Berry emphasizes experiential learning through its LifeWorks program, which integrates work, study, and service. The college offers strong programs in animal science, education, and business, with state-of-the-art facilities like the McAllister Hall for health sciences.
Berry's picturesque setting includes forests, lakes, and a historic dairy farm, providing unique outdoor and research opportunities. The college's commitment to affordability is reflected in its generous scholarships and low student debt rates. With a focus on leadership and community engagement, Berry prepares students for careers and graduate studies through small classes and faculty mentorship. Its proximity to Rome, Georgia, offers cultural and professional connections while maintaining a serene, nature-rich environment.
Berry College Acceptance Rate
At 61.9%, admission to Berry College is achievable for most students who meet the basic academic profile.
What Berry College Admissions Looks For
- Whole-Person Review: Personal circumstances and career goals are weighed alongside grades.
- Flexible on GPA: Strong extracurriculars or work experience can offset an average transcript.
Selectivity at a Glance
Somewhat Selective
Selectivity scale: Somewhat Selective — 61.9% acceptance rate
Most Selective (0%)Open Enrollment (100%)
Recommended Academic Profile
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.84 – 4.00
Target Match
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.64 – 3.83
Competitive Reach
Focus on Score Compensation
Below 3.39
Secondary Reach
Requires Contextual Support
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard (Nov 2025).
Berry College GPA Requirement
The average GPA of admitted students at Berry College is 3.84. That makes admissions here extremely selective. Most admitted students carry straight A's, with very little room for a B.
If your GPA sits between 3.54 and 3.84, a high SAT or ACT score is the most reliable way to compensate.
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 4.04–4.24.Berry College GPA & Admission Outlook
Assessment: Highly selective; GPA is within the typical admitted range.
Recommended Strategy: Standardized Test Scores (SAT/ACT) in the top 5th percentile.
Where your GPA falls in this range shapes what the rest of your application needs to do:
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.84 – 4.00
Competitive Reach
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.64 – 3.83
Competitive Match
Focus on SAT/ACT Compensation
3.44 – 3.63
Secondary Reach
Personal Statement & Impact
Below 3.43
Institutional Reach
Requires Significant Contextual Factors
Evaluation Metrics That Matter Here
- Founded 1902 by Martha Berry as the Boys Industrial School; Christian-affiliated, non-denominational.
- Test scores not required for admission or scholarship consideration; both Common App and Berry's own application accepted free.
- NCAA Division III athletics (SAA conference).
- 27,000+ acre campus - the largest college campus in the world by land area.
- 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 Berry College
Admission Chance Predictor
Real-Time Sensitive Analysis — based on Berry 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.
Berry College Test Requirements
Standardized scores still matter here: aim for the middle 50% range of the 2026 admitted class below, and if Berry College is test-optional, a high score submitted voluntarily still helps with merit scholarships.
Can I Get Into Berry College Without SAT or ACT?
Berry College considers scores when submitted, without requiring them. Prepare well and submit your best attempt. Most applicants test 2–3 times.
Berry College Average SAT Score: 1223
The average SAT score of admitted students at Berry College is 1223 on the 1600-point scale.
SAT Competitiveness
SAT 1223 — Slightly Competitive
This sits close to the national average SAT score.
Key Insight: Aim for the 75th percentile (1278 SAT or 29 ACT) to stand out. Below average? Berry 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 1100, retaking the SAT is strongly recommended to improve your chances at Berry College. 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 | 575 | 530 | 620 |
| SAT Reading | 614 | 570 | 658 |
| SAT Composite | 1223 | 1100 | 1278 |
Below 1100, you're behind most admitted students; at 1278 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 1200
Can I get into Berry College with a 1300 SAT?
A 1300 SAT puts you ahead of most of Berry College'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.
Berry College ACT Requirements
The average ACT score at Berry College is 26.
ACT Competitiveness
ACT 26 — Competitive
This average is solidly above the national mean without being elite-tier.
ACT Scores Breakdown by Sections
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACT Math | 24 | 21 | 27 |
| ACT English | 26 | 23 | 29 |
| ACT Composite | 26 | 23 | 29 |
Can I get into Berry College with a 29 ACT?
A 29 ACT puts you ahead of 75% of Berry College's admitted students. That's a strong position, though the ACT is only one benchmark among several that 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, especially Science 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 Berry College.
Your 2026 Admissions Roadmap for Berry College
Accessible Strategy: Academic Foundation
Getting into Berry College isn't the hard part. Building a solid academic foundation and securing aid early is where the real strategy lives.
Write the optional "Why Berry" essay even though it isn't required
Berry's holistic review centers on application, transcript, extracurriculars, and a personal essay - but the optional 500-word "Why Berry" supplemental essay is a real opportunity to reference something concrete: the Berry Outdoor Leadership Development (BOLD) program, the Animal Science major, or the dual-degree engineering partnership with Georgia Tech or Kennesaw State. Generic "beautiful campus" language undersells this option - name the specific program.
Lead with genuine interest in LifeWorks if aid matters
Berry's LifeWorks program offers over 1,000 on-campus jobs and up to eight semesters of paid professional work experience built into student life - this isn't generic work-study, it's a defining structural feature tracing back to the college's 1902 founding as a work-for-education school. Students citing financial need or wanting hands-on resume-building should mention LifeWorks by name in any optional essay.
Reference the world's-largest-campus scale only if it connects to something concrete
At 27,000+ acres, Berry is the world's largest college campus - but admissions readers have seen "beautiful campus" essays before. Advise students to tie the acreage to something specific and personal (outdoor recreation background, environmental science interest, agriculture ties) rather than describing the size for its own sake.
Consider the dual-degree engineering track early if STEM-focused
Berry offers dual-degree engineering partnerships with Georgia Tech or Kennesaw State - students interested in engineering but wanting Berry's small liberal-arts environment first should ask an admissions counselor about this pathway specifically during the application process, since it affects course sequencing from year one.
Expert Insight:
Because the personal essay and extracurricular record matter more than test scores here (tests aren't required for admission or scholarship consideration), students sometimes submit a generic personal statement recycled from other applications - Berry's holistic reviewers are looking for community/character fit specific to a small, historically mission-driven school, and generic essays read as such.
Berry College Profile
Full Name
Berry College
City
Mount Berry
State
Georgia
ZIP Code
30149
Type
Non-Profit Private
Campus
Main Campus
Official Website
Accredited By
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCC)
Is a Berry College Degree Worth It?
Whether Berry College is worth it depends less on its reputation and more on your program choice, financial aid package, and career goals. Here's the data to weigh it against.
The average household income among admitted students is $70,500, with a graduate unemployment rate of 2.71%.
How much does a degree from Berry College Cost?
The sticker price is $55,714/year, but the average net price students actually pay, after Pell and federal grants, is typically much lower.
24.3% of students receive a Pell Grant and 38.8% take federal loans at Berry College. File your FAFSA early and list Berry College as a choice to be considered for both.
How much does a Berry College Graduate earn?
Median earnings 10 years after enrollment (roughly 4–6 years post-graduation) are $53,800. That's about 33% above the U.S. median graduate income.
Compare Similar Colleges
Less Competitive Schools
These schools have lower average SAT or ACT scores than Berry College. If your SAT or ACT score is slightly lower, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham-Southern College | Birmingham, AL | 1197 | 24 |
| Samford University | Birmingham, AL | 1203 | 26 |
| University of Arkansas | Fayetteville, AR | 1174 | 25 |
| Harding University | Searcy, AR | 1187 | 25 |
| Ouachita Baptist University | Arkadelphia, AR | 1212 | 25 |
| Dominican University of California | San Rafael, CA | 1194 | 26 |
| Eastern Connecticut State University | Willimantic, CT | 1200 | NA |
| University of Hartford | West Hartford, CT | 1207 | 29 |
| University of New Haven | West Haven, CT | 1190 | NA |
| Quinnipiac University | Hamden, CT | 1212 | 27 |
Equally Competitive Schools
These schools have the same range of average SAT or ACT scores as Berry College. If your SAT or ACT score is competitive, you'll be competitive for these schools also.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Mobile | Mobile, AL | 1220 | 24 |
| John Brown University | Siloam Springs, AR | 1222 | 26 |
| California Lutheran University | Thousand Oaks, CA | 1224 | 26 |
| University of Redlands | Redlands, CA | 1231 | 28 |
| Florida Institute of Technology | Melbourne, FL | 1213 | 26 |
More Competitive Schools
These schools have higher average SAT or ACT scores than Berry College. If you improve your SAT or ACT score, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| The University of Alabama | Tuscaloosa, AL | 1287 | 28 |
| University of Arizona | Tucson, AZ | 1261 | 26 |
| Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott | Prescott, AZ | 1256 | 27 |
| Biola University | La Mirada, CA | 1258 | 27 |
| University of the Pacific | Stockton, CA | 1303 | 27 |
Degree Programs at Berry College
Bachelor Degree Programs
Frequently Asked Questions About Berry College Admissions
Median graduate earnings at Berry College run about $53,800 a year.
At about $55,714 a year, Berry College's cost is on the higher end; look closely at aid options.
Berry College's Pell Grant rate of 24.3% sits below the national average. Merit-based aid is worth checking regardless of income.
At 61.9%, Berry College's acceptance rate is on the more attainable end compared to top-tier selective schools.
Admitted students at Berry College average a 3.84 GPA.
Berry College doesn't publish a hard GPA floor, but landing at or above 3.54 keeps you in the typical applicant range; below it, lean on essays and recommendations.
Below 3.44, Berry 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 Berry College — aim above 1223, ideally within the 1100–1278 range admitted students typically fall in.
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.