Non-Profit Private
Accredited · Higher Learning Commission
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
70.7% Acceptance Rate
Coe College — Admission Snapshot 2026
A complete at-a-glance picture of every metric that matters for your 2026 application
70.7%Acceptance Rate
3.74Avg GPA
1206Avg SAT
25Avg ACT
$64,682Annual Cost
$57,125Grad Salary
35.7%Pell Grant
Acceptance Rate
70.7%
Avg GPA
3.74
Avg SAT
1206
Avg ACT
25
Selectivity
Somewhat Selective
Institution Type
Non-Profit Private
Campus
Main Campus
Accredited By
Higher Learning Commission
SAT Middle 50%
1080–1280
ACT Middle 50%
22–28
Need-Based Aid
35.7% receive Pell
Coe College is a private, selective liberal arts college in Iowa known for its rigorous academic standards, commitment to research, and strong emphasis on experiential learning. Offering a challenging and supportive environment, the college fosters close student-faculty collaboration and intellectual growth. Its focus on preparing students for leadership in diverse fields through a well-rounded and rigorous curriculum makes it a premier choice for those seeking a top-tier liberal arts education.
Coe College Acceptance Rate
Coe College takes a broad view of applicants, admitting about 70.7% each year.
What Coe 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 — 70.7% acceptance rate
Most Selective (0%)Open Enrollment (100%)
Recommended Academic Profile
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.74 – 4.00
Target Match
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.54 – 3.73
Competitive Reach
Focus on Score Compensation
Below 3.29
Secondary Reach
Requires Contextual Support
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard (Nov 2025).
Coe College Application Deadlines & Admission Dates 2026
The application deadline for Coe College is November 1 for Early Action applicants, with additional plans listed below. Admission decisions are typically released by December 15.
Key Admission Dates
⏳ 96 days left — Early Action
Early Action
November 1
Decision by: December 15
Regular Decision
February 1
💡 The scholarship deadline (November 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.
Coe College GPA Requirement
The average GPA of admitted students at Coe College is 3.74. That makes admissions here highly selective. Most admitted students carry mostly A's with the occasional B.
Between 3.44 and 3.74? A strong standardized test score is worth prioritizing.
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 3.94–4.14.Coe 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
3.74 – 4.00
Competitive Reach
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.54 – 3.73
Competitive Match
Focus on SAT/ACT Compensation
3.34 – 3.53
Secondary Reach
Personal Statement & Impact
Below 3.33
Institutional Reach
Requires Significant Contextual Factors
Evaluation Metrics That Matter Here
- Test-optional applies fully only to first-year applicants with a 3.0+ GPA; essay and recommendation become effectively required below Coe's minimum academic standards
- Trustee Scholarship (up to $38,000/year) is awarded automatically to test-optional applicants, with no separate application
- Iowa Ready caps out-of-pocket cost at $24,580 (2026-27) for eligible first-time Iowa residents, matching average in-state public university cost
- Aviation Management & Flight Operations program operates a dedicated hangar with Revv Aviation at Eastern Iowa Airport (CID)
- 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 Coe College
Admission Chance Predictor
Real-Time Sensitive Analysis — based on Coe 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.
Coe College Test Requirements
Standardized scores still matter here: aim for the middle 50% range of the 2026 admitted class below, and if Coe College is test-optional, a high score submitted voluntarily still helps with merit scholarships.
Can I Get Into Coe College Without SAT or ACT?
Coe College considers scores when submitted, without requiring them. Prepare well and submit your best attempt — most applicants test 2–3 times.
Coe College Average SAT Score: 1206
The average SAT score of admitted students at Coe College is 1206 on the 1600-point scale.
SAT Competitiveness
SAT 1206 — Slightly Competitive
This sits close to the national average SAT score.
Key Insight: Aim for the 75th percentile (1280 SAT or 28 ACT) to stand out. Below average? Coe 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 1080, retaking the SAT is strongly recommended to improve your chances at Coe 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 | 590 | 560 | 620 |
| SAT Reading | 590 | 520 | 660 |
| SAT Composite | 1206 | 1080 | 1280 |
Below 1080, you're behind most admitted students; at 1280 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 Coe College with a 1300 SAT?
A 1300 SAT puts you ahead of most of Coe 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.
Coe College ACT Requirements
The average ACT score at Coe College is 25.
ACT Competitiveness
ACT 25 — Slightly Competitive
This sits close to the national average ACT score.
ACT Scores Breakdown by Sections
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACT Math | 24 | 20 | 28 |
| ACT English | 25 | 21 | 29 |
| ACT Composite | 25 | 22 | 28 |
Can I get into Coe College with a 28 ACT?
A 28 ACT puts you ahead of 75% of Coe College'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 Coe College.
Your 2026 Admissions Roadmap for Coe College
Accessible Strategy: Academic Foundation
Coe College is accessible to students who show core competency. Focus on proving readiness for college-level work and locking in financial aid.
Know that "optional" materials become effectively required below a certain bar
Coe's personal essay and admission recommendation are explicitly optional - but only for applicants who already meet Coe's minimum academic standards. If your GPA or record is borderline, submit both rather than skipping them on the assumption that "optional" means "unnecessary" across the board.
The test-optional path only opens above a 3.0 GPA
Only first-year applicants with a 3.0 GPA or higher may choose to exclude ACT/SAT scores entirely. Below that threshold, test scores are effectively necessary for your file to be reviewed on equal footing, regardless of Coe's general test-optional branding.
Stack the automatic Trustee Scholarship with Iowa Ready if you're an Iowa resident
Test-optional applicants are automatically considered for a Trustee Scholarship worth up to $38,000/year, with no separate application. If you're a first-time Iowa resident, layer this with Iowa Ready, which caps your total out-of-pocket cost (tuition, fees, housing, meal plan) at $24,580 for 2026-27 - matching the average cost of Iowa's public universities - provided you enroll full-time, live on campus, and file the FAFSA.
Ask specifically about Aviation Management & Flight Operations or Transfer+ if either applies to you
Coe partners with Revv Aviation at the Eastern Iowa Airport (CID) for a dedicated flight-training hangar - a genuinely unusual offering for a small liberal arts college. Separately, if you're transferring in with an associate degree, ask about "Transfer+," which waives additional general education requirements that would otherwise stack on top of your associate coursework.
Expert Insight:
Applicants sometimes read "test-optional" as an unconditional policy and don't realize the 3.0 GPA threshold gating who can actually exclude scores, or that essays and recommendations become practically necessary once a record falls below Coe's minimum academic standards. Assuming everything is optional across the board can leave a borderline file incomplete for meaningful review.
Coe College Profile
Full Name
Coe College
City
Cedar Rapids
State
Iowa
ZIP Code
52402-5092
Type
Non-Profit Private
Campus
Main Campus
Official Website
Accredited By
Higher Learning Commission (NCACHE)
Is a Coe College Degree Worth It?
Whether Coe 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 $61,200, with a graduate unemployment rate of 2.78%.
How much does a degree from Coe College Cost?
The sticker price is $64,682/year, but the average net price students actually pay — after Pell and federal grants — is typically much lower.
35.7% of students receive a Pell Grant and 72.6% take federal loans at Coe College — file your FAFSA early and list Coe College as a choice to be considered for both.
How much does a Coe College Graduate earn?
Median earnings 10 years after enrollment (roughly 4–6 years post-graduation) are $57,125 — about 41% above the U.S. median graduate income.
Compare Similar Colleges
Less Competitive Schools
These schools have lower average SAT or ACT scores than Coe College. If your SAT or ACT score is slightly lower, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Arkansas | Fayetteville, AR | 1174 | 25 |
| Harding University | Searcy, AR | 1187 | 25 |
| Dominican University of California | San Rafael, CA | 1194 | 26 |
| University of New Haven | West Haven, CT | 1190 | NA |
| Nova Southeastern University | Fort Lauderdale, FL | 1182 | 25 |
| Savannah College of Art and Design | Savannah, GA | 1178 | 25 |
| Spelman College | Atlanta, GA | 1184 | 24 |
| University of Hawaii at Manoa | Honolulu, HI | 1157 | 24 |
| Hawaii Pacific University | Honolulu, HI | 1180 | 25 |
| The College of Idaho | Caldwell, ID | 1166 | 24 |
Equally Competitive Schools
These schools have the same range of average SAT or ACT scores as Coe College. If your SAT or ACT score is competitive, you'll be competitive for these schools also.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham-Southern College | Birmingham, AL | 1197 | 24 |
| Samford University | Birmingham, AL | 1203 | 26 |
| Ouachita Baptist University | Arkadelphia, AR | 1212 | 25 |
| Eastern Connecticut State University | Willimantic, CT | 1200 | NA |
| University of Hartford | West Hartford, CT | 1207 | 29 |
More Competitive Schools
These schools have higher average SAT or ACT scores than Coe College. If you improve your SAT or ACT score, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Alabama at Birmingham | Birmingham, AL | 1251 | 26 |
| University of Arizona | Tucson, AZ | 1261 | 26 |
| Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott | Prescott, AZ | 1256 | 27 |
| Biola University | La Mirada, CA | 1258 | 27 |
| Point Loma Nazarene University | San Diego, CA | 1278 | 26 |
Degree Programs at Coe College
Bachelor Degree Programs
Frequently Asked Questions About Coe College Admissions
Median graduate earnings at Coe College run about $57,125 a year.
At about $64,682 a year, Coe College's cost is on the higher end; look closely at aid options.
About 35.7% receive a Pell Grant at Coe College — moderate odds, largely income-dependent, but an early FAFSA filing still helps.
At 70.7%, Coe College's acceptance rate is on the more attainable end compared to top-tier selective schools.
Admitted students at Coe College average a 3.74 GPA.
Coe College doesn't publish a hard GPA floor — but landing at or above 3.44 keeps you in the typical applicant range; below it, lean on essays and recommendations.
Below 3.34, Coe 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 Coe College — aim above 1206, ideally within the 1080–1280 range admitted students typically fall in.
The application deadline for Coe College is November 1 for Early Action applicants. Admission decisions are released by December 15.
The scholarship/financial aid priority deadline is November 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.