Non-Profit Private
Accredited · Higher Learning Commission
Saint Paul, Minnesota
94.1% Acceptance Rate
St Catherine University — Admission Snapshot 2026
A complete at-a-glance picture of every metric that matters for your 2026 application
94.1%Acceptance Rate
3.62Avg GPA
1190Avg SAT
23Avg ACT
$58,432Annual Cost
$59,282Grad Salary
35.8%Pell Grant
Acceptance Rate
94.1%
Avg GPA
3.62
Avg SAT
1190
Avg ACT
23
Selectivity
Inclusive
Institution Type
Non-Profit Private
Campus
Main Campus
Accredited By
Higher Learning Commission
SAT Middle 50%
1150–1220
ACT Middle 50%
20–26
Need-Based Aid
35.8% receive Pell
St. Catherine University is a private, Catholic liberal arts university in Minnesota that emphasizes leadership, professional preparation, and social justice. Admissions are holistic, looking for students who are ready to participate in a supportive, intellectually stimulating learning environment. The university values applicants who have demonstrated leadership in their high school extracurriculars and who possess a desire for community-driven success.
When applying, prospective students should emphasize their willingness to participate in small-group seminars and collaborative projects. The university values personal growth, so highlighting a student's history of pursuing meaningful independent projects can be very effective. A strong personal statement that reflects the student's values and career interests will help the admissions committee identify if the applicant is a good fit for the university's supportive, mission-focused, and academic-minded community.
St Catherine University Acceptance Rate
St Catherine University (St. Kates) runs an open-access admission policy. With a 94.1% 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. They are worth preparing for.
Selectivity at a Glance
Inclusive
Selectivity scale: Inclusive — 94.1% acceptance rate
Most Selective (0%)Open Enrollment (100%)
Recommended Academic Profile
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.62 – 4.00
Target Match
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.42 – 3.61
Competitive Reach
Focus on Score Compensation
Below 3.17
Secondary Reach
Requires Contextual Support
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard (Nov 2025).
St Catherine University Application Deadlines & Admission Dates 2026
St Catherine University follows a Rolling Admissions policy, meaning applications are reviewed as they arrive and there is no single fixed deadline, though the priority deadline of November 1 is recommended for the best chances of admission and financial aid.
Key Admission Dates
Rolling Admissions — Apply Anytime
St. Kates 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.
Early Action
November 1
Decision by: January 15
💡 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.
St. Kates GPA Requirement
The average GPA of admitted students at St. Kates is 3.62. That makes admissions here highly selective. Most admitted students carry mostly A's with the occasional B.
Between 3.32 and 3.62? 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 3.82–4.02.St. Kates GPA & Admission Outlook
Assessment: Selective; solid academic performance is expected.
Recommended Strategy: Focus on a Strong 'Spike' in extracurriculars or research.
Where your GPA falls in this range shapes what the rest of your application needs to do:
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.62 – 4.00
Target/Match
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.42 – 3.61
Competitive Match
Focus on SAT/ACT Compensation
3.22 – 3.41
Secondary Reach
Personal Statement & Impact
Below 3.21
Institutional Reach
Requires Significant Contextual Factors
Evaluation Metrics That Matter Here
- St. Kate's is the largest private Catholic women's university in the nation; men can enroll only in graduate and adult-degree (College for Adults) programs, not the undergraduate College for Women.
- 100% of College for Women students receive scholarships - a stated institutional guarantee, not a marketing approximation.
- Out-of-state students receive a stackable Venture Scholarship ($2,500/year) plus a Katie Housing Scholarship ($6,200/year) if living on campus; Montana residents receive an additional $10,000/year award.
- Acceptance rate is roughly 90%, with regular applications due June 1 - a later and more forgiving deadline than many peer private universities.
- 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 St. Kates
Admission Chance Predictor
Real-Time Sensitive Analysis — based on St Catherine University'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.
St Catherine University (St. Kates) Test Requirements
Standardized scores still matter here: aim for the middle 50% range of the 2026 admitted class below, and if St. Kates is test-optional, a high score submitted voluntarily still helps with merit scholarships.
Can I Get Into St. Kates Without SAT or ACT?
St. Kates considers scores when submitted, without requiring them. Prepare well and submit your best attempt. Most applicants test 2–3 times.
St Catherine University Average SAT Score: 1190
The average SAT score of admitted students at St Catherine University is 1190 on the 1600-point scale.
SAT Competitiveness
SAT 1190 — Less Competitive
This average is slightly below the national mean SAT score.
Key Insight: Aim for the 75th percentile (1220 SAT or 26 ACT) to stand out. Below average? St Catherine University allows Score Choice for the SAT, so a retake only helps — a low sitting never has to be sent.
If your score is below 1150, retaking the SAT is strongly recommended to improve your chances at St. Kates. 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 | - | - | - |
| SAT Reading | - | - | - |
| SAT Composite | 1190 | 1150 | 1220 |
Below 1150, 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 1200
Can I get into St Catherine University (St. Kates) with a 1200 SAT?
A 1200 SAT puts you ahead of most of St. Kates'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.
St Catherine University (St. Kates) ACT Requirements
The average ACT score at St. Kates is 23.
ACT Competitiveness
ACT 23 — Slightly Competitive
This sits close to the national average ACT score.
ACT Scores Breakdown by Sections
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACT Math | 22 | 19 | 25 |
| ACT English | 23 | 19 | 27 |
| ACT Composite | 23 | 20 | 26 |
Can I get into St Catherine University with a 26 ACT?
A 26 ACT puts you ahead of 75% of St. Kates'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 St. Kates.
Your 2026 Admissions Roadmap for St. Kates
Inclusive Strategy: Success & Transfer
St. Kates provides an open gateway to higher education. Success here is about using available resources well and planning your longer-term academic or career path.
Write the Required Essay Toward the College-for-Women Mission Explicitly - Generic "Why I Want to Attend College" Essays Undersell Fit Here
St. Kate's is the largest private Catholic women's university in the nation, and its stated mission centers on educating women to "lead and influence" through the lens of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet's social justice tradition. A student's required personal essay should connect concretely to why a women-centered, Catholic-intellectual-tradition learning environment matters to her specific goals (not generic "supportive community" language) - reviewers at a mission-driven institution like this are specifically screening for genuine understanding of what makes the model different from a coed university with a strong women's studies department.
Target the Non-Minnesota Venture and Katie Housing Scholarships if Applying From Outside the State
St. Kate's offers a stackable set of scholarships specifically for out-of-state College for Women students: a $2,500/year Venture Scholarship simply for enrolling from outside Minnesota, plus a $6,200/year Katie Housing Scholarship that covers on-campus housing cost if the student lives on campus - and Montana residents specifically receive an additional $10,000/year Sophia Brough Kampfer Scholarship. Out-of-state applicants should be told explicitly to confirm these stack automatically or require a separate form, since combined they represent a substantial, non-obvious discount that changes the real cost comparison against in-state options.
Leverage the Mayo Innovation Scholars Program for Health Sciences-Track Students - A Direct Research Pipeline Uncommon at This Institution's Size
St. Kate's undergraduates in health-related majors (the school's most popular majors are nursing, public health, and social work) can be invited to participate in the Mayo Innovation Scholars Program, engaging in real research projects developed by Mayo Clinic professionals - a genuine, named pipeline connection to a major medical research institution that's unusual for a university of St. Kate's size. Pre-health students should raise interest in this program specifically with a faculty advisor early, since named research pipelines like this typically require proactive faculty relationship-building rather than a simple application.
Use the 100% College-for-Women Scholarship Guarantee as a Financial-Planning Anchor, Not Just a Marketing Line
St. Kate's states that 100% of students in the College for Women receive scholarships - this is a specific, verifiable institutional commitment rather than vague "generous aid" language. Families should be advised to expect a scholarship offer as part of any admission decision and to specifically ask admissions what the base institutional scholarship floor is, using this 100% commitment as leverage in financial conversations rather than assuming aid is competitive or uncertain.
Expert Insight:
Because St. Kate's serves as the College for Women for undergraduates while also running coeducational graduate and adult-degree programs, families researching the school online can end up with mixed signals about who can enroll where - confirm explicitly with admissions that a prospective undergraduate applicant understands the College for Women structure applies to her specific intended program before assuming general co-ed campus norms apply.
St. Kates Profile
Full Name
St Catherine University (St. Kates)
City
Saint Paul
State
Minnesota
ZIP Code
55105
Type
Non-Profit Private
Campus
Main Campus
Official Website
Accredited By
Higher Learning Commission (NCACHE)
Is a St. Kates Degree Worth It?
At $58,432/year against a $59,282 median graduate salary, St. Kates 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 $71,800, with a graduate unemployment rate of 2.85%.
How much does a degree from St. Kates Cost?
The sticker price is $58,432/year, but the average net price students actually pay, after Pell and federal grants, is typically much lower.
35.8% of students receive a Pell Grant and 59.4% take federal loans at St. Kates. File your FAFSA early and list St. Kates as a choice to be considered for both.
How much does a St. Kates Graduate earn?
Median earnings 10 years after enrollment (roughly 4–6 years post-graduation) are $59,282. That's about 46% above the U.S. median graduate income.
Compare Similar Colleges
Less Competitive Schools
These schools have lower average SAT or ACT scores than St Catherine University. If your SAT or ACT score is slightly lower, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huntingdon College | Montgomery, AL | 1148 | 23 |
| University of Arkansas | Fayetteville, AR | 1174 | 25 |
| Azusa Pacific University | Azusa, CA | 1155 | 22 |
| University of Colorado Colorado Springs | Colorado Springs, CO | 1140 | 25 |
| Florida International University | Miami, FL | 1154 | 23 |
| Georgia College & State University | Milledgeville, GA | 1150 | 24 |
| Georgia State University | Atlanta, GA | 1149 | 23 |
| Savannah College of Art and Design | Savannah, GA | 1178 | 25 |
| Toccoa Falls College | Toccoa Falls, GA | 1155 | 23 |
| Chaminade University of Honolulu | Honolulu, HI | 1155 | NA |
Equally Competitive Schools
These schools have the same range of average SAT or ACT scores as St Catherine University. 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 |
| Harding University | Searcy, AR | 1187 | 25 |
| Dominican University of California | San Rafael, CA | 1194 | 26 |
| Eastern Connecticut State University | Willimantic, CT | 1200 | NA |
| University of New Haven | West Haven, CT | 1190 | NA |
More Competitive Schools
These schools have higher average SAT or ACT scores than St Catherine University. 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 Mobile | Mobile, AL | 1220 | 24 |
| University of Arizona | Tucson, AZ | 1261 | 26 |
| Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott | Prescott, AZ | 1256 | 27 |
| John Brown University | Siloam Springs, AR | 1222 | 26 |
Degree Programs at St. Kates
Bachelor Degree Programs
Frequently Asked Questions About St. Kates Admissions
Median graduate earnings at St Catherine University run about $59,282 a year.
At about $58,432 a year, St Catherine University's cost is on the higher end; look closely at aid options.
About 35.8% receive a Pell Grant at St Catherine University. The odds are moderate and largely income-dependent, but an early FAFSA filing still helps.
At 94.1%, St Catherine University's acceptance rate is on the more attainable end compared to top-tier selective schools.
Admitted students at St Catherine University average a 3.62 GPA.
St Catherine University doesn't publish a hard GPA floor, but landing at or above 3.32 keeps you in the typical applicant range; below it, lean on essays and recommendations.
Below 3.22, St Catherine University 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 St Catherine University — aim above 1190, ideally within the 1150–1220 range admitted students typically fall in.
The application deadline for St Catherine University is November 1. Admission decisions are released by January 15. 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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