Culver-Stockton College — Admission Snapshot 2026
A complete at-a-glance picture of every metric that matters for your 2026 application
Culver-Stockton College is a private, liberal arts institution in Missouri that emphasizes a personalized, student-centered education with a focus on career preparation and character development. Admissions are holistic, evaluating students on their academic record, character, and their readiness to thrive in a supportive community. The college seeks individuals who are looking for a high-quality education that integrates professional preparation with a solid, values-oriented foundation.
Applicants should highlight their history of participation in school or community extracurriculars, as these reflect the college's mission-focused and service-oriented culture. Demonstrating a clear approach to one's future career plans and explaining how a values-centered education will facilitate those goals is a strong way to impress the admissions committee. The college looks for students who will contribute to its supportive, community-oriented campus environment and who have a track record of being responsible and engaged members of their local community.
Culver-Stockton College Acceptance Rate
Culver-Stockton College (CULVER) runs an open-access admission policy. With a 98% 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
Recommended Academic Profile
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard (Nov 2025).
Culver-Stockton College Application Deadlines & Admission Dates 2026
Culver-Stockton College follows a Rolling Admissions policy, meaning applications are reviewed as they arrive and there is no single fixed deadline.
Key Admission Dates
CULVER 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.
💡 The scholarship deadline (February 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.
CULVER GPA Requirement
The average GPA of admitted students at CULVER is 3.37. That makes admissions here competitive, but not extremely selective. Most admitted students carry a mix of A's and B's.
In the 3.07–3.37 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 3.57–3.77.CULVER 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:
Evaluation Metrics That Matter Here
- Pillars for Excellence Scholarship (full tuition) requires a 3.75+ GPA, a separate C-SC Leadership Form, a campus interview, and an essay on a current event assigned by the committee; separate fall and spring competition cycles each have their own deadlines.
- C-SC runs a distinctive 12/3 academic calendar: a 12-week semester followed by a 3-week term for hands-on projects, internships, or travel study.
- A 4-year Graduation Guarantee means eligible students aren't charged for extra credits needed to graduate if they haven't finished on time.
- A niche scholarship funds a Missouri archaeology research proposal - a low-competition award most applicants never discover; standardized test scores are considered but not required.
- 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 CULVER
Admission Chance Predictor
Real-Time Sensitive Analysis — based on Culver-Stockton College's verified institutional data
Adjust the sliders to see how every decimal point affects your outcome.
✅ Verified Data: Institutional records for 2026.
Calculated via College Portal's Human-Intelligence (HI) Methodology & Editorial Standards. Verified by Sohaib Ahmad Khan.
Culver-Stockton College (CULVER) Test Requirements
Standardized scores still matter here: aim for the middle 50% range of the 2026 admitted class below, and if CULVER is test-optional, a high score submitted voluntarily still helps with merit scholarships.
Can I Get Into CULVER Without SAT or ACT?
Culver-Stockton College Average SAT Score: 1020
The average SAT score of admitted students at Culver-Stockton College is 1020 on the 1600-point scale.
SAT Competitiveness
This average is on the lower end nationally, making a strong score here a genuine advantage.
If your score is below 980, retaking the SAT is strongly recommended to improve your chances at CULVER. 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 | 1020 | 980 | 1050 |
Below 980, you're behind most admitted students; at 1050 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 1000
Can I get into Culver-Stockton College (CULVER) with a 1050 SAT?
A 1050 SAT puts you ahead of most of CULVER'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.
Culver-Stockton College (CULVER) ACT Requirements
The average ACT score at CULVER is 20.
ACT Competitiveness
This average is slightly below the national ACT mean.
ACT Scores Breakdown by Sections
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACT Math | 18 | 16 | 20 |
| ACT English | 17 | 14 | 20 |
| ACT Composite | 20 | 18 | 21 |
Can I get into Culver-Stockton College with a 21 ACT?
A 21 ACT puts you ahead of 75% of CULVER'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 CULVER.
Your 2026 Admissions Roadmap for CULVER
Inclusive Strategy: Success & Transfer
CULVER provides an open gateway to higher education. Success here is about using available resources well and planning your longer-term academic or career path.
The Pillars for Excellence Scholarship (full tuition) doesn't let candidates write about themselves - the essay topic is a current event assigned by the Pillars Scholar Committee at the on-campus interview round, not chosen in advance. Practice structured, well-argued responses to unfamiliar current-events prompts under time pressure rather than polishing a personal narrative that won't be used here.
Pillars eligibility requires a 3.75+ cumulative GPA plus a separate C-SC Leadership Form on MyCulver.com - a step distinct from the general application that's easy to overlook. There are two competition windows each year (roughly December for fall consideration, March for spring), so a student who narrowly misses the fall GPA cutoff after first-semester senior grades post may still have a shot in the spring cycle.
A niche scholarship requires applicants to design and submit a research proposal on some aspect of Missouri archaeology - a highly specific, low-competition award most applicants never discover because it doesn't fit the standard "GPA + essay" mold. For a student with any interest in history, anthropology, or research, this is a genuinely low-competition path to extra aid.
C-SC's academic year runs a 12-week semester followed by a 3-week intensive term for hands-on projects, travel study, or internships, and the college allows a fully individualized BA or BS major. In interviews, referencing a concrete plan for the 3-week term or an individualized major concept signals genuine fit far more than generic "I love the small class sizes" answers.
Families often prepare for the Pillars for Excellence interview like a typical scholarship interview - polishing a personal essay and rehearsing "why I want to attend" answers - without realizing the actual written component is an assigned current-event essay delivered on the spot during the committee session, which rewards structured critical thinking under time pressure rather than pre-written material.
CULVER Profile
Is a CULVER Degree Worth It?
Whether CULVER 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 $52,900, with a graduate unemployment rate of 3.22%.
How much does a degree from CULVER Cost?
The sticker price is $43,028/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 67.9% take federal loans at CULVER. File your FAFSA early and list CULVER as a choice to be considered for both.
How much does a CULVER Graduate earn?
Median earnings 10 years after enrollment (roughly 4–6 years post-graduation) are $46,092. That's 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 Culver-Stockton College. If your SAT or ACT score is slightly lower, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama State University | Montgomery, AL | 977 | 18 |
| Baptist Health College Little Rock | Little Rock, AR | 980 | 20 |
| Colorado State University Pueblo | Pueblo, CO | 1005 | 22 |
| University of Bridgeport | Bridgeport, CT | 985 | NA |
| Delaware State University | Dover, DE | 984 | 24 |
| Trinity Baptist College | Jacksonville, FL | 1007 | 20 |
| Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College | Tifton, GA | 994 | 19 |
| College of Coastal Georgia | Brunswick, GA | 1001 | 18 |
| Clayton State University | Morrow, GA | 973 | 18 |
| Columbus State University | Columbus, GA | 994 | 21 |
Equally Competitive Schools
These schools have the same range of average SAT or ACT scores as Culver-Stockton College. If your SAT or ACT score is competitive, you'll be competitive for these schools also.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Faulkner University | Montgomery, AL | 1016 | 20 |
| University of West Alabama | Livingston, AL | 1015 | 20 |
| Central Baptist College | Conway, AR | 1022 | 20 |
| University of Arkansas Community College-Morrilton | Morrilton, AR | 1020 | 20 |
| Williams Baptist University | Walnut Ridge, AR | 1018 | 19 |
More Competitive Schools
These schools have higher average SAT or ACT scores than Culver-Stockton College. If you improve your SAT or ACT score, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auburn University at Montgomery | Montgomery, AL | 1090 | 21 |
| Jacksonville State University | Jacksonville, AL | 1055 | 21 |
| Spring Hill College | Mobile, AL | 1090 | 22 |
| Troy University | Troy, AL | 1086 | 22 |
| Grand Canyon University | Phoenix, AZ | 1095 | 22 |
Degree Programs at CULVER
Bachelor Degree Programs
Frequently Asked Questions About CULVER Admissions
Median earnings for Culver-Stockton College graduates sit around $46,092 a year.
Culver-Stockton College costs roughly $43,028 a year, and most students combine this with scholarships or aid.
About 35.8% receive a Pell Grant at Culver-Stockton College. The odds are moderate and largely income-dependent, but an early FAFSA filing still helps.
At 98%, Culver-Stockton College's acceptance rate is on the more attainable end compared to top-tier selective schools.
Admitted students at Culver-Stockton College average a 3.37 GPA.
Culver-Stockton College doesn't publish a hard GPA floor, but landing at or above 3.07 keeps you in the typical applicant range; below it, lean on essays and recommendations.
Below 2.97, Culver-Stockton 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 Culver-Stockton College — aim above 1020, ideally within the 980–1050 range admitted students typically fall in.
Culver-Stockton College follows Rolling Admissions. Applications are reviewed year-round, so applying early is your best strategy.
The scholarship/financial aid priority deadline is February 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.
