Non-Profit Private
Accredited · Higher Learning Commission
Columbia, Missouri
91.6% Acceptance Rate
Stephens College — Admission Snapshot 2026
A complete at-a-glance picture of every metric that matters for your 2026 application
91.6%Acceptance Rate
3.27Avg GPA
1104Avg SAT
20Avg ACT
$42,694Annual Cost
$43,071Grad Salary
41.7%Pell Grant
Acceptance Rate
91.6%
Avg GPA
3.27
Avg SAT
1104
Avg ACT
20
Selectivity
Inclusive
Institution Type
Non-Profit Private
Campus
Main Campus
Accredited By
Higher Learning Commission
SAT Middle 50%
1130–1270
ACT Middle 50%
16–23
Need-Based Aid
41.7% receive Pell
Stephens College, founded in 1833 in Columbia, Missouri, is one of America's oldest women's colleges with strengths in performing arts, health sciences, and fashion design.
The 86-acre campus includes the Costume Museum, state-of-the-art science labs, and the historic Windsor Auditorium. Stephens emphasizes leadership development through its Women's College programs.
Stephens College Acceptance Rate
Admission at Stephens College is inclusive by design. 91.6% of applicants who meet basic eligibility are accepted.
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 — 91.6% acceptance rate
Most Selective (0%)Open Enrollment (100%)
Recommended Academic Profile
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.27 – 4.00
Target Match
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.07 – 3.26
Competitive Reach
Focus on Score Compensation
Below 2.82
Secondary Reach
Requires Contextual Support
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard (Nov 2025).
Stephens College Application Deadlines & Admission Dates 2026
Mark November 1 for Stephens College (Early Action — other plans are listed below).
Key Admission Dates
⏳ 89 days left — Early Action
Early Action
November 1
Regular
February 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.
Stephens GPA Requirement
The average GPA of admitted students at Stephens is 3.27. That makes admissions here competitive, but not extremely selective. Most admitted students carry a mix of A's and B's.
In the 2.97–3.27 range, a high SAT or ACT score still carries real weight.
Note the scale: this figure reflects an unweighted 4.0 GPA. Add AP or IB coursework and the equivalent weighted GPA usually lands around 3.47–3.67.Stephens GPA & Admission Outlook
Assessment: Admission here leans heavily on holistic review.
Recommended Strategy: Leans on context, such as leadership, personal circumstances, or a standout talent.
This range is a rough map. Where you land determines what else needs to carry weight in your application.:
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.27 – 4.00
Strategic Reach
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.07 – 3.26
Competitive Match
Focus on SAT/ACT Compensation
2.87 – 3.06
Secondary Reach
Personal Statement & Impact
Below 2.86
Institutional Reach
Requires Significant Contextual Factors
Evaluation Metrics That Matter Here
- Test-optional for 2025-26; an admission essay may be conditionally required for test-optional applicants depending on academic record.
- No application fee; rolling admissions, with first-year students considered as early as August 1 of senior year; FAFSA priority filing date is February 1.
- Undergraduate residential program is women-only; the Conservatory for the Performing Arts is all-gender - confirm which track applies to your intended program.
- Distinctive structural features: Block Schedule (one course at a time), a pet-friendly residential campus, and named strengths in fashion, theatre, and equestrian studies with required internships/capstones in professional programs.
- Rigor Over Raw Number: Course rigor is read alongside the number itself. A 3.8 with a demanding schedule can beat a 4.0 without one.
- Trajectory Matters: Grades that climb toward graduation tend to matter more than a flat average. The trajectory tells its own story.
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 Stephens
Admission Chance Predictor
Built from Stephens College's own verified admissions data — adjust the sliders below
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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.
Stephens College (Stephens) Test Requirements
Scores aren't just a formality at Stephens. Landing within or above the 2026 admitted class's middle 50% keeps you fully competitive, even where submission is optional.
Can I Get Into Stephens Without SAT or ACT?
Stephens considers scores when submitted, without requiring them. Prepare well and submit your best attempt. Most applicants test 2–3 times.
Stephens College Average SAT Score: 1104
Admitted students at Stephens College average a 1104 SAT (out of 1600).
SAT Competitiveness
SAT 1104 — Less Competitive
A 1104 average leaves meaningful room above it for a competitive application.
Key Insight: Aim for the 75th percentile (1270 SAT or 23 ACT) to stand out. Below average? Stephens College allows Score Choice for the SAT, so a retake only helps — a low sitting never has to be sent.
Scored under 1130? A retake is worth it at Stephens. Two or three sittings is standard for competitive applicants, and there's no cap on how many times you can test.
SAT Scores Breakdown by Sections
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Math | 570 | 520 | 620 |
| SAT Reading | 630 | 610 | 650 |
| SAT Composite | 1104 | 1130 | 1270 |
A score under 1130 puts you in the lower quarter of admits; 1270+ puts you ahead of three-quarters of the admitted class. (These percentiles mark where a given share of the admitted class scored at or below.)
View list of all colleges with average SAT score of 1100
Can I get into Stephens College (Stephens) with a 1250 SAT?
At 1250, your SAT is squarely in Stephens's favor. That said, admissions staff read the full file. GPA, activities, and essays still carry real weight even with a strong score in hand.
Stephens College (Stephens) ACT Requirements
Stephens's admitted students average an ACT of 20.
ACT Competitiveness
ACT 20 — Less Competitive
An average of 20 leaves room above it for a competitive application.
ACT Scores Breakdown by Sections
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACT Math | 18 | 15 | 21 |
| ACT English | 20 | 15 | 24 |
| ACT Composite | 20 | 16 | 23 |
Can I get into Stephens College with a 23 ACT?
At 23, you're in the top quarter of Stephens's admitted class by ACT score. That's a real advantage, but admissions still reads GPA, essays, and activities alongside it.
The ACT's four sections, English, Math, Reading, and Science, are each scored independently on a 1–36 scale, and admissions staff do notice a lopsided breakdown. If one section trails the others significantly, that's worth addressing before you apply, particularly for STEM programs where Science carries extra weight.
Beyond the number itself, Stephens weighs your transcript rigor, activities, recommendations, and essays just as heavily. The ACT opens the door, and the rest of your file decides what happens next.
Your 2026 Admissions Roadmap for Stephens
Inclusive Strategy: Success & Transfer
Getting into Stephens is the easy part. What matters next is using placement testing, advising, and available resources to set up a strong first year.
If applying to Fashion Design/Product Development or a BFA fashion track, treat the required junior-year internship placement as part of your admissions narrative
Stephens' School of Design and Fashion requires an internship among top companies and a senior capstone project as a structural part of the degree - not an optional add-on. In your application materials, name a specific fashion sector (bridal, sustainable design, product development) you're aiming toward, since Stephens' own alumni stories (e.g., a recent bridal-wear designer) show the school actively tracks and promotes students who articulate a specific post-graduation industry niche rather than "I love fashion" generally.
Note explicitly that Stephens is a women's college if applying to a residential undergraduate program - this affects the application itself
Admission and continued enrollment in Stephens' undergraduate residential program is restricted to women (including transgender women), which is a structural eligibility fact easy to overlook given the school's coeducational, all-gender Conservatory for the Performing Arts. Confirm which program (residential women's college vs. Conservatory) you're applying to before submitting, since the eligibility criteria genuinely differ between the two.
Ask specifically about Block Schedule if you struggle with juggling multiple simultaneous courses
Stephens uses immersive Block Scheduling, where students focus on one class at a time rather than a traditional multi-course semester - this is a real structural differentiator from nearly every four-year peer institution. If you have documented executive-function challenges or simply learn better through deep, single-subject immersion, naming this explicitly as a reason for interest in Stephens (rather than generic "small class size" language) demonstrates genuine fit research to admissions.
If aiming for a test-optional application, understand the essay may become newly required based on your academic record
Stephens states that test-optional applicants may be asked for an admission essay "based on prior performance" - meaning the essay isn't a fixed, predictable requirement the way it is at most schools; a thinner transcript can trigger an additional writing requirement after the fact. Applicants with lower GPAs or less rigorous coursework should proactively submit a strong writing sample rather than waiting to be asked, since a request that arrives mid-cycle can slow down rolling-admission review.
Expert Insight:
Because Stephens is genuinely near-open admission on paper (its own data shows an accessible acceptance rate and average ACT around 26), some fashion/theatre applicants underprepare their program-specific portfolio or audition materials, assuming general admission and program acceptance are the same gate - for BFA fashion tracks specifically, a documented 2.5 GPA and course-grade minimum (C- or better) is required to continue term-to-term, so general admission does not guarantee uninterrupted progress in the major.
Stephens Profile
Full Name
Stephens College (Stephens)
City
Columbia
State
Missouri
ZIP Code
65215
Type
Non-Profit Private
Campus
Main Campus
Official Website
Accredited By
Higher Learning Commission (NCACHE)
Is a Stephens Degree Worth It?
At $42,694/year against a $43,071 median graduate salary, Stephens is worth weighing against your specific program and financial situation. The numbers below give you a real basis for that decision.
Admitted students' families report a median household income around $61,400, and graduates see a 3.18% unemployment rate.
How much does a degree from Stephens Cost?
Listed tuition runs $42,694/year at Stephens. Factor in Pell and federal grant aid, and most students land typically much lower.
At Stephens, 41.7% receive a Pell Grant and 62.8% carry federal loans. Filing FAFSA early and naming Stephens on it improves your shot at both.
How much does a Stephens Graduate earn?
Ten years out from enrollment, Stephens graduates report a median income of $43,071, about 6% above the U.S. median graduate income.
Compare Similar Colleges
Less Competitive Schools
These schools have lower average SAT or ACT scores than Stephens College. If your SAT or ACT score is slightly lower, 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 |
| University of the Ozarks | Clarksville, AR | 1088 | 21 |
| Pacific Union College | Angwin, CA | 1093 | 22 |
| Fort Lewis College | Durango, CO | 1084 | 20 |
| Colorado Mesa University | Grand Junction, CO | 1070 | 23 |
| University of Northern Colorado | Greeley, CO | 1077 | 22 |
| Central Connecticut State University | New Britain, CT | 1091 | 24 |
Equally Competitive Schools
These schools have the same range of average SAT or ACT scores as Stephens College. If your SAT or ACT score is competitive, you'll be competitive for these schools also.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Canyon University | Phoenix, AZ | 1095 | 22 |
| University of Saint Joseph | West Hartford, CT | 1100 | NA |
| Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University | Tallahassee, FL | 1100 | 22 |
| Flagler College | Saint Augustine, FL | 1099 | 22 |
| Palm Beach Atlantic University | West Palm Beach, FL | 1101 | 23 |
More Competitive Schools
These schools have higher average SAT or ACT scores than Stephens 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 Arkansas | Fayetteville, AR | 1174 | 25 |
| Azusa Pacific University | Azusa, CA | 1155 | 22 |
| University of Colorado Colorado Springs | Colorado Springs, CO | 1140 | 25 |
| Lynn University | Boca Raton, FL | 1136 | 25 |
Degree Programs at Stephens
Bachelor Degree Programs
Masters Degree Programs
Post-baccalaureate Certificate Programs
Frequently Asked Questions About Stephens Admissions
Stephens College graduates earn a lower median salary of $43,071/year, especially outside technical fields.
Tuition at Stephens College is moderate, around $42,694/year; many students supplement with aid.
41.7% of Stephens College students get a Pell Grant. Your odds depend mostly on household income, and filing FAFSA early still helps maximize what you're offered.
Stephens College's acceptance rate is 91.6%, comparatively higher than most selective universities. Admission is more attainable here.
The average GPA of admitted Stephens College students is 3.27, reflecting a competitive applicant pool.
There's no strict cutoff, but a GPA at or above 2.97 puts you in the standard applicant pool at Stephens College. Below that, your essays and recommendations need to work harder to provide context.
A GPA of 2.87 or below makes admission tougher at Stephens College, but strong test scores, activities, and essays, plus AP/IB coursework, can still keep you in contention.
Stephens College weighs the SAT heavily. Scoring above 1104, and within the 1130–1270 range, keeps you competitive.
Stephens College's deadline is November 1 (Early Action).
For priority financial aid consideration, get your FAFSA in before December 1, 2026. That's Stephens College's scholarship priority date.
Transferring in is a well-trodden path here. Line up your transcripts, recommendations, and a strong personal statement before applying.
The biggest levers are academic performance, a clear extracurricular focus, and essays that stand out, plus a solid test score where the school considers one.
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