Non-Profit Private
Accredited · New England Commission on Higher Education
Colchester, Vermont
91.9% Acceptance Rate
Saint Michael's College — Admission Snapshot 2026
A complete at-a-glance picture of every metric that matters for your 2026 application
91.9%Acceptance Rate
3.27Avg GPA
1241Avg SAT
26Avg ACT
$67,174Annual Cost
$61,317Grad Salary
17.7%Pell Grant
Acceptance Rate
91.9%
Avg GPA
3.27
Avg SAT
1241
Avg ACT
26
Selectivity
Inclusive
Institution Type
Non-Profit Private
Campus
Main Campus
Accredited By
New England Commission on Higher Education
SAT Middle 50%
1150–1310
ACT Middle 50%
22–30
Need-Based Aid
17.7% receive Pell
Saint Michael's College (VT) is a Catholic, residential liberal arts college. They favor students who show academic curiosity and a commitment to service. Admissions are holistic, valuing students who will contribute to their close-knit, socially conscious campus community.
Saint Michael's College Acceptance Rate
Saint Michael's College runs an open-access admission policy. With a 91.9% 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 — 91.9% 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).
Saint Michael's College Application Deadlines & Admission Dates 2026
The application deadline for Saint Michael's College is November 1 for Early Action applicants, with additional plans listed below. Admission decisions are typically released by December 15.
Key Admission Dates
⏳ 82 days left — Early Action
Early Action
November 1
Decision by: December 15
Regular Decision
February 1
Decision by: March 15
💡 The scholarship deadline (2025/12/01 (Merit scholarship priority)) 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.
Saint Michael's College GPA Requirement
The average GPA of admitted students at Saint Michael's College 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.
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 3.47–3.67.Saint Michael's College 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:
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
- Demonstrated interest is an explicit part of holistic review via a named, 1-on-1 assigned admissions advisor relationship
- Test-optional; self-reported test scores accepted for first-year applicants; both Common App and SMC's own application are accepted
- Fully residential campus with housing guaranteed for all four years; free regional (Burlington-area) bus passes included
- 100+ study abroad programs plus Institute for Global Engagement international internships in locations like France and South Korea
- 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 Saint Michael's College
Admission Chance Predictor
Real-Time Sensitive Analysis — based on Saint Michael's 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.
Saint Michael's College Test Requirements
Standardized scores still matter here: aim for the middle 50% range of the 2026 admitted class below, and if Saint Michael's College is test-optional, a high score submitted voluntarily still helps with merit scholarships.
Can I Get Into Saint Michael's College Without SAT or ACT?
Saint Michael's College considers scores when submitted, without requiring them. Prepare well and submit your best attempt. Most applicants test 2–3 times.
Saint Michael's College Average SAT Score: 1241
The average SAT score of admitted students at Saint Michael's College is 1241 on the 1600-point scale.
SAT Competitiveness
SAT 1241 — Slightly Competitive
This sits close to the national average SAT score.
Key Insight: Aim for the 75th percentile (1310 SAT or 30 ACT) to stand out. Below average? Saint Michael's 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 1150, retaking the SAT is strongly recommended to improve your chances at Saint Michael's 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 | 550 | 630 |
| SAT Reading | 640 | 600 | 680 |
| SAT Composite | 1241 | 1150 | 1310 |
Below 1150, you're behind most admitted students; at 1310 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 1250
Can I get into Saint Michael's College with a 1300 SAT?
A 1300 SAT puts you ahead of most of Saint Michael's 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.
Saint Michael's College ACT Requirements
The average ACT score at Saint Michael's 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 | 25 | 21 | 29 |
| ACT English | 26 | 23 | 29 |
| ACT Composite | 26 | 22 | 30 |
Can I get into Saint Michael's College with a 30 ACT?
A 30 ACT puts you ahead of 75% of Saint Michael's 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 Saint Michael's College.
Your 2026 Admissions Roadmap for Saint Michael's College
Inclusive Strategy: Success & Transfer
Saint Michael's College's open-access model means the real strategic decisions happen after enrollment: course planning, advising, and whether to transfer later.
Build a real relationship with the assigned admissions advisor
SMC explicitly factors demonstrated interest into its holistic review through a 1-on-1 relationship with each applicant's assigned regional admissions advisor - this isn't just "visit if you can," it's a tracked input. Have the student identify their specific counselor early, email genuine questions, and attend an info session or interview with that same person rather than treating outreach as generic.
Submit a strong essay and one solid recommendation anyway - sources disagree on whether they're required
CommonApp's SMC listing says no personal essay or letter of recommendation is required for first-year applicants, but SMC's own admissions page describes weighing the personal essay and recommendation to understand "who you are as a full person." Don't let a student skip these on the theory they're optional - submit both, since they clearly still factor into scholarship and Honors-level consideration even if they don't gatekeep basic admission.
Pick the application route that matches the student's broader list
SMC accepts both the Common App and its own direct Saint Michael's Application with a low fee. If a student is already deep into Common App for several other schools, using it here auto-notifies their counselor to send transcripts and recommendations - one less thing to manage separately. If SMC is a standalone target, the direct app can be just as fast.
Journalism and pre-honors students: name-drop the actual differentiators
SMC houses the only Kappa Tau Alpha (national journalism honor society) chapter nationwide located at a small college, and is one of just four Northeast Catholic colleges with a Phi Beta Kappa chapter. For a journalism-track or strong-academic-profile applicant, referencing these specific, verifiable distinctions in an essay or interview reads as genuine fit research, not generic flattery.
Expert Insight:
Because SMC's acceptance rate sits in the mid-80s%, families sometimes treat admission as a formality and skip engaging with the assigned admissions advisor or visiting campus. Since demonstrated interest is an explicit, named part of the holistic review here, that same easy-acceptance-rate reputation can quietly cost a student merit scholarship consideration, even when admission itself was never really in doubt.
Saint Michael's College Profile
Full Name
Saint Michael's College
City
Colchester
State
Vermont
ZIP Code
5439
Type
Non-Profit Private
Campus
Main Campus
Official Website
Accredited By
New England Commission on Higher Education (NECHE)
Is a Saint Michael's College Degree Worth It?
Whether Saint Michael's 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 $75,400, with a graduate unemployment rate of 2.67%.
How much does a degree from Saint Michael's College Cost?
The sticker price is $67,174/year, but the average net price students actually pay, after Pell and federal grants, is typically much lower.
17.7% of students receive a Pell Grant and 58.3% take federal loans at Saint Michael's College. File your FAFSA early and list Saint Michael's College as a choice to be considered for both.
How much does a Saint Michael's College Graduate earn?
Median earnings 10 years after enrollment (roughly 4–6 years post-graduation) are $61,317. That's about 51% above the U.S. median graduate income.
Compare Similar Colleges
Less Competitive Schools
These schools have lower average SAT or ACT scores than Saint Michael's 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 |
| University of Mobile | Mobile, AL | 1220 | 24 |
| Samford University | Birmingham, AL | 1203 | 26 |
| John Brown University | Siloam Springs, AR | 1222 | 26 |
| Ouachita Baptist University | Arkadelphia, AR | 1212 | 25 |
| California Lutheran University | Thousand Oaks, CA | 1224 | 26 |
| Dominican University of California | San Rafael, CA | 1194 | 26 |
| University of Redlands | Redlands, CA | 1231 | 28 |
| Eastern Connecticut State University | Willimantic, CT | 1200 | NA |
| University of Hartford | West Hartford, CT | 1207 | 29 |
Equally Competitive Schools
These schools have the same range of average SAT or ACT scores as Saint Michael's College. If your SAT or ACT score is competitive, you'll be competitive for these schools also.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Alabama at Birmingham | Birmingham, AL | 1251 | 26 |
| University of Redlands | Redlands, CA | 1231 | 28 |
| University of South Florida | Tampa, FL | 1235 | 27 |
| Bradley University | Peoria, IL | 1237 | 28 |
| University of Illinois Chicago | Chicago, IL | 1242 | 29 |
More Competitive Schools
These schools have higher average SAT or ACT scores than Saint Michael's College. If you improve your SAT or ACT score, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Alabama in Huntsville | Huntsville, AL | 1321 | 28 |
| The University of Alabama | Tuscaloosa, AL | 1287 | 28 |
| Auburn University | Auburn, AL | 1318 | 28 |
| University of the Pacific | Stockton, CA | 1303 | 27 |
| Point Loma Nazarene University | San Diego, CA | 1278 | 26 |
Degree Programs at Saint Michael's College
Bachelor Degree Programs
Frequently Asked Questions About Saint Michael's College Admissions
Median graduate earnings at Saint Michael's College run about $61,317 a year.
At about $67,174 a year, Saint Michael's College's cost is on the higher end; look closely at aid options.
Saint Michael's College's Pell Grant rate of 17.7% sits below the national average. Merit-based aid is worth checking regardless of income.
At 91.9%, Saint Michael's College's acceptance rate is on the more attainable end compared to top-tier selective schools.
Admitted students at Saint Michael's College average a 3.27 GPA.
Saint Michael's College doesn't publish a hard GPA floor, but landing at or above 2.97 keeps you in the typical applicant range; below it, lean on essays and recommendations.
Below 2.87, Saint Michael's 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 Saint Michael's College — aim above 1241, ideally within the 1150–1310 range admitted students typically fall in.
The application deadline for Saint Michael's College is November 1 for Early Action applicants. Admission decisions are released by December 15.
The scholarship/financial aid priority deadline is 2025/12/01 (Merit scholarship priority). 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.