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AccessibleReviewed for the 2026-2027 cycle

Central State University acceptance rate and your odds of getting in

Central State University, a public university in Ohio, reports a 99% acceptance rate and sits in the accessible band. In practice that means it admits most qualified applicants, so a strong application is judged against an applicant pool that is already self-selected.

Your odds at Central State University
Three numbers, no account, the same published model the full calculator runs.

Use this page to see what Central State University weighs, where it ranks among Ohio schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1020, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.

Acceptance rate
99%
Accessible
Admitted SAT (75th pct)
1020
of admitted students
Type
Public
Wilberforce, OH
Average net price
$13,096
per year after aid

What do students study at Central State University?

Bachelor's degrees awarded by field in 2023 (IPEDS completions). Each field has its own page with the school's numbers, the model's major adjustment, and peers offering it.

Education · 357 (33.6%)Business, Management and Marketing · 324 (30.5%)Homeland Security, Law Enforcement and Firefighting · 204 (19.2%)Multi and Interdisciplinary Studies · 75 (7.1%)Engineering · 17 (1.6%)Parks, Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies · 17 (1.6%)Psychology · 15 (1.4%)Public Administration and Social Service · 12 (1.1%)

Will I get into Central State University?

Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into Central State University, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.

What are my chances of getting into Central State University?

Your odds at Central State University are not the same as its 99% acceptance rate. Your real odds depend on how your GPA, course rigor, test scores, and activities compare to its admitted students. Run your profile through the free CollegeCalcAI calculator to get a personalized acceptance percentage for Central State University in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.

Is Central State University hard to get into?

Central State University is accessible: it admits most qualified applicants, with about a 99% acceptance rate. Meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.

What GPA do you need to get into Central State University?

There is no hard GPA cutoff at Central State University, but admitted students span a wide GPA range, with many in the 2.8 to 3.5 band. Central State University reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.

What SAT score do you need for Central State University?

Central State University does not publish a required score, but the admitted-student 75th-percentile SAT is around 1020. A score at or above that range strengthens your application, while a lower score puts more weight on your rigor, activities, and essays. CollegeCalcAI shows how your exact score shifts your odds at Central State University.

Calculate your chances at Central State University →

Your chances at Central State University by GPA and SAT

Estimated chance of admission at Central State University for plain profiles, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA, 3 AP courses, Regular Decision, no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook. The last column is test-optional (no score sent).

What are my chances at Central State University with a 3.1 GPA and a 960 SAT?

About 98% (Safety), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.1 unweighted GPA and a 960 SAT, the middle of Central State University's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 3.4 GPA with a 1020 SAT comes out near 98%. Courses, activities, essays and the application round move the number; the free calculator includes them.

Estimated admission chance at Central State University by unweighted GPA (rows) and SAT score (columns)
GPASAT 89025th pctSAT 960middleSAT 102075th pctNo testtest-optional
2.589%Safety95%Safety97%Safety93%Safety
2.898%Safety98%Safety98%Safety98%Safety
3.198%Safety98%Safety98%Safety98%Safety
3.498%Safety98%Safety98%Safety98%Safety

Estimates, not guarantees. Get yours with your real courses and activities. Assistants and developers can fetch this table from the free API: /api/v1/colleges/central-state-university.

How to get into Central State University

Built from Central State University's admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.

There is no formula that guarantees a spot at Central State University, but the applicants who get in tend to do the same four things. Here is what the numbers say each one looks like.

Step 1
Match the typical admit on the transcript

CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at Central State University carries about a 2.91 core GPA and a 970 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. Meeting it puts you in the admitted range for most applicants.

Step 2
Build the file around what Central State University weighs

Central State University rates rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores highest in its own Common Data Set. Put your depth there: and a transcript whose rigor rises through junior year.

Step 3
Apply in the round that helps

Most public universities read early applicants first without a binding commitment. Apply by Central State University's early or priority deadline (confirm dates at www.centralstate.edu), and if you are out of state, know that residency changes both the bar and the price.

See your odds and your top moves at Central State University →Add it to your college list →Official site: www.centralstate.edu ↗

How many students apply to Central State University, and how many get in?

Central State University admitted 1,514 of the 3,291 students who applied for fall 2023, which works out to 46%. 574 enrolled. Roughly 38% of admitted students enrolled, a typical yield for a school in this range. Central State University enrolls about 2,620 undergraduates in total, 64% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 16 to 1.

Applied
3,291
fall 2023
Admitted
1,514
46% of applicants
Enrolled
574
38% yield
Undergraduates
2,620
Wilberforce, fringe rural

Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.

What SAT and ACT scores do you need for Central State University?

Central State University reports that it neither requires nor recommends test scores, so admission turns on your transcript, rigor, and the rest of the file.

Test scores
Neither required nor recommended
admissions policy

Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10.

What Central State University looks for

What Central State University weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.

The factors that carry the most weight at Central State University are rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores. Solid grades in a challenging schedule do most of the work here, with the rest of the application providing context. These ratings come from Central State University's reported Common Data Set, so the full chart below reflects what the school itself says it values, not a generic guess.

Rigor of secondary school record
Very important
Academic GPA
Very important
Class rank
Considered
Standardized test scores
Important
Application essay
Considered
Recommendations
Considered

SAT score positioning at Central State University

How common SAT scores sit relative to the admitted middle. This is context, not a probability. Your full profile determines the real estimate.

SATWhere it sits at Central State University
1600Above the admitted 75th percentile
1500Above the admitted 75th percentile
1400Above the admitted 75th percentile
1300Above the admitted 75th percentile
1200Above the admitted 75th percentile
1100Above the admitted 75th percentile
Colleges for a 1020 SAT →Colleges for a 19 ACT →See colleges by GPA →

How much does Central State University cost after financial aid?

The full sticker price at Central State University (tuition, fees, housing, food, books) is about $21,929 a year. Tuition and fees are $8,058 for OH residents and $10,058 for out-of-state students, a $2,000 gap that makes residency the single biggest lever on cost. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $13,096 a year, and it ranges from $19,581 for families earning under $30,000 to $10,187 for families earning over $110,000. 53% of undergraduates receive a federal Pell Grant.

Sticker price
$21,929
per year, before aid
Average net price
$13,096
after grants and scholarships
In-state tuition
$8,058
$10,058 out of state
Pell recipients
53%
of undergraduates
Family incomeAverage net price per year
$0 to $30k$19,581
$30k to $48k$7,161
$48k to $75k$8,773
$75k to $110k$10,343
Over $110k$10,187

Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Net price is what students receiving aid paid after grants, by family income.

What do Central State University graduates earn, and how many graduate?

Median earnings for Central State University students ten years after entry are $33,267 ($27,173 at the six-year mark). 23% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 56% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $30,739; 42% of undergraduates take federal loans.

Median earnings
$33,267
10 years after entry
Graduation rate
23%
within six years
Retention
56%
return for year two
Median debt
$30,739
at graduation, borrowers

Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Earnings cover students who received federal aid.

How Central State University compares in Ohio

Central State University ranks #45 most selective of 45 schools in Ohio in our database.

Among the 45 Ohio schools we track, Central State University ranks #45 most selective by acceptance rate. Schools like Denison University (17%) and Kenyon College (31%) sit nearby, which makes Ohio a useful frame for calibrating a balanced list. As a public university, residency matters: in-state applicants generally see meaningfully better odds than the headline rate suggests.

Denison University
17%acceptance · OH
Kenyon College
31%acceptance · OH
Oberlin College
34%acceptance · OH
Case Western Reserve University
37%acceptance · OH
Wilberforce University
41%acceptance · OH
Defiance College
48%acceptance · OH
Ohio Wesleyan University
56%acceptance · OH
Franciscan University of Steubenville
58%acceptance · OH
See all Ohio schools →

Similar to Central State University

Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.

Applicants targeting Central State University often weigh Southeastern Louisiana University, University of South Dakota, and University of Southern Mississippi, which sit at a similar level. Running the same profile against each one in the free calculator is the fastest way to see where you are a reach, a match, or a likely.

Southeastern Louisiana University
99%acceptance · LA
University of South Dakota
99%acceptance · SD
University of Southern Mississippi
99%acceptance · MS
Utah Valley University
99%acceptance · UT
Adams State University
99%acceptance · CO
Columbus State University
99%acceptance · GA

Frequently asked questions

What is Central State University's acceptance rate?

Central State University admitted 1,514 of 3,291 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 46% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 38% of admitted students enrolled.

Is Central State University test-optional?

Central State University reports that it neither requires nor recommends test scores.

How much does Central State University cost after financial aid?

The average net price at Central State University, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $13,096 a year against a sticker price of about $21,929. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $19,581 on average.

What do Central State University graduates earn?

Median earnings ten years after entering Central State University are $33,267 a year among students who received federal aid, and 23% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).

What does Central State University value most in applicants?

Based on its admissions profile, Central State University weighs rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.

Does Central State University favor in-state applicants?

As a public university, Central State University generally admits in-state applicants at a higher rate than out-of-state applicants, so your home state affects your odds. CollegeCalcAI applies an in-state residency boost when you select your state.

How can I improve my chances at Central State University?

Focus on the highest-leverage parts of your application: course rigor and GPA trajectory first, then test scores, then a focused leadership or activity spike. CollegeCalcAI's Power-Ups quantify how much each change would move your odds at Central State University specifically.

What are the admission requirements for Central State University?

Central State University reviews GPA, course rigor, test scores (where submitted), activities, and essays. With a more accessible acceptance rate, meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.

Acceptance rate, application counts, admitted test ranges, cost, and outcomes reflect publicly reported federal data (U.S. Department of Education: IPEDS 2023 and the College Scorecard) and each school's Common Data Set; figures are rounded and lag the current cycle by one to two years, so confirm deadlines and policies on the school's own site. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled estimates. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.