Henderson State University acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
With an acceptance rate near 71%, Henderson State University is a moderately selective public university in Arkansas. Because it admits more applicants than it rejects, admission turns on the strength of your whole profile rather than any one number.
Use this page to see what Henderson State University weighs, where it ranks among Arkansas schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1100, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
What do students study at Henderson 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.
Will I get into Henderson State University?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into Henderson State University, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into Henderson State University?
Henderson State University admits most qualified applicants (around 71%), but that overall rate is not your personal chance. 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 Henderson State University in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is Henderson State University hard to get into?
Henderson State University is moderately selective: it admits more applicants than it rejects, with about a 71% acceptance rate. Meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
What GPA do you need to get into Henderson State University?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at Henderson State University, but admitted students often present roughly a 3.2 to 3.7 GPA. Henderson 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 Henderson State University?
Henderson State University does not publish a required score, but the admitted-student 75th-percentile SAT is around 1100. 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 Henderson State University.
Your chances at Henderson State University by GPA and SAT
Estimated chance of admission at Henderson 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 Henderson State University with a 3.1 GPA and a 1040 SAT?
About 88% (Safety), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.1 unweighted GPA and a 1040 SAT, the middle of Henderson State University's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 3.4 GPA with a 1100 SAT comes out near 97%. Courses, activities, essays and the application round move the number; the free calculator includes them.
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/henderson-state-university.
How to get into Henderson State University
Built from Henderson State University's admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.
Here is how to get into Henderson State University, built from what its admitted class actually looks like and what the school says it weighs.
CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at Henderson State University carries about a 3.22 core GPA and a 1050 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. Meeting it puts you in the admitted range for most applicants.
Henderson 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.
Most public universities read early applicants first without a binding commitment. Apply by Henderson State University's early or priority deadline (confirm dates at www.hsu.edu), and if you are out of state, know that residency changes both the bar and the price.
How many students apply to Henderson State University, and how many get in?
For the fall 2023 entering class, Henderson State University received 1,814 applications and admitted 1,486, an acceptance rate of 81.9%. 306 enrolled. Only about 21% of admitted students enrolled, so the school admits several students for every seat it expects to fill, which is why its acceptance rate reads higher than its selectivity feels. Henderson State University enrolls about 1,456 undergraduates in total, 52% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 14 to 1.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.
What Henderson State University looks for
What Henderson State University weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
In its review, Henderson State University leans most on 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 Henderson State University's reported Common Data Set, so the full chart below reflects what the school itself says it values, not a generic guess.
SAT score positioning at Henderson 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.
How much does Henderson State University cost after financial aid?
Henderson State University's published cost of attendance, before any aid, is roughly $27,385 per year. Tuition and fees are $8,244 for AR residents and $10,620 for out-of-state students, a $2,376 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 $23,405 a year, and it ranges from $23,386 for families earning under $30,000 to null for families earning over $110,000. 46% of undergraduates receive a federal Pell Grant.
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 Henderson State University graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Ten years after enrolling, the median Henderson State University student who received federal aid earns $43,459 a year, up from $35,194 at six years. 37% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 62% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $19,500; 44% of undergraduates take federal loans.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Earnings cover students who received federal aid.
How Henderson State University compares in Arkansas
Henderson State University ranks #9 most selective of 18 schools in Arkansas in our database.
Among the 18 Arkansas schools we track, Henderson State University ranks #9 most selective by acceptance rate. Schools like University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (41%) and Philander Smith University (50%) sit nearby, which makes Arkansas 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.
Similar to Henderson State University
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
Build around Henderson State University with peers at a comparable selectivity, such as University of Delaware, University of South Alabama, and Virginia Military Institute. 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.
Frequently asked questions
What is Henderson State University's acceptance rate?
Henderson State University admitted 1,486 of 1,814 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 81.9% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 21% of admitted students enrolled.
How much does Henderson State University cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Henderson State University, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $23,405 a year against a sticker price of about $27,385. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $23,386 on average.
What do Henderson State University graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering Henderson State University are $43,459 a year among students who received federal aid, and 37% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does Henderson State University value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, Henderson 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 Henderson State University favor in-state applicants?
As a public university, Henderson 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 Henderson 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 Henderson State University specifically.
How does residency affect admission to Henderson State University?
As a public university, Henderson State University typically admits in-state students at a higher rate, and tuition differs sharply by residency. Select your home state in the calculator to fold the in-state effect into your estimate.
What are the admission requirements for Henderson State University?
Henderson 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.