McPherson College acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
McPherson College is a private college in Kansas that admits most qualified applicants (around 77%), which puts it in the accessible range. A rate like this means it admits most qualified applicants; the bar is less about clearing a single cutoff and more about how your full profile compares to admitted students.
Use this page to see what McPherson College weighs, where it ranks among Kansas schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1120, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
What do students study at McPherson College?
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 McPherson College?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into McPherson College, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into McPherson College?
At McPherson College, your real chance depends on far more than the published 77% admit 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 McPherson College in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is McPherson College hard to get into?
McPherson College is accessible: it admits most qualified applicants, with about a 77% acceptance rate. Meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
What GPA do you need to get into McPherson College?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at McPherson College, but admitted students span a wide GPA range, with many in the 2.8 to 3.5 band. McPherson College reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
Your chances at McPherson College by GPA and SAT
Estimated chance of admission at McPherson College 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 McPherson College with a 3.1 GPA and a 1080 SAT?
About 95% (Safety), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.1 unweighted GPA and a 1080 SAT, the middle of McPherson College's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 3.4 GPA with a 1200 SAT comes out near 98%. 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/mcpherson-college.
How to get into McPherson College
Built from McPherson College's admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.
Getting into McPherson College comes down to four decisions, each one visible in the data on this page.
CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at McPherson College carries about a 3.15 core GPA and a 1150 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. Meeting it puts you in the admitted range for most applicants.
The admitted middle 50% is 960 to 1200 SAT (18 to 23 ACT). Submit a score at 1080 or higher; below 960, apply test-optional if the policy allows.
McPherson College rates rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and class rank highest in its own Common Data Set. Put your depth there: and a transcript whose rigor rises through junior year.
An early application signals interest and gets your file read before the pool fills. Most early deadlines fall on November 1 and Regular Decision on January 1 to 15; confirm McPherson College's exact dates at www.mcpherson.edu.
How many students apply to McPherson College, and how many get in?
1,209 students applied to McPherson College for fall 2023; 1,013 were admitted (83.8%). 241 enrolled. Only about 24% 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. McPherson College enrolls about 872 undergraduates in total, 33% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 16 to 1.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for McPherson College?
The middle 50% of admitted students at McPherson College scored between 960 and 1200 on the SAT (average 1058). On the ACT the middle 50% runs from 18 to 23. A score above 1200 puts you in the top quarter of admits and turns the test into an asset; a score below 960 puts you in the bottom quarter, where the rest of the application has to carry more weight. McPherson College is test-optional: scores are considered if you submit them but not required. Send a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one and let your transcript lead.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10.
What McPherson College looks for
What McPherson College weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
McPherson College signals that it values rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and class rank above the rest of the file. Solid grades in a challenging schedule do most of the work here, with the rest of the application providing context. These ratings come from McPherson College'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 McPherson College
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 McPherson College cost after financial aid?
McPherson College's published cost of attendance, before any aid, is roughly $50,611 per year. Tuition and fees alone are $37,310. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $26,441 a year, and it ranges from $22,587 for families earning under $30,000 to $31,043 for families earning over $110,000. 38% 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 McPherson College graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Ten years after enrolling, the median McPherson College student who received federal aid earns $52,084 a year, up from $41,446 at six years. 34% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 65% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $25,242; 64% 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 McPherson College compares in Kansas
McPherson College ranks #12 most selective of 25 schools in Kansas in our database.
Among the 25 Kansas schools we track, McPherson College ranks #12 most selective by acceptance rate. Schools like Sterling College (48%) and Central Christian College (53%) sit nearby, which makes Kansas a useful frame for calibrating a balanced list.
Similar to McPherson College
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
If McPherson College is on your list, schools with a similar admit profile are worth a look: Bradley University, Gardner-Webb University, and Seattle University. 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 McPherson College's acceptance rate?
McPherson College admitted 1,013 of 1,209 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 83.8% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 24% of admitted students enrolled.
What SAT score do you need for McPherson College?
The middle 50% of admitted students scored 960 to 1200 on the SAT and 18 to 23 on the ACT. A score above 1200 is in the top quarter of admits. McPherson College is test-optional, so only submit a score that helps.
Is McPherson College test-optional?
Yes. McPherson College reports that test scores are considered but not required. Submit a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one.
How much does McPherson College cost after financial aid?
The average net price at McPherson College, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $26,441 a year against a sticker price of about $50,611. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $22,587 on average.
What do McPherson College graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering McPherson College are $52,084 a year among students who received federal aid, and 34% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does McPherson College value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, McPherson College weighs rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and class rank most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does McPherson College consider legacy or demonstrated interest?
Many private colleges weigh legacy relationships and demonstrated interest. McPherson College's full factor profile is charted on this page, and CollegeCalcAI models a legacy effect scaled to a school's selectivity.
How can I improve my chances at McPherson College?
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 McPherson College specifically.
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.