Valley City State University acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
With an acceptance rate near 99%, Valley City State University is an accessible public university in North Dakota. Because it admits most qualified applicants, admission turns on the strength of your whole profile rather than any one number.
Use this page to see what Valley City State University weighs, where it ranks among North Dakota 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 Valley City 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 Valley City State University?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into Valley City State University, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into Valley City State University?
Valley City State University admits most qualified applicants (around 99%), 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 Valley City State University in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is Valley City State University hard to get into?
Valley City 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 Valley City State University?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at Valley City State University, but admitted students span a wide GPA range, with many in the 2.8 to 3.5 band. Valley City State University reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
Your chances at Valley City State University by GPA and SAT
Estimated chance of admission at Valley City 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 Valley City State University with a 3.1 GPA and a 950 SAT?
About 98% (Safety), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.1 unweighted GPA and a 950 SAT, the middle of Valley City State University's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 3.4 GPA with a 1070 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/valley-city-state-university.
How to get into Valley City State University
Built from Valley City 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 Valley City State University, built from what its admitted class actually looks like and what the school says it weighs.
CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at Valley City State University carries about a 2.91 core GPA and a 1020 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. Meeting it puts you in the admitted range for most applicants.
The admitted middle 50% is 830 to 1070 SAT (17 to 24 ACT). Submit a score at 950 or higher; below 830, apply test-optional if the policy allows.
Valley City State University rates 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 Valley City State University's early or priority deadline (confirm dates at www.vcsu.edu), and if you are out of state, know that residency changes both the bar and the price.
How many students apply to Valley City State University, and how many get in?
For the fall 2023 entering class, Valley City State University received 492 applications and admitted 341, an acceptance rate of 69.3%. 194 enrolled. Roughly 57% of admitted students enrolled, a typical yield for a school in this range. Valley City State University enrolls about 958 undergraduates in total, 54% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 12 to 1.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for Valley City State University?
Admitted students at Valley City State University post SAT scores of 830 to 1070 in the middle 50%, with an average of 1041. On the ACT the middle 50% runs from 17 to 24. A score above 1070 puts you in the top quarter of admits and turns the test into an asset; a score below 830 puts you in the bottom quarter, where the rest of the application has to carry more weight. Valley City State University 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 Valley City State University looks for
What Valley City State University weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
In its review, Valley City State University leans most on 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 Valley City 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 Valley City 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 Valley City State University cost after financial aid?
The full sticker price at Valley City State University (tuition, fees, housing, food, books) is about $20,468 a year. Tuition and fees are $8,514 for ND residents and $13,544 for out-of-state students, a $5,030 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 $11,890 a year, and it ranges from $7,879 for families earning under $30,000 to $14,570 for families earning over $110,000. 17% 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 Valley City State University graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Median earnings for Valley City State University students ten years after entry are $52,725 ($45,820 at the six-year mark). 53% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 71% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $20,369; 30% 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 Valley City State University compares in North Dakota
Valley City State University ranks #8 most selective of 8 schools in North Dakota in our database.
Among the 8 North Dakota schools we track, Valley City State University ranks #8 most selective by acceptance rate. Schools like Dickinson State University (37%) and Minot State University (65%) sit nearby, which makes North Dakota 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 Valley City State University
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
Build around Valley City State University with peers at a comparable selectivity, such as Southeastern Louisiana University, University of South Dakota, and University of Southern Mississippi. 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 Valley City State University's acceptance rate?
Valley City State University admitted 341 of 492 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 69.3% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 57% of admitted students enrolled.
What SAT score do you need for Valley City State University?
The middle 50% of admitted students scored 830 to 1070 on the SAT and 17 to 24 on the ACT. A score above 1070 is in the top quarter of admits. Valley City State University is test-optional, so only submit a score that helps.
Is Valley City State University test-optional?
Yes. Valley City State University 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 Valley City State University cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Valley City State University, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $11,890 a year against a sticker price of about $20,468. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $7,879 on average.
What do Valley City State University graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering Valley City State University are $52,725 a year among students who received federal aid, and 53% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does Valley City State University value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, Valley City State University weighs academic GPA and standardized test scores most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does Valley City State University favor in-state applicants?
As a public university, Valley City 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 Valley City 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 Valley City State University specifically.
How does residency affect admission to Valley City State University?
As a public university, Valley City 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 Valley City State University?
Valley City 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.