New Freshman Applicants

Application Requirements

Applicants must have graduated from a high school approved or accredited by the Department of Education in the state where the school is located or have successfully passed the General Education Development (GED) test to be considered for admission. Freshman applicants applying for admission to Youngstown State University must submit an official high school transcript or official GED transcript. Submission of American College Test (ACT) or Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) scores is optional. Please note: some majors require test scores to be admitted into the program.

Bachelor Degree Admission Requirements: Applicants must have a cumulative weighted high school grade point average of 2.00 or higher (on a 4.00 scale), a core unweighted grade point average* of 2.00 or higher (on a 4.00 scale) and have an ACT composite score of 17 or higher, or a SAT composite score of 920 or higher (evidence-base writing and reading and math) to be admitted unconditionally.

*Core GPA is calculated based on grades earned from 9th through 12th grade in the following courses:

  • English
  • Mathematics
  • Science
  • Social Science
  • Foreign Language (if applicable) 

Associate Degree and Pre-Associate Degree Certificate Admission Requirements: Applicants must have earned a high school diploma from a high school approved or accredited by the Department of Education in the state where the school is located or have successfully passed the General Education Development (GED) test.  An official final high school transcript or official GED transcript is required. 

Test Optional Policy: For more information regarding the test-optional admissions policy, please visit the New Freshmen website and click on Admission Requirements.

Home-schooled applicants must meet the following criteria:

  1. An official transcript showing documentation of coursework completed of grades 9-12 including date of completion of studies or graduation must be sent to the Office of Admissions. See above for specific admission requirements. 
  2. Submission of results from the ACT or SAT is optional. Please note: some majors require test scores to be admitted into the program.
  3. The Office of Admissions must receive a copy of academic assessment reports (i.e. Iowa Basic Skills Test, California Achievement Test, etc.) submitted to the appropriate superintendent of school pursuant to Section 3301-34-04 of the Ohio Administrative Code.
  4. A copy of the Superintendent's Exemption Notice showing the student is excused to receive home-schooling.
  5. Out-of-state home-schooled students must submit the appropriate documentation required for allowing home-schooling in their state, along with above criteria #1 and #2.

High School Transcripts

Applicants must arrange to have their high school send a transcript of all completed coursework including grades received in each course to the Office of Admissions. Partial transcripts showing final grades earned from 9th through 11th and 12th grade, if available, will be given consideration for early decisions during the senior year of high school. If the applicant's academic record meets or exceeds YSU's admission requirements, notification of acceptance will be made pending high school graduation and receipt of the final high school transcript. A final official high school transcript with a graduation date must be received prior to the first day of the semester in which the student is enrolled.  Official transcripts must be sent from an official at the issuing school and cannot be faxed to the Office of Admissions.  

College Transcripts 

Admitted first-year students who participated in College Credit Plus (CCP) or a Dual Enrollment program while in high school must arrange to have official transcripts sent to the Office of Admissions.  For the transcripts to be considered official, they must be sent directly from the issuing institution electronically through a transcript system or via mail to the Office of Admissions.  Official transcripts are required to be received prior to the first day of the semester in which the student is enrolled.  When received, credits will be evaluated and posted. 

Athletics Participation

Students planning to participate in intercollegiate athletics in their first year at YSU should call the Office of Intercollegiate Athletics at (330) 941-2282 for information about eligibility for athletics participation.

English Requirement

YSU requires proof that you have sufficient knowledge of the English language to follow your program of study. If your first language is not English, please see International Undergraduate Admissions.

Articulated Credit

In the presence of a formal bi-lateral agreement between Youngstown State University and a particular career center or high school, students may earn college credit for specified technical courses they successfully completed in high school. Youngstown State University has many program-specific articulation agreements with career and technical centers and high schools in northeast Ohio. Students in those approved articulated programs of study receive instructions from their career and technical center or high school about how to have earned credits posted to their YSU transcripts after they enroll at YSU and meet college readiness criteria. Students who complete career-technical programs of study may also receive specified articulated college credit. Students have 18 months from high school graduation to apply for the credit. For information about College Tech Prep at YSU, visit their website.

Conditional Admission

In certain situations, students who do not meet the requirements for unconditional or regular admission to YSU may be offered conditional admission. For more details regarding first-year and transfer student conditional admission, please review the Strong Start and Transfer Student sections below. 

Conditionally admitted status is not to applied to students in the BCHHS's Police Academy program. Students accepted into the Police Academy are not required to take the placement test.

If a Youngstown Rayen Early College (YREC) student has earned a GPA of 2.00 or above and has passed all required developmental courses, the student’s ACT or SAT test score will not be considered in establishing the student’s conditional admission status.

Strong Start With Academic Coaching (Bachelor's Degree)

Incoming first-time students with a cumulative weighted high school grade point average of a 2.00 or higher (on a 4.00 scale) but unweighted core grade point average does not meet test optional requirements, ACT composite is below 17 or SAT composite below 920 (evidence-based writing and reading and math) or have no ACT or SAT scores, will be reviewed for possible admission to YSU through the Strong Start Program with academic coaching. 

Students offered admission to YSU through the Strong Start Program:

  • May only begin in the fall or spring semesters.
  • Are required to attend new student orientation; failure to do so will defer admittance to a subsequent semester.
  • Must earn a C or better in their Strong Start Success Seminar.
  • Are required to meet with an academic coach in the Resch Academic Success Center. 

Strong Start With Academic Coaching (Associate Degree)

Incoming first-time students with a cumulative weighted high school grade point average below a 2.00 (on a 4.00 scale) will be reviewed for possible admission to one of the associate degree programs through the Strong Start Associate Program with academic coaching. In order to transition to a bachelor's degree program, the student must earn 24 YSU credit hours and be in good academic standing or meet the grade point average requirement for the bachelor's degree. 

Students offered admission to YSU through the Strong Start Associate Program:

  • May only begin in the fall or spring semesters.
  • Are required to attend new student orientation; failure to do so will defer admittance to a subsequent semester.
  • Must earn a C or better in their Strong Start Success Seminar.
  • Are required to meet with an academic coach in the Resch Academic Success Center. 

Transfer Students

Transfer students with a cumulative transfer GPA below 2.00 (out of 4.00) are not eligible for regular admission to a bachelor's degree program but may be admitted with conditions to an associate degree program after review by the Admissions Committee.

Conditionally admitted transfer students must meet the following requirements:

  1. They are required to attend a Transfer Student Orientation (TSO); failure to do so will defer admittance to a subsequent semester. Transfer students may meet this requirement by attending a transfer orientation or by completing the online orientation module for transfer students.  
  2. During their first semester, they must meet weekly with an academic coach in the Resch Academic Success Center
  3. Transfer students must meet with their academic advisor two times during the first semester. 
    1. Students placing into ENGL 1541: Introduction to College Writing or ENGL 1549 Writing 1 with Support must take these courses in their first semester. 
    2. They are to be advised by their college’s professional advisors and not by faculty or departmental advisors.
    3. They must receive approval of their course schedule by a college academic advisor and may not make further changes without approval of the advisor.
    4. Students may not withdraw from these courses unless they make a complete withdrawal from the University.
  4. Failure to fulfill the first semester guidelines and achieve good academic standing (GPA of 2.00 or above) shall result in the conditionally admitted transfer student being dismissed from the University. The student may not be admitted to any other YSU college until the dismissal period has expired. 

In order to transition to a bachelor's degree program, the student must earn 24 YSU credit hours and be in good academic standing or meet the grade point average requirement for the bachelor's degree. 

The restrictions imposed on coursework and semester hours will be removed when the student has done the following:

  1. Successfully completed all developmental course into which the student has tested:
    COURSE TITLE S.H.
    ENGL 1541Introduction to College Writing3
  2. Successfully completed six semester hours of non-developmental courses.
  3. Achieved good academic standing (GPA of 2.00 or above). See the Academic Eligibility page of the Undergraduate Catalog for more information on academic standing.
  4. Fulfilled the conditional admission contract. Students fulfilling these requirements may file a petition with a college academic advisor to have the restrictions and their conditionally admitted status removed.

Career-Technical Credit Transfer (CT)2/CTAG

Secondary or adult students who successfully complete specified technical programs are eligible to have technical credit transfer to public colleges and universities. This transfer of credit is described in Career-Technical Assurance Guides (CTAG). Students are guaranteed the transfer of applicable credits among Ohio's public colleges and universities and equitable treatment in the application of credits to admissions and degree requirements. (CT)2 helps more high school and adult career-technical students to go to college and enter with college credit; technical credit saves students money and time; and Ohio business and industry will benefit from more employees with higher education and advanced skills.

The language in section 3333.162 of the Ohio Revised Code requires the Ohio Department of Higher Education and the Ohio Department of Education to develop policies and procedures ensuring that students at an adult career-technical education institution or secondary career-technical education institution can transfer agreed upon technical courses completed there (that adhere to recognized industry standards) to any public institution of higher education "without unnecessary duplication or institutional barriers."

To access credit, students will need to request a CTAG Verification Form be sent by the career-institution from which they attended/graduated, to the YSU Office of College Tech Prep and Special Projects. Students have three years from high school graduation to apply for credit.  For more information on how to access (CT)² credit visit the Ohio Department of Higher Education Career-Technical Credit Transfer (CT)2 Verification of Course/Program Completion Form webpage.