Admissions
Getting in, fall 2024
Nelson admits about 9 in 10 applicants (89%). That puts it in the "Open" tier, more selective than 25% of the 1,547 colleges that report admissions.
Out of every 100 applicants…
The funnel
$35 to apply
Grants credit for AP exams
Men and women
Men were admitted at 87%, women at 92%.
Yield
57% of admitted students enroll, one of the highest nationally.
Where you stand
How Nelson reads a record
GPA and the high school record are required. Scores are required. 99% of first-years sent an SAT and 1% an ACT.
What they look at
- High school GPA
- Required
- High school record
- Required
- Class rank
- Not considered
- College-prep program
- Not considered
- Recommendations
- Required
- Essay
- Required
- Legacy status
- Not considered
- Work experience
- Not considered
- Demonstration of competencies
- Not considered
- English proficiency test
- Required
- Other tests
- Required
Recent change: Started requiring an essay in fall 2024.
On the admissions map
↑ SAT midpoint (higher = higher scores)
Test scores
What enrolled first-years scored
The typical enrolled first-year who sent scores is around 990 on the SAT, 180 points below the median for colleges that report scores.
Required
Send SAT or ACT scores: they're required to be considered. For students who entered in fall 2024.
Where would you land?
Middle 50% of enrolled first-years who sent scores This college's median National median midpoint
Who submitted scores?
submitted SAT
submitted ACT
At least half of students submitted a score, so the ranges are reasonably representative.
Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (athletics, programs, services, religious affiliation), 2025–26About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)