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Admissions & selectivity

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# Minnesota State University Moorhead Acceptance Rate & Admissions

Updated September 30, 2026

[Overview](/school/minnesota-state-university-moorhead/)[Cost & aid](/school/minnesota-state-university-moorhead/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/minnesota-state-university-moorhead/outcomes/)Admissions[Majors](/school/minnesota-state-university-moorhead/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/minnesota-state-university-moorhead/similar/)

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## What is the acceptance rate at Minnesota State University Moorhead?

Minnesota State University Moorhead’s reported acceptance rate is 58.8%.

**Acceptance rate · Fall 2024**
58.8%

Source: College Scorecard · Fall 2024 admissions. Acceptance rates can change from year to year; this figure does not predict the current or next admission cycle.

How to interpret the acceptance rate

For the reported entering class, Minnesota State University Moorhead had an admission rate of 58.8%, meaning the university admitted that share of applicants. This was below the median of 85.9% for comparable institutions (same type and size).

The reported rate describes the outcome for that applicant pool, rather than any individual applicant's odds.

## What SAT and ACT scores do Minnesota State University Moorhead students report?

ACT scores among enrolled score-submitters at the university run from 18 at the lower end of the middle half to 25 at the upper end. This range describes enrolled students who submitted ACT scores, rather than minimum scores for admission.

Applicants can compare their ACT result with the university's 18 to 25 range when deciding how their academic record fits the recent enrolled class. Scores are only one part of the information an applicant can present, and the range is a description of those who chose to submit scores.

The ranges below describe enrolled students who submitted test scores at Minnesota State University Moorhead. Use them as academic context, then check the university’s current testing policy for your application cycle.

ACT: enrolled-student score range

**25th percentile**
18

**75th percentile**
25

Enrolled students who submitted scores. This range is not an admission cutoff.

Figures cover fall 2024.

## Who enrolls at Minnesota State University Moorhead?

**Pell Grant recipients**
28.0%

**Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group**
38.6%

**First-year retention**
75.0%

Retention source: College Scorecard; full-time first-year retention.

About these student measures

The entering-student group includes part-time entrants as well as other attendance patterns.

Transfer entry is a prominent part of the undergraduate mix at Minnesota State University Moorhead, with an estimated 38.6% share of entrants outside the first-time, full-time group. Pell Grants reach 28.0% of undergraduates, placing aid recipients alongside students whose college study began elsewhere.

Undergraduate enrollment totals 3,072, and the composition suggests a public university serving both direct entrants and people continuing a prior college path. Pell-eligible and transfer applicants should compare their aid offers and transfer-credit evaluations before deciding whether the school fits their plans.

First-year persistence and six-year completion both sit above levels at comparable institutions, though Pell recipients finish at a lower rate than the overall cohort. For the full-time bachelor's-seeking first-year cohort, the first-year retention rate is 75.0%, above the peer median of 73.7%.

The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) for the first-time full-time cohort is 57.3%, above the peer median of 49.1%. Pell recipients in the first-time full-time cohort have a six-year completion rate of 49.5%, below the overall rate by 7.8 percentage points.

Enrolled students can expect retention and completion outcomes above comparable-school medians, with a separate completion gap for Pell recipients.

## Data & methodology

Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/).

Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth.

Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.

Admission rates describe past applicants, not an individual’s chance of admission; confirm requirements and deadlines with the institution.

Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).