Admissions & selectivity
University of Cincinnati-Main Campus Acceptance Rate & Admissions
What is the acceptance rate at University of Cincinnati-Main Campus?
University of Cincinnati-Main Campus’s reported acceptance rate is 85.3%.
- Acceptance rate · Fall 2024
- 85.3%
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
The University of Cincinnati-Main Campus admits 85.3% of applicants, a rate that sits above the median of 78.1% for comparable institutions (same type and size). Most applicants receive an offer, which makes the application a step of preparation rather than a narrow filter.
What SAT and ACT scores do enrolled University of Cincinnati-Main Campus students report?
In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, University of Cincinnati-Main Campus reported a 3.67 average high-school GPA among enrolled first-year students, based on the 99.7% who reported a GPA. That figure is an average for those who reported it, not a minimum for admission.
Among enrolled first-year students with a reported class rank, 22% were in the highest tenth of their high-school class and 47% were in the highest quarter. 44% of the entering class reported a rank.
For enrolled students who submitted SAT scores, the middle half scored between 1160 and 1340, though only 9% of the entering class submitted that test. For the ACT, the middle half of submitters scored from 24 to 30, and 25% of the class submitted.
Applicants should treat University of Cincinnati-Main Campus's 1160 to 1340 SAT range and 24 to 30 ACT range as context for recent enrolled submitters, not as admission minimums.
The ranges below describe enrolled students who submitted test scores at University of Cincinnati-Main Campus. Use them as academic context, then check the university’s current testing policy for your application cycle.
9% of entering students submitted SAT scores
- 25th percentile
- 1160
- Median
- 1250
- 75th percentile
- 1340
CDS 2025-26 · enrolled first-year score submitters. This range is not an admission cutoff.
25% of entering students submitted ACT scores
- 25th percentile
- 24
- Median
- 27
- 75th percentile
- 30
CDS 2025-26 · enrolled first-year score submitters. This range is not an admission cutoff.
Source: University of Cincinnati-Main Campus Common Data Set 2025-26, C9 · Enrolled first-time, first-year score submitters.
Who enrolls at University of Cincinnati-Main Campus?
- Pell Grant recipients
- 18.8%
- Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group
- 15.0%
- First-year retention
- 85.4%
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.
University of Cincinnati-Main Campus enrolls 29,882 undergraduates. 18.8% receive Pell Grants, and an estimated 15.0% arrive as transfers or part-time students.
In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported 5,084 degree-seeking transfer applicants, 2,569 admitted, and 1,302 enrolled. The composition suggests a campus where the entry points are more varied than the first-time, full-time path alone.
Pell-eligible applicants and those considering a transfer should review the net price calculator for their own grant-adjusted cost and check the transfer credit policies for their intended program.
The University of Cincinnati-Main Campus retains 85.4% of its full-time first-year students, above the peer median of 83.1% for comparable institutions. The six-year graduation rate is 75.0%, also exceeding the peer median of 65.0%.
In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported a retention rate of 86% for the first-time, full-time fall 2024 entering class. Pell recipients in the first-time full-time cohort complete at 41.7%, which is 33.3 percentage points below the overall rate.
Enrolled students can expect persistence and completion that run ahead of comparable institutions; Pell recipients complete below the overall rate.
Data & methodology
Sources and reporting periods: methodology.
Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, 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.