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Admissions & selectivity

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# Winona State University Acceptance Rate & Admissions

Updated October 1, 2026

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

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## What is the acceptance rate at Winona State University?

Winona State University’s reported acceptance rate is 75.5%.

**Acceptance rate · Fall 2024**
75.5%

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

Admission at Winona State University is more limited than at comparable institutions, with 75.5% of applicants admitted. The published rate sits below the median of 85.9% for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Applicants should place this rate alongside those at other colleges when building an application list. It describes a past applicant pool rather than forecasting an individual admission decision.

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

SAT and ACT ranges are not available for Winona State University in the data shown here. Missing scores do not establish whether tests are required, optional or excluded from review.

Figures cover fall 2024.

## Who enrolls at Winona State University?

**Pell Grant recipients**
24.2%

**Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group**
27.9%

**First-year retention**
79.0%

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.

At Winona State University, undergraduate enrollment includes both students receiving federal grant aid and people continuing coursework after transferring. The university enrolls 5,144 undergraduates; 24.2% receive Pell Grants, a measure of financial access, and an estimated 27.9% enter as transfers or part-time students.

That mix suggests that attendance includes more than one route into a degree, rather than only students beginning college there. These figures describe who attends the university, not admission priorities or any applicant’s odds.

Winona State University’s completion record sits above the benchmark for comparable institutions, giving enrolled students a clearer expectation of persistence through a degree. Its [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) for the first-time full-time cohort is 56.9%, compared with 49.1% at comparable institutions (same type and size).

First-year retention among full-time bachelor’s-seeking entrants is 79.0%, versus a peer median of 73.7%. Pell recipients in the cohort complete within six years at 57.4%, above the overall rate by 0.5 percentage points.

Enrolled students can expect retention and completion figures that both exceed the relevant peer medians.

## 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/).