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Admissions Checklist

First-Year Applicant Checklist

Admission Application

Get started with your Admissions application by completing your Bear App. You can also apply via the Common App. We encourage you to apply and submit all required materials by our Early Action Deadline, December 1.

Application Fee

UNC has a $50 application fee (nonrefundable; payable by credit or debit card). Students who qualify for a need-based fee waiver or provide a valid fee waiver code will have their fee waived upon submission. 

Transcript

Your official high school transcript should be sent directly to UNC from your high school. See below for all options for submission.

Test Scores

UNC is test-optional and applicants are not required to provide SAT or ACT test scores. If applicants choose to submit test scores, they will be utilized during our application review process. ACT or SAT scores can be sent to us directly using our school codes:

ACT: 0502

SAT: 4074

Be sure to check with major specific requirements

If you’re applying for a program in the School of Music or School of Theatre Arts and Dance, check here to see what additional application materials may be required.

Learn about UNC's First-Year Colorado Guarantee offering a pathway to guaranteed admission!

First-Year Document Submission Options

All documents and credentials can be submitted through Naviance (if available through your high school) or submitted one of the following ways:

Mail

Office of Admissions
Campus Box 10
501 20th St. 
Greeley, CO 80639

Fax

970-351-2984

Email

Use email for PDF documents.

admissions@unco.edu

Fall Semester

March 1st

Hard deadline: August 1

Spring Semester

November 1st

Hard deadline: December 1

Summer Semester

March 1st

Hard deadline: May 1

Admission Criteria

Learn about UNC's First-Year Colorado Guarantee offering a pathway to guaranteed admission! UNC welcomes applications from students with diverse academic backgrounds and interests. For admission decisions, UNC considers:

1

Your overall academic performance, which includes the courses you completed and the grades you earned thru your junior year and the courses you are planning to take your senior year.  Your cumulative high school GPA is also reviewed.

The middle 50 percent of our admitted first-year students have GPAs ranging from 3.07–3.83.

2

The completion of the following recommended college prep units or high school courses:

  • Four years of English
  • Four years of math (Algebra II or higher)
  • Three years of natural/earth science (two years must include lab work)
  • Three years of social science (at least one year must be in U.S. or world history)
  • One year of a foreign language
  • Two years of electives

3

We will consider additional factors that may have influenced your prior academic performance. If you have something on your academic record that needs explanation, you can submit a short essay. If you believe a personal statement or SAT or ACT test would help us get to know you better, please let us know, and we will include that in our review of your high school academic experience. More information about admission criteria can be found here. If you're unsure, ask us. We are here to help.


Athletes

Prospective NCAA Division I student-athletes are required to submit standardized (ACT/SAT) test scores to the NCAA Eligibility Center for NCAA initial-eligibility purposes.

Homeschooled Students

Homeschooled students applying to UNC are expected to meet the same academic standards of other first-year students, with the focus being on college preparation coursework.  Homeschool students should submit a transcript as part of their application.  Homeschooled students who graduated before spring 2021 and have not attended a college after graduation will be required to self-report their SAT or ACT test scores if the student has taken the test.

If a student doesn’t have a transcript, they should create one that includes:

  • Student’s name
  • Date of birth
  • All course work they have taken in grades 9-12
  • The assessment used for the homeschool program (A, B, Pass, etc).

UNC will use the calculated cumulative GPA that is provided on the transcript. Official final high school transcripts are required with a graduation date after the student has completed all of their coursework. If your homeschool program hasn’t used a GPA scale, the proxy GPA set by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education is 3.3. 

Admission-based scholarships are awarded to homeschool students based on first-year scholarship standards. Students can also apply for other institutional aid through the Office of Financial Aid.

Non-graded High School Work

If your high school program does not use a GPA scale, the proxy GPA set by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education is 3.3.

Find Your Counselor

Get your questions answered.

Reach out to one of our admission counselors with any questions about applying and being accepted to UNC. 

FIND YOUR COUNSELOR

 

Bringing Credits to UNC

AP and IB Credit

Any Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate credits earned may be used toward the 120-credit minimum requirement for college graduation. When you take the AP or IB examination(s), request that your scores be sent to the University of Northern Colorado’s Office of Admissions. UNC will then evaluate your test scores for credit and notify you of the results. 

The tables below show the specific courses and credit to be awarded based on score(s) on the various examinations.

  •  
     
  • Advanced Placement (AP) Credit Chart
    Test Name Score UNC Equivalency Hours LAC
    Art History 4-5 ART 190 3 3a

    Art Studio: Drawing, 2D/3D

    4-5  ELECTIVE 3  
    Biology
      
    3 BIO 100 3 6
    4 BIO 110 4 6
    5 BIO 110, 111 8 6
    Chemistry
      
    3 CHEM 103 3  
    4 CHEM 111 5 6
    5 CHEM 111, 112 10 6
    Chinese and Language Culture 3 CHIN 201 3 3d/7
    4-5 CHIN 201, 202 6 3d/7
    Computer Science A 4-5 CG 120 3  
    English Language /
    Composition
    3 ENG 122 3 1a
    English Literature/Composition 4-5 ENG 122, 123 6 1a/1b
    4-5 ENG 122, 131 6 1a/3b
    Environmental Science 4 ENST 100 3 6
    European History 4-5 HIST 121 3 4
    French Language & Culture or Literature 3 FR 201 3 3d/7
    4-5 FR 201, 202 6 3d/7

    German Language & Culture

    3 GER 201 3 3d/7
    4-5 GER 201, 202 6 3d/7

    Gov’t / Poli Comp

    3-5

    PSCI 200

    3  

    Gov't / Poli US

    3-5

    PSCI 100

    3 5a

    Human Geography

    3-5

    GEOG 200

    3 5b

    Japanese Language & Culture

    3

    JAPN 201

    3 3d/7
    4-5

    JAPN 201, 202

    6 3d/7
    Math- Calculus AB 3-5

    MATH 131

    4 2

    Math- Calculus BC

    3-5 MATH 131, 132 8 2

    Music (all scores must be 4 or 5)

    4-5

    MUS 113, 114

     4  

    Music (all scores must be 5)

    5

    MUS 113, 114, 115, 116

    8  

    Physics (B)

    3-5

    PHYS 220, 221

    10 6

    Physics (C) Mechanical

    3-5 PHYS 240 5 6

    Physics (C) Electrical

    3-5

    PHYS 241

    5  

    Psychology

    3-5

    PSY 120

    3 5c

    Spanish Language

    3-5

    SPAN 101, 102

    10 7

    Spanish Literature

      
    3

    SPAN 101, 102

    10 7
    4

    SPAN 101, 102, 201

     13 7/3d
     5

    SPAN 101, 102, 201, 202

    16 7/3d
    Statistics 3-5

    STAT 150

    3 2
    United States History 3

    HIST 100

    3 4
    4-5

    HIST 100, 101

    6 4
    World History 3

    HIST 112

    3 4
    4-5

    HIST 112, 113

    6 4
  • International Baccalaureate Credits Chart (IB)
    Test Name Score UNC Equivalency Hours LAC

    Anthropology

    Standard 4 ANT 100 3 5c
    Higher  4 ANT 100, 110 6 5c/7

    Visual Art

    Standard 4 ART Elective 3  
    Higher 4 ART Elective 6  

    Biology

        
    Standard 4 BIO 100 3 6
    Higher 4 BIO 110 4 6
      5 BIO 110, BIO 111 8 6

    Chemistry

    Higher

    4 CHEM 111 5 6
      5 CHEM 111, 112 10 6

    Economics

    Standard

    4 ENG 122 3 1a

    Higher

    4 ENG 122, 123 or 131 6 1a and 1b or 3b

    Environmental Systems

    Standard

    4 ENST 100 3 6

    Standard

    5-6 ENST 100, 265 6 6

    Film Studies

    4 ELECTIVE 3  

    Foreign Language

        

    A Standard

    4

    FR, GER or SPAN 301

    3  

    B Standard

    4

    FR, GER, CHIN, JAPN or SPAN 201

    3 3d/7

    A Higher

    4

    FR, GER or SPAN 301, 302

    6  

    B Higher

    4

    FR, GER, CHIN, JAPN or SPAN 201, 202

     6 3d/7

    Geography

    Standard

    4 GEOG 100 3 5b

    Higher

    4 GEOG 100, 200 6 5b

    History - Americas

    Standard

    4 HIST 100 3 4

    Higher

    4 HIST 100, 101 6 4

    History - European

    Standard

    4 HIST 120 3 4

    Higher

    4 HIST 120, 121 6 4

    History - World

    Standard

    4 HIST 112 3 4

    Higher

    4 HIST 112, 113 6 4

    Math

    Standard

    4

    MATH 124, 127

    4 2

    Higher

    4

    MATH 127, 131

    8 2

    Math Studies

    Standard

    4 MATH 124 4 2

    Music

    Standard

    6-7 MUS 140 3 3a

    Higher

    6-7 MUS 113, 114, MUS 140 7 3a

    Philosophy

    Standard

    4 ELECTIVE 3  
    Higher 4 ELECTIVE 6  

    Physics

    Standard

    4 LAC ELECTIVE (no lab credit) 3  

    Higher

    4 PHYS 220, 221 10 6

    Psychology

    Standard

    4 ELECTIVE 3  

    Higher

    4 PSY 120, ELECTIVE 6 5c

    Theatre

    Standard

    4 THEA 130 3 3a

    Higher

    4 THEA 100, 130 5 3a

HAVE QUESTIONS?

Reach out to our admission counselors and they can walk you through the whole process, from start to finish! 

GED Applicants

Did you take the GED?  Check out our GED Application Checklist.

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