Skip to Main Content
A-Z Index
2023-2024 University Catalog
threeColumn catalog

First-Time-in-College Admission Requirements

A freshman is a current high school student and applicant who have earned fewer than 12 transferable semester credits after high school graduation. Applicants who received their high school diploma and an Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree at the same time should complete the freshman application.

If an applicant who earned their A.A. degree while in high school is not able to be admitted as a freshman, they will be offered the chance to be reconsidered as a junior-level transfer student.

Application Requirements

Please submit the following materials to the Office of Admissions by the posted deadlines to be considered for admission to UNF. Only minimum requirements for admission are provided; satisfaction of these minimums does not guarantee admission.

  • Online admission application
  • $30 non-refundable application fee or an application fee waiver
  • Official high school transcripts
  • Official transcripts from any credit-earning mechanism
  • SAT and/or ACT score reports
  • Official transcripts from each post-secondary institution attended, including military and dual enrollment transcripts

All transcripts, test scores, and documentation of credit-earning mechanisms must be official, arriving at the Office of Admissions directly from the originating school or testing agency. Official documents are received directly from the awarding institution or delivered in their original, sealed envelope. All application materials must be received by the Office of Admissions by close of business on the posted deadline date to be considered complete.

Admission application

Incoming freshmen may apply for entrance into the spring (January), summer (June), or fall (August) semesters. Applicants may apply for admission up to one year before their intended enrollment term. Applicants are required to submit an online application. UNF also participates in the Common Application. Applicants should apply only using one of these platforms.

Application fee

A $30 non-refundable application fee is required for any application for admission. Acceptable payment methods include MasterCard, Discover, Visa, or American Express when the online application is submitted, or personal check/money order made payable to UNF. Applicants should inquire with their high school guidance office to see if they are eligible for a college application fee waiver.

High school transcripts

It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that official high school transcripts have been received by the Office of Admissions by the posted deadline. Florida public schools should send transcripts electronically via FASTER/SPEEDE, while private and non-Florida schools may mail transcripts to the Office of Admissions.

The Office of Admissions will recalculate a grade point average (GPA) based on the following eighteen academic credits in college preparatory courses. Additional weight is given to grades of "C" or higher earned in honors, dual enrollment, AP, IB, or AICE courses. While students may not have completed all the required courses at the time an application is submitted, they are required to complete them before high school graduation and entrance into UNF.

  • Four (4) years of English
  • Four (4) years of math (Algebra 1 or higher)
  • Three (3) years of natural science
  • Three (3) years of social science
  • Two (2) sequential years of the same foreign language
  • Two (2) years of academic electives

Applicants are required to submit final, official transcripts reflecting graduation from high school no later than 30 days after the start of the term to which they have been admitted. Failure to do so will result in a registration hold being placed on their account until the final documents are received.

Post-secondary transcripts

It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that an official transcript from every post-secondary institution they have attended has been received by the Office of Admissions by the deadline.

Florida College System (FCS) and State University System (SUS) schools should send transcripts electronically via FASTER/SPEEDE, while all other institutions may mail transcripts to the Office of Admissions. The Office of Admissions computes a grade point average (GPA) for each institution attended, as well as a cumulative GPA on all college courses attempted. This computation does recognize plus or minus grades.

Applicants are required to submit final, official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended no later than 30 days after the start of the term to which they have been admitted. Failure to do so will result in a registration hold being placed on their account until the final documents are received.

Transcripts from credit-earning mechanisms

If coursework has been completed through any credit-earning mechanism at the time of application then applicants must submit official transcripts/score reports to complete their applications before the appropriate deadline date. Incomplete applications will not be processed. Credit-earning mechanisms include but are not limited to International Baccalaureate (IB), Advanced Placement (AP), Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE), College Level Exam Program (CLEP), Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education (DANTES), or military SMART/Joint transcripts.

SAT and/or ACT score reports

UNF requires all applicants for freshman admission to submit either SAT or ACT scores.

To have SAT or ACT scores sent to the University of North Florida, contact College Board at www.collegeboard.org or (866) 630-9305. To have ACT scores sent, contact American College Testing Program at www.act.org or (319) 337-1313.

UNF's SAT code is 5490 and its ACT code is 0711.

The first administration of the Redesigned SAT was in March 2016. UNF will accept scores for both versions of the SAT exam for all future terms: those exams taken before March 2016 and those taken after that date. We will continue to use your highest subscore from all tests (also known as your superscore) for both admission and scholarship decisions. We will only superscore on the same version of the exam; we will not mix scores from the two versions.

Home School and G.E.D. Students

Home school applicants must submit transcripts indicating course title, semester, grade, and awarded credit for all academic courses. Please see the UNF Home School Transcript Form for assistance or a template. Official SAT/ACT scores and official transcripts from accelerated mechanisms are also required.

Applicants who received a G.E.D. must submit evidence of passing scores on the subtests of the G.E.D. exams and a G.E.D. diploma, in addition to official SAT or ACT score reports.

State Academic Standards

The Florida Board of Governors has updated the minimum admission standards for freshman applicants to all Florida public state universities listed in BOG Regulation 6.002. Any student who meets the minimum admission standards in BOG Regulation 6.002 is encouraged to apply. Please keep in mind that the minimum standards only outline potential eligibility for admission to a state university. UNF's admission criteria depend on the size and competitiveness of the applicant pool and will be higher than these minimums.

An overall recalculated grade point average in academic course work as computed by UNF and scores on the SAT or the ACT program are combined to meet the minimum established by the Florida Board of Governors and the University. Some applicants who do not meet these established academic criteria, but who bring to the University other important attributes, may be considered for admission.

Decision notification process

When an application for admission is approved, the university will send a notice of admission for a specific term. All applicants are emailed and mailed an official notification. Periodically, e-mails are sent to applicants about missing application documents. Please check your Applicant Status Portal frequently to ensure that all official application documents are received.

All offers of admission are tentative and will remain so until the Office of Admissions receives and reviews final transcripts and credentials. Applicants who are admitted conditionally may enroll, subject to verification of satisfaction of all conditions of admission. Admission offers will be revoked if final coursework/credentials do not meet admission requirements.

Appeals process

An applicant who is denied admission to UNF has a right to appeal that decision. If he or she chooses to appeal, the applicant must submit the appeal form and supporting documentation detailing the reason the application should be reviewed. Supporting documentation that substantiates the appeal may be sent to the address below:

 

Admissions Office at the University of North Florida

c/o The Director of Undergraduate Admissions

1 UNF Drive

Jacksonville, FL 32224

Examples of supporting documentation include:

  • Updated high school transcripts showing improved academic performance
  • Improved SAT or ACT scores sent directly from the testing agency
  • If applicable, post-secondary transcripts showing satisfactory or improved college coursework
  • Documentation to support situations that are out of the student's control, if applicable.

Applicants who wish to appeal based on a disability may submit documentation verifying the disability along with the letter of appeal. If applicable, we recommend that updated transcripts or new test scores are included.

Please note that there is no guarantee an appeal decision will result in admission to the University of North Florida. Please note that the likelihood of a decision will be reversed on appeal is low.

View the University's current official policy.

Tuition deposit after admission

Freshmen are required to submit a $200 non-refundable tuition deposit no later than May 1 to secure their place in the class. The tuition deposit will not be reimbursed if the student does not enroll in the term offered for admission.

The tuition deposit will be credited to the applicant’s account and applied toward the first-semester tuition. If there is a credit balance on the account at the end of drop/add, the balance will be refunded. This deposit can be waived for those who qualified for an SAT or ACT application fee waiver.