Berea College students walking on campus

Am I Eligible?


Berea College is Unique in American Higher Education

Berea College was founded on a bold principle, opening the doors of higher education to students with unlimited potential and limited financial means. Today, we proudly stand as the only college in America that exclusively serves students with high financial need and strong academic promise. Berea was built for you.

Intentionally designed to offer extraordinary support, Berea empowers students whose circumstances are limited but whose potential is unlimited. If this describes you, Berea may be where you belong. 

Financial Requirements

The financial eligibility requirement is unique to Berea and is a direct response to our mission to serve students from limited financial means. We carefully assess each applicant’s financial eligibility to ensure we are admitting the students we are designed to serve. Estimating your financial eligibility is an important first step in discovering if Berea is your right match.

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Academic Requirements

Berea’s competitive admissions process ensures that admitted students are well prepared for success in a rigorous academic environment. We have a limited number of spaces for each entering class, so we are looking for students who have demonstrated academic potential through coursework, grade point average, and ACT or SAT scores if provided.

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Imagine Yourself Here

We’re looking for students with grit, determination, and a hunger for learning; students ready to take on a top-ranked liberal arts education and turn it into a rewarding career; we value students willing to work, to grow, and who desire to strengthen the bonds between us—to serve, to give back, and to grow as one community. When we review an application, we consider more than just numbers on a piece of paper—we will consider the person you are today and who you hope to become.

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Quick FAQs

No. There are no exceptions to the financial eligibility requirement unless  you are a dependent of a Berea College employee or a dependent of someone who works at a tuition exchange eligible school. (TEI, CIC, ACS).

It’s rare that we admit students who score below our minimums, but if you choose to apply, we encourage you to apply to other schools as backup options. You may also want to review our test-optional policy.

We approach every application holistically, and upward trajectory on a transcript is taken into consideration. We do not have a minimum GPA so you can still apply, but please know the admissions process is competitive.

We often hear our approach to higher education and financial aid must be too good to be true, but there is no catch. We have been operating this way for more than 130 years.

If you know your family can afford to fund (e.g. 529 plans, Coverdell accounts) your college education, Berea is likely not a college option for you. Acceptance to Berea is based not upon how much you can pay, but on whether you meet the college’s financial and academic requirements.

At A Glance
82%

of first year class with a $0 SAI

#1

NYT access index ranking

3.63

average high school GPA of entering class