Undergraduate Admissions

Frequently Asked Questions

Undergraduate Admissions

Here are a few of the questions we get most frequently in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. If you don’t find the answer to your question, please contact us. We are here to help.

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Student Experience and Residential Life

Approximately 5,000 undergraduate students (72%) live in campus-owned properties; 95% of first-year students live on campus.

New first-year students entering Quinnipiac semester are required to live in campus housing for their first 3 years of study. In general, first-year and sophomore students live on the Mount Carmel Campus and upperclass students live on the York Hill Campus, in the Whitney Village apartments or in university-owned houses.

Learn more about residential life

Housing is guaranteed for the first 3 years and on a space-available basis in the senior year.

First-year students who live on campus are not permitted to have a car/vehicle. All students may use our free campus shuttle service, which makes convenient stops on all 3 campuses and at nearby shopping centers and restaurants, as well as the New Haven train station.

Our first-year class consists of about 1,800 students who represent about 30+ states and 20+ countries, and have an average GPA of 3.4 on a 4.0 scale.

Learn more about the class profile

Quinnipiac offers more than 140 student clubs and organizations, fitness and recreational/intramural sports, Greek Life, 21 men’s and women’s NCAA Division I athletic teams that hold sporting events throughout the week and on the weekends. Student programming board events and activities, student theater productions, music and dance events, movies, hikes, walking/jogging trails, and student-sponsored events and trips add to the many options available to students. For off-campus activities, the free campus shuttle provides access to area shopping, movies, restaurants and the New Haven train station, which provides access to New York City and Boston.

Learn more about student life

Tuition and Financial Aid

We are committed to helping you explore ways of financing your education. Higher education is a smart investment in your future.

Costs and Budgets

Undergraduate Tuition and Financial Aid

To be considered for need-based federal and Quinnipiac financial aid, please file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on or after it opens but before March 1. Quinnipiac’s FAFSA code is 001402. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is scheduled to open on or around December 1. Applicants are encouraged to file the FAFSA to apply for financial aid as early as possible. Learn more about the FAFSA

Learn more about applying for financial aid

There is no separate application required for academic scholarship consideration. The admissions office notifies admitted students of any scholarship awards in the letter of acceptance.

Learn more about scholarships and grants

The financial aid award comes as a separate communication after acceptance to the university. All merit scholarships are included on the acceptance letter, along with the criteria for renewal.

Learn more about accessing your offer notification

Admissions Requirements and Application Process

Quinnipiac looks for a college preparatory sequence of courses, with a minimum of 16 academic courses including English, math, science, social science and a language. For our health sciences and nursing programs, we look for 4 years of math and 4 years of science courses.

Quinnipiac awards credit for Advanced Placement (AP) courses completed in high school for students who receive a minimum required score on the AP exam. Students who have taken Higher Level (HL) IB courses with a minimum score of 4 also receive credit. Quinnipiac also gives credit for college courses completed as part of the high school curriculum.

Learn more about advanced standing credits

Key Admission Dates

Apply for the fall semester

Application Type	Application Deadline	FAFSA Priority Deadline^{^}	Decision Notifications Sent to Applicants	Matriculation Fee and Housing Deposit Due
Early Decision	November 1	January 15	Mid-November	March 15
Early Action*	November 15	March 1	Early-December	May 1
Regular Decision**	February 1	March 1	Beginning Mid-December	May 1

Early Decision: This application plan is binding.
Early Action and Regular Decision: These application plans are non-binding.

*We strongly encourage candidates to apply Early Action (November 15 application date) for full consideration for the following programs: diagnostic medical sonography, entry-level master’s physician assistant, physical therapy, radiologic sciences and traditional nursing.

**The admissions committee will make every effort to have a decision to applicants within two weeks from the time an application is complete. Priority is given to those applying by February 1. Applications received after February 1 will be considered as part of our Regular Decision program. Check your admissions status

^{^}The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is scheduled to open on or around December 1. Applicants are encouraged to file the FAFSA to apply for financial aid as early as possible. Learn about the FAFSA

Learn more about how to apply

This application option does not affect a student’s chance of admittance to the university and is available to students applying to all majors. Being accepted Early Decision (ED) is binding, so should only be chosen by those who are ready to commit to the university if admitted.

Learn more about applying Early Decision

View the full standardized test score policy

Yes, if students indicate their individual scores on the application or in follow-up materials, we will use those; however, official test scores must be provided prior to enrollment.

View the full standardized test score policy

While we set no specific criteria, strong applicants typically demonstrate at least a “B” average or a cumulative high school GPA of 3.3, SAT scores in the range of 1080-1300, or ACT scores in the range of 22-28. Some programs are highly selective.

Learn more about admission requirements

We require a personal essay that tells us more about who you are, and speaks to your values, goals and aspirations as a student.

We require one letter of recommendation from a teacher, guidance counselor, or someone who can reflect on your dedication and work ethic.

Although we do not require an interview, we welcome the opportunity to talk with you about your goals and Quinnipiac. Interviews are available weekdays year round, and in the fall when counselors are traveling to regional areas. For those at a greater distance, we can arrange a Skype interview, if requested.

Learn more about admission requirements

You can check the status of your application, receipt of documents and the notification of our admission decision using our secure online system.

Check Your Application Status

Within 48 hours of submitting your application, you will receive an acknowledgement email that will contain instructions on how to access your status information and a temporary PIN. Please enter this number as your password. Once you’re logged in, you’ll be prompted to create your own password. If you don’t receive your temporary PIN, please click the “forgot password” link.

We will issue decision notifications according to the following schedule:

Mid-December: Early Decision applicants (applications due November 1)
Mid-January: Early Action I applicants (applications due November 15)
Early February: Early Action II applicants (applications due January 1)
Mid-March: Regular Decision applicants (applications due February 1)

Academics

Yes, students have the option to apply to the Honors Program after acceptance to the university. Students submit an essay, which is reviewed by the program director, and 80-100 incoming first-year students are selected. Students can also apply mid-year during their first year.

Learn more about the Honors Program

Students who do not know which major they would like to pursue have the option to enter the university as an undeclared student in liberal arts, natural sciences, business, communications, engineering or health sciences.

Quinnipiac academic advisers work closely with students who enter as “undeclared,” helping them explore their interests, strengths and goals to, ultimately, choose a major. We suggest that students declare a major no later than the end of their sophomore year. (Certain majors are not open to internal transfers.)

Through the Office of Cultural and Global Engagement, students can arrange a semester abroad in dozens of countries, including Ireland, Australia, Croatia and Spain. Many students participate in faculty-led trips, which can range from 8 days to 3 weeks to places like Japan, Morocco, France, Italy and Costa Rica; some of these trips are community-based travel to help provide care in countries such as Guatemala.

Domestically, the Quinnipiac University in Los Angeles (QU in LA) program offers a broad range of experiences for all majors through either a semester-long internship or a summer internship option. There are also semester options in Washington, D.C., and elsewhere.

Learn more about global education

Learn more about Quinnipiac University in Los Angeles

Learn more about Quinnipiac University in Washington, D.C.

Each academic school/college offers extensive career development resources that specialize in experiential learning opportunities, including internships and clinical experiences at both domestic and international sites.

Learn more about career development options in each college or school:

College of Arts and Sciences Career Development

School of Business Career Development

School of Communications Career Development

School of Education Career Development

School of Engineering Career Development

School of Health Sciences Career Development

School of Nursing Career Development