Does Bethel require a statement of faith for PSEO?

No. Traditional Bethel undergraduates complete one, but PSEO applicants do not. You should still expect a campus with an active Christian culture, but your own religious background is not an admission requirement.

How competitive is admission to Bethel PSEO?

Meeting the criteria is necessary but not the whole game: seats are limited and go to qualified applicants first come, first served. Submitting a complete application early in the window is the most reliable way to secure a spot.

What are Bethel's PSEO deadlines?

For spring, applications are due November 1 with enrollment confirmation by December 1. Fall deadlines land in early May, but because seats fill in order, treat the posted deadline as a last-resort date rather than a target.

Can I take Bethel PSEO classes online?

Yes, Bethel offers online options alongside on-campus courses in Arden Hills, and PSEO covers both. Many students mix one campus visit day with online coursework to protect their high school schedule.

What is Bethel's campus like for a high schooler?

Suburban, lakeside, and compact enough to navigate quickly. PSEO students use the same classrooms, library, and study spaces as undergraduates, and the small-university scale means professors generally know who you are by week two.

Private College

Bethel University

Saint Paul, Minnesota

Seats at Bethel University's PSEO program go to qualified applicants first come, first served, and that single fact should shape your whole timeline. Bethel is a private Christian university in Arden Hills with limited dual enrollment capacity, so students who apply the week the window opens have a real advantage over equally qualified students who wait.

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GPA Requirements

Juniors (11th Grade)

3.0 GPA

OR≥ 24 ACT Composite

OR75th Percentile on nationally standardized test

Seniors (12th Grade)

3.0 GPA

OR≥ 24 ACT Composite

OR75th Percentile on nationally standardized test

Program Details

Accepts 10th GradersNo

CTE Courses AvailableNo

Term Systemsemester

About the PSEO program

Qualifying takes one of three things: a 3.0 GPA, a 24 ACT composite, or a 75th percentile score on a nationally standardized test. That OR structure helps test-strong students whose grades dipped, and grade-strong students who have never sat for the ACT. Both juniors and seniors are eligible under the same criteria.

One detail surprises many families: Bethel does not require a faith statement from PSEO applicants, even though traditional undergraduates complete one. You will be studying at a university with a clear Christian identity and chapel culture, but the dual enrollment door is open regardless of your religious background. Free college classes on a lakeside suburban campus, north of St. Paul, with small-university teaching.

Why choose Bethel University for PSEO

No faith statement required

Unlike Bethel's traditional admission process, PSEO applicants are not asked to sign a statement of faith, making the program accessible to students of any background who want a private university classroom.

Three independent ways to qualify

A 3.0 GPA, a 24 ACT, or a 75th percentile standardized test score each works on its own, so one weak metric does not disqualify you.

Private university credit at zero tuition

Bethel's sticker price runs tens of thousands per year; PSEO students take the same courses from the same professors for free, and the credits sit on a Bethel transcript.

Early birds win seats

With limited spots filled first come, first served, applying early is not just advice at Bethel, it is the actual admission mechanic. Prepared students convert; procrastinators wait a semester.

Programs & courses

General education core
Writing, communication, and humanities courses that anchor Bethel's liberal arts curriculum and translate into gen-ed credit at most receiving colleges.
Sciences for pre-health students
Biology and chemistry coursework at a university known for sending graduates into nursing and health professions, useful groundwork for competitive programs.
Psychology and social sciences
Introductory psychology and related courses that are perennial PSEO favorites and near-universal transfer currency.
Business and economics
Foundation courses for students considering business school, taught in Bethel's discussion-friendly class sizes.
Online course options
Bethel offers online sections that let PSEO students add university credit without commuting to Arden Hills every day.

Campus & getting there

Bethel's 247-acre campus wraps around Lake Valentine in Arden Hills, a northern suburb about 15 minutes from both downtown St. Paul and Roseville, just off Highway 51 and Interstate 694. Students from Mounds View, Roseville, White Bear Lake, Shoreview, and northeast metro districts have the shortest commutes. Driving is the practical way in, and online sections give students from farther out a way to take Bethel courses without the daily trip.

Will my credits transfer?

Bethel University is regionally accredited and its credits are broadly transferable, with the usual private-college caveat that each receiving school makes its own equivalency decisions. Core liberal arts courses typically satisfy general education requirements at Minnesota State universities, the University of Minnesota, and other privates, though Bethel courses are not automatically tagged to Minnesota Transfer Curriculum goal areas the way public college courses are. Students who continue at Bethel apply every PSEO credit straight into their degree.

Bethel University PSEO FAQ

One of three things: a 3.0 cumulative GPA, a 24 ACT composite, or a score at the 75th percentile or higher on a nationally standardized test. The same criteria apply to juniors and seniors; sophomores are not eligible.