Hamline University
Taking free college classes at Minnesota's first university is a real option for high-achieving high schoolers. Hamline University, founded in 1854 in Saint Paul, admits PSEO students into its liberal arts classrooms, and the bar reflects the setting: the university looks for roughly a 3.5 GPA or a top 15 percent class rank. If your transcript is strong, Hamline PSEO offers a private-university experience on the state's dime.
GPA Requirements
Juniors (11th Grade)
Seniors (12th Grade)
Program Details
About the PSEO program
Taking free college classes at Minnesota's first university is a real option for high-achieving high schoolers. Hamline University, founded in 1854 in Saint Paul, admits PSEO students into its liberal arts classrooms, and the bar reflects the setting: the university looks for roughly a 3.5 GPA or a top 15 percent class rank. If your transcript is strong, Hamline PSEO offers a private-university experience on the state's dime.
The application here is more involved than at a community college, and that is worth planning for. First-time applicants email the state NOSR form, Hamline's own PSEO application with a personal statement, and their transcript to pseo@hamline.edu. Recent cycles closed June 1 for fall (with decisions in early July) and November 16 for spring, so students eyeing the spring semester should have materials moving by early November.
myPSEO takes care of the state paperwork, generating the official MDE NOSR and routing it for parent and counselor signatures, which leaves you free to spend your energy where Hamline will actually notice it: the personal statement.
Why choose Hamline University for PSEO
Minnesota's oldest university
Hamline has been teaching in Saint Paul since 1854. PSEO students join a small private university with deep roots, not an overflow section, and the name carries weight on a transcript.
Small liberal arts classes in the capital city
Classes are discussion-based and personal, in Saint Paul's Hamline-Midway neighborhood. For students who want professors who know them by week two, this is the format.
A selective program that reads like a college application
The personal statement and transcript review mean admission is earned, and going through it junior or senior year is a low-stakes rehearsal for the real college application season.
Clear, published deadlines and decisions
Hamline posts firm dates and turns decisions around on a schedule, so you are not left guessing where your application stands.
Programs & courses
Writing and English
Hamline has a strong writing tradition, and composition and literature courses here anchor a transferable liberal arts record.
Social sciences
Psychology, sociology, and political science courses that let students explore majors while satisfying common general education requirements elsewhere.
Natural sciences and math
Foundational biology, chemistry, and mathematics coursework for students keeping STEM or pre-health plans on track.
Business and economics
Introductory courses for students testing an interest in business, management, or economics at a liberal arts scale.
Campus & getting there
Hamline's campus sits in the Hamline-Midway neighborhood of Saint Paul, between the downtowns of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. The Green Line light rail and Snelling Avenue bus routes stop close by, making this one of the most transit-reachable private colleges in the state, a real advantage for students without a car. Courses are in person on campus, so metro-area students are the natural fit for Hamline PSEO.
Will my credits transfer?
Private university credits like Hamline's transfer on a course-by-course basis rather than through the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum, but standard liberal arts coursework moves cleanly to the University of Minnesota, Minnesota State campuses, and private colleges nationwide. Keep your syllabi, and if you later enroll at Hamline itself, PSEO credits apply directly to your degree. For a specific destination school, run your planned courses past that school's transfer office before registering.
Hamline University PSEO FAQ
Contact Information
Application Deadlines
Important Dates
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