Metropolitan State University
A public university degree program in the heart of Saint Paul is within reach for high schoolers through Metro State PSEO. Metropolitan State University admits juniors with a 3.25 GPA and seniors with a 3.0, and in both cases a 21 ACT composite works as an alternative, so strong test-takers have a second door in. As a Minnesota State university, it offers four-year-level coursework at zero tuition cost to PSEO families.
GPA Requirements
Juniors (11th Grade)
Seniors (12th Grade)
Program Details
About the PSEO program
A public university degree program in the heart of Saint Paul is within reach for high schoolers through Metro State PSEO. Metropolitan State University admits juniors with a 3.25 GPA and seniors with a 3.0, and in both cases a 21 ACT composite works as an alternative, so strong test-takers have a second door in. As a Minnesota State university, it offers four-year-level coursework at zero tuition cost to PSEO families.
Metro State runs one of the most transparent PSEO operations in the state. Its website posts the application deadlines (March 15 for fall, November 1 for spring), downloadable NOSR PDFs you can sign digitally, and, notably, a published list of approved courses PSEO students may register for. That course list is worth reading before you apply, because your options here are curated rather than open-catalog.
Built originally for working adults, Metro State schedules heavily in the evenings and online, which can be a gift or a puzzle for a high school student depending on your day. myPSEO prepares your official NOSR with parent and counselor signatures so the document side is done; the university routes application materials through admissions.documents@metrostate.edu.
Why choose Metropolitan State University for PSEO
University-level credit, not community college credit
PSEO students at Metro State take courses at a four-year public university, which can simplify life later if you continue into one of its bachelor's programs.
ACT score can stand in for GPA
A 21 or higher ACT composite qualifies you regardless of whether your GPA meets the 3.25 junior or 3.0 senior threshold, a flexibility many universities do not offer.
A published approved-course list
You know exactly which courses are open to PSEO students before applying, removing the guesswork that frustrates students at colleges with vague catalogs.
Evening and online scheduling
Because Metro State serves working adults, many sections meet in the evening or online, formats that can slot around a high school day instead of competing with it.
Programs & courses
Writing and communication
University composition courses from the approved PSEO list that satisfy first-year writing requirements at most destination schools.
Social and behavioral sciences
Courses in fields like psychology and sociology that fill Minnesota Transfer Curriculum goal areas while letting students sample majors.
Mathematics
College math options for meeting quantitative reasoning requirements, taken at university level.
Humanities and general education
A curated selection of MNTC-aligned humanities coursework open to PSEO students each term via the published approved list.
Campus & getting there
The main campus sits in Saint Paul's Dayton's Bluff neighborhood on the east side, overlooking downtown, with additional locations around the metro. City bus routes serve the campus, and the university's heavy use of online and evening sections means many PSEO students never need to commute daily at all. For east metro students especially, Metro State is one of the closest ways to take university courses without leaving Saint Paul.
Will my credits transfer?
Metro State is part of the Minnesota State system, so its general education courses carry Minnesota Transfer Curriculum goal areas and transfer smoothly to any Minnesota State college or university. Credits also move to the University of Minnesota and private institutions with typical course-by-course review. Since you are already earning university-level credit, students who stay at Metro State for a bachelor's degree see their PSEO courses apply directly, with no institution change at all.
Metropolitan State University PSEO FAQ
Contact Information
Application Deadlines
Important Dates
Similar PSEO colleges
Compare Metropolitan State University with other Minnesota PSEO institutions.
Community/Technical
Saint Paul College
Saint Paul, MN
Min GPA: 2.8
View PSEO programCommunity/Technical
Minneapolis Community and Technical College
Minneapolis, MN
Min GPA: 3.0
View PSEO programPublic University
St. Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, MN
Min GPA: 3.5
View PSEO programCommunity/Technical
Century College
White Bear Lake, MN
Min GPA: 3.0
View PSEO program