Texas Christian University

TCU is selective but not a reach for a solid student. It admitted about 48% of roughly 22,700 applicants in the most recent cycle, enrolling around 2,754 first-years. Admission rests on a holistic review where the rigor of your courses and your GPA carry the most weight.

TCU does not publish a hard GPA cutoff or an average GPA, and it weighs academic GPA and course rigor as very important. Among the 36.5% of enrolled first-years who reported a class rank, about 46% finished in the top tenth of their high school class and 78% in the top quarter, so a strong upward-trending record in challenging classes is what reads best.

Yes. TCU is test-optional, so you choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores, and scores are only considered when sent rather than required. Among enrolled students who did submit, the middle 50% scored 1110–1330 on the SAT and 26–31 on the ACT.

A 1300 is competitive and lands in the upper half of TCU's admitted range. The middle 50% of enrolled first-years scored 1110–1330 on the SAT, with a median near 1240, so a 1300 sits just below the 75th percentile. Because TCU is test-optional, send a score in this band and pair it with strong grades.

TCU offers two binding Early Decision rounds (ED I and ED II) alongside non-binding Early Action, and the Early Decision pool admits at a higher rate than the overall 48%. For the most recent class, TCU admitted about 935 of 1,373 Early Decision applicants, roughly 68%. ED is binding, so apply that way only if TCU is your clear first choice.

Tuition and required fees run about $66,610 per year, with food and housing adding roughly $18,780 on top. About 40% of first-years receive need-based scholarship or grant aid, with an average need-based award near $50,804, and TCU meets about 79% of demonstrated need on average for first-years.

Business and marketing dominate at about 33% of bachelor's degrees, reflecting the strength of the Neeley School of Business. Communication and journalism (13%) and the health professions (11%) follow, with psychology and the social sciences rounding out the most-conferred fields.

Yes. TCU rates the application essay as an important factor in its holistic review, alongside extracurriculars, character, and recommendations, while GPA and course rigor are weighed as very important. With test scores only considered, a specific, well-revised essay is one of the clearest ways to stand out in a holistic file.

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