McPherson College
McPherson, Kansas · Private · 872 undergraduates · mcpherson.edu
Test policy (fall 2027)
Varies by applicant
Depends on the applicant
Admit rate
77%
of 1,846 applicants
SAT (middle 50%)
968 to 1173
of enrolled freshmen
Annual cost (2027-28)
$63,290Est.Estimate
before aid
Your chances and merit aid at McPherson College
See where you stand for admission, how much merit aid you could get, and what you'd pay after it.
We started you at a typical enrolled freshman here. Move the sliders to match you.
Your admission chances
77% of applicants admitted
Target
Your SAT is inside the range where the middle half of enrolled freshmen scored, and your GPA is in the middle half of freshmen's.
Estimated merit aid
a year
Your cost after merit aid
$63,290
a year in 2027-28, from a $63,290 sticker price
What to do with your 1088
Send your score
Your SAT is at or above the median of freshmen who sent scores (1088).
Reach, target and likely are a rough guide from your test score and how selective the college is. Admissions also weigh your courses, grades, essays and activities. Merit aid figures are estimates, before any need-based aid.
Admissions
Test policy for fall 2027
Varies by applicant
Whether you need a score depends on your situation; check the college's rules.
- Reviews applications as they arrive, so applying early helps.
Source: Admissions Requirements - McPherson College · Checked October 17, 2026
Who gets in
77%
of applicants were admitted: 1,417 of 1,846 for fall 2024.
Test scores of enrolled freshmen (fall 2024)
The shaded part shows the middle half of enrolled freshmen who sent scores: a quarter scored below it and a quarter above. 10% of them sent SAT scores and 22% sent ACT scores.
SAT total 968 to 1173
Reading and Writing 470 to 620
Math 490 to 580
ACT composite 18 to 23
How enrolled freshmen scored on the SAT
- 1400 to 16003%
- 1200 to 139916%
- 1000 to 119948%
- 800 to 99926%
- 600 to 7996%
- 400 to 5990%
Source: Common Data Set 2024-2025
High school GPA of enrolled freshmen
Average GPA: 3.36
- 4.02%
- 3.75 to 3.9915%
- 3.50 to 3.7422%
- 3.25 to 3.4918%
- 3.00 to 3.2419%
- 2.50 to 2.9918%
- Below 2.506%
Cost and financial aid
The sticker price is what a year costs before any aid. Most students pay less after grants and scholarships.
Sticker price for 2027-28Estimate
$63,290
a year
- Tuition$40,630
- Fees$1,530
- Food and housing$12,880
- Books and supplies$1,540
- Transportation and other$6,710
McPherson College published $58,498 for 2025-26. Its 2027-28 prices aren't out yet.
Source: Common Data Set 2024-2025
What families actually pay
What a year cost on average after grants and scholarships, for freshmen who got federal aid in 2023-24, by family income.
- $0 to $30,000$25,485
- $30,001 to $48,000$24,119
- $48,001 to $75,000$27,662
- $75,001 to $110,000$30,464
- Over $110,000$31,148
Financial aid
62%
of a student's financial need is covered, on average
$7,061
average need-based grant to freshmen, money you don't repay
4.1%
of freshmen got merit aid without financial need, $13,624 on average
- FAFSA
- Required for need-based aid. It's the free federal aid form.
- CSS Profile
- Not required. Only the FAFSA is needed.
Source: Common Data Set 2024-2025
Merit scholarships
Awards for grades and scores, on top of need-based aid. You don't repay them.
Kansas programs for residents
Kansas State Scholarship (State Scholar designation)
$1,000 a year
State program · In-state students
- 3.00+ GPA, Designated Kansas State Scholar; Complete Kansas Scholars Curriculum; take ACT by December of senior year; designation by KBOR index; financial need (FAFSA + State of Kansas Student Aid Application by July 1)
Compare awards across colleges with the merit aid calculator.
AP credit
AP exams that earn credit can replace college courses, so you pay for fewer of them and may graduate sooner.
AP exams that earn credit
34 of 34
Earn credit with a score of 3
34 exams
A 3-credit course is worth
about $4,060Est.Estimate
at 2027-28 tuition
Credit for each AP exam
| Exam | Score needed | Credits | Counts as |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-D Art and Design | 3 | 3 | AR103: Elementary Design |
| 3-D Art and Design | 3 | 3 | AR350: Sculpture I |
| Art History | 3 | 4 | AR310: Art History I |
| Biology | 3 | 4 | BI112: College Biology II |
| Calculus AB | 3 | 4 | MA111: Calculus I |
| Calculus BC | 3 | 8 | MA111: Calculus I and MA112: Calculus II |
| Chemistry | 3 | 3 | CH101: Principles of Chemistry |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 3 | 3 | ML108-OC: Modern Language |
| Comparative Government and Politics | 3 | 3 | HI101: Historical Intro to Politics |
| Drawing | 3 | 2 | AR101: Drawing I |
| English Language and Composition | 3 | 3 | EN110: College Composition I |
| English Literature and Composition | 3 | 3 | Humanities Credit |
| Environmental Science | 3 | 4 | NS141: Environmental Science |
| European History | 3 | 3 | HI220: Modern Europe |
| French Language and Culture | 3 | 3 | ML108-OC: Modern Language |
| German Language and Culture | 3 | 3 | ML108-OC: Modern Language |
| Human Geography | 3 | 3 | SO320: Urban Sociology |
| Italian Language and Culture | 3 | 3 | ML108-OC: Modern Language |
| Latin | 3 | 3 | Humanities Credit |
| Macroeconomics | 3 | 3 | EC201: Elementary Economics - Macroeconomics |
| Microeconomics | 3 | 3 | EC204: Elementary Economics - Microeconomics |
| Music Theory | 3 | 3 | Elective Credit |
| Physics 1 | 3 | 4 | PH215: General Physics I |
| Physics 2 | 3 | 4 | PH216: General Physics II |
| Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism | 3 | 5 | PH206: College Physics II |
| Physics C: Mechanics | 3 | 5 | PH205: College Physics I |
| Pre-Calculus | 3 | 4 | MA106: Pre-Calculus |
| Psychology | 3 | 3 | PY101: Introduction to Psychology |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 3 | 3 | ML108: Spanish I |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 3 | 3 | ML308: Spanish Language Literature |
| Statistics | 3 | 4 | MA221: Elementary Applied Statistics |
| United States Government and Politics | 3 | 3 | PS102: U.S. Government |
| United States History | 3 | 3 | HI140: American History to 1877 |
| World History: Modern | 3 | 3 | HI110: World Civilization to 1500 |
Source: AP credit policy
After college
Graduate within 6 years
43%
Come back for a second year
65%
Typical earnings
$51,560
a year, 10 years after starting here
- McPherson College$62,947
- All colleges$86,253
Median yearly earnings of graduates five years after finishing a bachelor's in this major. 3 majors here have earnings data.
Keep exploring
Figures marked Estimate are our estimates, not numbers the college published. Check each college's own site before you apply. SAT is a trademark of College Board, and ACT is a trademark of ACT, Inc. Sharp is not affiliated with either, or with McPherson College. The McPherson College logo is a trademark of the college.