
McKendree University is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Institutional accreditation applies to the university as a whole and is an important consideration for federal financial-aid eligibility and the recognition of its degrees.
Some professionally oriented programs may also be subject to separate approval or specialized accreditation. That is particularly important for students pursuing nursing, teaching, or another occupation requiring a license: institutional accreditation alone does not establish that a particular program meets every licensing requirement in every state. Before enrolling, students should check the status of their specific program and the rules of the jurisdiction where they expect to work.
Accreditation also does not guarantee that another college will accept a course in transfer. Receiving institutions decide whether credits fit their own curricula and degree requirements.
First-year applicants generally submit an undergraduate application and a secondary-school record showing graduation or an accepted equivalency credential, such as a GED. McKendree considers high school GPA and coursework; it does not have an open-admission policy.
Reported admissions requirements do not make SAT or ACT scores, class rank, recommendations, or completion of a designated college-preparatory program mandatory for general first-year admission. Applicants should nevertheless check the requirements for their intended program and for any scholarship they hope to receive. Students educated in a language other than English may need to document English proficiency; TOEFL is among the reported proficiency requirements.
In the reported admissions cycle, McKendree admitted 2,199 of 3,066 first-year applicants, an acceptance rate of about 72%. That describes a past applicant pool, not an individual applicant's odds. Applicants should verify the current term's deadlines and whether a particular program has an earlier application or selection process.
Applicants should check the charge, if any, displayed in their chosen McKendree application before submitting it. An application charge is separate from an enrollment deposit, orientation expense, or tuition bill, and charges can differ by application route or applicant category.
Students facing financial hardship should ask admissions about a fee waiver before paying or submitting an application that requests payment. They should also confirm whether graduate, international, or program-specific applications follow the same policy as the general undergraduate application. The amount shown in the active application is more useful for budgeting than a fee quoted for an earlier admission cycle.
McKendree reports access to Army ROTC and Air Force ROTC through cooperating host institutions, rather than describing those units as programs operated directly on its Lebanon campus. Participation may therefore involve travel, scheduling across institutions, and enrollment procedures beyond McKendree's normal course registration.
Interested students should establish which host unit currently accepts McKendree participants, where training occurs, and how ROTC courses count toward their degree. ROTC scholarships have separate selection rules, and commissioning ordinarily entails a military service commitment. An applicant should review the applicable branch's current scholarship and service terms before treating ROTC as a way to finance college.
McKendree accepts transfer applicants and generally considers credits earned at other accredited institutions. Transfer students may enter in the fall, spring, or summer, subject to the schedule and requirements of their intended program.
Applicants should be prepared to provide official transcripts from every college attended. High school records may also be requested depending on an applicant's prior college work or program. Admission to McKendree and acceptance of individual courses are different decisions: a course can be transferable without satisfying a particular major requirement. The university also reports accepting eligible CLEP, DSST/DANTES, and American Council on Education credit recommendations, subject to its evaluation rules.
Before committing to enroll, transfer applicants should request a written evaluation showing how prior work applies to general education, the major, and remaining degree requirements. Those entering nursing, education, or another sequenced program should ask specifically about prerequisite equivalencies, course availability, and the amount of study that must be completed at McKendree.
McKendree students interested in study abroad should work with the university to identify an approved international experience that fits their degree plan. Options can differ in length, destination, academic credit, and whether they are university-led or arranged through another provider.
Approval before departure matters. Students should determine how courses will appear on a McKendree transcript, whether they satisfy major or general-education requirements, and how participation affects their expected graduation date. Costs may include travel, housing, insurance, and program fees in addition to tuition. Financial aid does not automatically cover every overseas program, so students should obtain a program-specific cost and aid review before making a deposit.
19% of admitted students enrolled (413 of 2,199)
Early Decision
NoEarly Action
NoHigh school completions
General Educational Development (GED) requiredComputer required
NoComputer purchase/lease plan is available in the institution
NoSecondary school GPA
RequiredSecondary school rank
Neither required nor recommendedSecondary school record
RequiredCompletion of college-preparatory program
Neither required nor recommendedRecommendations
Neither required nor recommendedFormal demonstration of competencies
Neither required nor recommendedAdmission test scores
Neither required nor recommendedTOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language
RequiredOther Test (Wonderlic, WISC-III, etc.)
Neither required nor recommendedOpen admission policy
NoDual credit
NoCredit for life experiences
NoAdvanced placement (AP) credits
YesOrientation program
YesDisabilities services
YesOff-campus study
YesROTC-Army
ROTC branch unit at a cooperating host institutionROTC-Air Force
ROTC branch unit at a cooperating host institutionStudy abroad
YesWeekend/evening college
YesStudent can complete their preparation in certain areas of specialization
NoPreparation at another institution required
NoApproved by the state for initial certification or licensure of teacher
YesGenerally accepts credits
YesAccept ACE recommendation for credit
YesPossible transfer
Fall, Spring, SummerData last updated on November 5, 2026
Data sources: IPEDS 2024-25, Peterson 2026, College Scorecard 10/2026, Clery 2024 (2023-24), OpenAlex 2026
Figures on this profile come from federal and third-party datasets in the editions listed above and are refreshed periodically, so they may differ from what the institution currently reports. Confirm costs, deadlines and requirements with the school before making decisions.