
Stephen F. Austin State University is institutionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award degrees. This accreditation applies to the university as an institution; it is different from accreditation of an individual professional program.
Institutional accreditation matters for access to federal student aid and is often considered when other colleges review transfer credit. It does not require another institution to accept a particular course, however. Likewise, a student seeking a licensed profession should check the relevant program's accreditation or approval and the licensing rules in the state where they intend to work. Nursing, teacher preparation, and other regulated fields can have requirements beyond SFA's institutional accreditation.
First-year applicants generally apply to SFA through an accepted undergraduate application route and submit an official high school record showing graduation or an accepted equivalent. SFA is not an open-admission institution: it reviews applicants' academic preparation, including their school record and class rank where applicable.
SAT and ACT scores are considered but are not universally required in the admissions information reported for SFA. Applicants should distinguish a test-optional admission route from any separate score requirements for a scholarship, academic program, or placement decision. Recommendations and a formal demonstration of competencies are not general admission requirements. International applicants may need to document English proficiency; TOEFL is identified among SFA's English-language requirements.
In the reported first-year admissions cycle, SFA admitted about 94% of applicants. That describes a past applicant pool, not an assurance of admission for a particular student. Applicants with nontraditional credentials, prior college work, or an intended major with additional selection criteria should follow the rules for their own applicant category. Application dates and document deadlines can differ by term and program.
SFA's reported standard undergraduate application fee is $50. The fee is an application charge, not a tuition payment or a deposit that reserves a place in a class.
Applicants who may qualify for a fee waiver should check the waiver instructions for the application route they plan to use before submitting or paying. Eligibility and the documentation needed to request a waiver can depend on applicant circumstances and application method. Transfer, international, and graduate applicants should confirm the charge and waiver procedure for their own application rather than assuming every category uses the same process.
Army ROTC has a unit on SFA's campus. The program offers eligible students a route to military leadership training alongside their degree studies; participation and a scholarship are separate questions.
ROTC scholarships have their own eligibility standards and application processes. Students considering a commission should also understand the training requirements and any service obligation before committing. SFA's campus Army unit should not be taken as evidence that Air Force or Navy ROTC units operate there; applicants interested in those branches need to verify whether a current cross-enrollment arrangement is available.
SFA accepts applications from transfer students and generally considers college credit earned at other accredited institutions. Transfer applicants can enter in fall, spring, or summer, subject to the deadlines and availability of their intended program.
Applicants should expect to provide official transcripts from every college attended. The amount of transferable coursework completed can affect whether SFA also evaluates high school credentials under first-year admission rules. Applicants should check the current transfer-admission GPA and credit thresholds before applying, especially if they have limited college credit or an academic record with withdrawals or repeated courses.
Admission as a transfer student is not the same as acceptance of every prior course toward a chosen degree. SFA evaluates how credits apply to its requirements, and departments may impose additional standards for a major. An official transfer-credit evaluation and a degree plan are more useful for estimating time to graduation than a count of credits alone. Texas community-college students should also review applicable transfer pathways and course equivalencies before registering for classes they intend to bring to SFA.
SFA offers international education opportunities for students interested in earning academic credit abroad. Options may include faculty-led, shorter-term experiences as well as programs arranged through partners; the available destinations and courses can change by term.
The important academic question is how a proposed course will count toward the student's SFA degree. Before paying a program deposit, students should obtain the required academic approval and confirm credit, program fees, travel costs, and any scholarship or financial-aid conditions. A faculty-led SFA course and a third-party program may use different registration and credit-transfer procedures.
17% of admitted students enrolled (2,186 of 12,779)
Application fee
$50Early Decision
NoEarly Action
NoMedian composite SAT score
1070Median composite ACT score
21Percent of students submitting ACT scores
11%Percent of students submitting SAT scores
48%High school completions
General Educational Development (GED) requiredComputer required
NoComputer purchase/lease plan is available in the institution
NoSecondary school GPA
Considered but not requiredSecondary school rank
RequiredSecondary school record
RequiredCompletion of college-preparatory program
Considered but not requiredRecommendations
Neither required nor recommendedFormal demonstration of competencies
Neither required nor recommendedAdmission test scores
Considered but not requiredTOEFL (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
YesAdvanced placement (AP) credits
YesROTC-Army
ROTC branch unit on campusStudy abroad
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
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.