The Minnesota Office of Higher Education (OHE) is inviting new high schools to participate in Direct Admissions Minnesota for the 2026-27 academic year.
The Direct Admissions Minnesota program is designed to encourage all graduating seniors to consider themselves “college material.” Every fall, 55 colleges and universities in the state review the academic records of seniors at participating high schools to determine students that qualify for admissions. Once that review is complete, students receive communication about which institutions are ready to grant them proactive admission. Students can select the institutions that they are interested in and apply for free, knowing they will be accepted.
There is no cost for high schools to participate in the program. Direct Admissions received funding from the 2023 Minnesota Legislature to continue to expand its partnerships. New high schools will receive some funding to assist with costs related to staff time and/or to assist with program events at the high school.
Interested high schools are invited to attend a virtual information session on the following dates:
Each session provides the same content and is an opportunity for high schools to ask questions. The sessions cover a program overview, the implementation process, roles of staff at high schools, and support resources. Recommended audience for the information sessions include superintendents, high school principals, high school counselors, and college access staff members.
High schools that are interested in participating in the program should complete the Direct Admissions High School Interest Form by March 31st, 2026. High schools may also apply directly or ask additional questions by contacting the Direct Admissions program Coordinator Aaron Salasek at Aaron.Salasek@state.mn.us.
Direct Admissions by the Numbers
When looking at the 2025-26 school year:
- 55 Minnesota colleges and universities participating in Direct Admissions.
- 257 high schools in Minnesota participated in Direct Admissions.
- 125 participating high schools are in the 7-county metro
- 132 participating high schools are in Greater Minnesota
- 61 Minnesota counties have at least one participating high school
- 40,395 high school seniors are enrolled at participating high schools and therefore eligible to benefit from Direct Admissions
For more information on outcomes for the Direct Admissions program, read the 2026 legislative report.
