Reed: the complete school report for parents
Reed puts the most weight on course rigor, GPA and the essay. A second tier of recommendations, personal qualities and class rank carries real weight too. It does not consider test scores. With a 29.2% admit rate and 50% of enrolled students at a 4.0 GPA or above, the transcript is the entry ticket and scores are not part of the picture.
Reed is officially Reed College. Admissions figures below come from its 2025-2026 Common Data Set (see the source), with the admission-factor grid re-read from that file on 2026-09-20.
What does Reed actually weigh in admissions?
Reed rates 3 of the 18 factors "Very Important": course rigor, GPA, the essay. It does not consider 3 of them at all. Every college reports these weights in section C7 of its Common Data Set; below is Reed's 2025-2026 answer, read from the grid in its own file.
| Factor | How Reed rates it |
|---|---|
| course rigor | Very Important |
| GPA | Very Important |
| test scores | Not Considered |
| the essay | Very Important |
| extracurricular activities | Considered |
| recommendations | Important |
| personal qualities | Important |
| talent | Considered |
| class rank | Important |
| demonstrated interest | Considered |
| the interview | Important |
| legacy | Considered |
| first-generation status | Considered |
| geography | Considered |
| state residency | Not Considered |
| volunteer work | Considered |
| work experience | Considered |
| religious affiliation | Not Considered |
Does Reed consider how hard my child’s courses were?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors. The senior-year schedule should keep its AP, IB or honors depth rather than lighten.
Does Reed consider GPA?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors.
Does Reed consider SAT or ACT scores?
No. Reed is test-blind, so SAT and ACT scores are not read even if you send them.
Does Reed consider the application essay?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors. The essay is doing as much work as the transcript.
Does Reed consider extracurricular activities?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Reed consider recommendation letters?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does Reed consider character and personal qualities?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does Reed consider a special talent or ability?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Reed consider class rank?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does Reed consider demonstrated interest?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Reed consider an interview?
Yes. It is an important factor. Offer to interview if invited; it carries real weight here.
Does Reed consider legacy status?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor. It can act as a tiebreaker but will not carry a weak application.
Does Reed consider being first-generation?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor. Say so on the application; it is read as context.
Does Reed consider where we live?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Reed consider state residency?
No. Reed does not consider it.
Does Reed consider volunteer work?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Reed consider work experience?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Reed consider religious affiliation?
No. Reed does not consider it.
What GPA do admitted students actually have?
50% of enrolled students had a 4.0 GPA or above. The average was 4 on a 4 scale, reported for 87.43% of the entering class. This is the school’s own distribution, not an estimate from its admit rate.
| High school GPA | Share of enrolled students |
|---|---|
| 4.0 | 50.17% |
| 3.75–3.99 | 28.76% |
| 3.50–3.74 | 13.71% |
| 3.25–3.49 | 6.02% |
| 3.00–3.24 | 1.34% |
| 2.50–2.99 | 0% |
| 2.00–2.49 | 0% |
What is the Reed waitlist really like?
Reed offered a place on its waiting list to 5,305 applicants and 2,597 accepted one. 110 were ultimately admitted. That is 4.2% of those who waited.
Is transferring in easier than applying as a freshman?
Reed admitted 20.4% of 294 transfer applicants, against 29.2% of first-year applicants. The two routes are similarly competitive here.
When do we apply, and does timing change the odds?
Reed reports its early rounds below.
| Regular application deadline | Not reported |
|---|---|
| Decisions released | February 15 |
| Reply / deposit deadline | May 1 |
| Early Decision offered | Yes |
| Early Decision deadline | November 15 |
| Early Decision II offered | Yes |
| Early Decision II deadline | December 20 |
| Early Action offered | Yes |
| Early Action deadline | November 15 |
| Application fee | $0 |
| Fee waiver available | Not reported |
| Deferred admission offered | Yes |
What will Reed actually cost us?
Families pay an average of $33,013 a year at Reed after grants and scholarships, against a published in-state tuition of $73,960. The published price is not what most families pay. The university reports meeting 100% of demonstrated need on average. It also gave 68 merit awards averaging $17,294 to first-years with no demonstrated need.
50% of Reed graduates borrow, leaving with an average of $26,598 in debt, which the federal data puts at about $228 a month in repayment. Reed’s net price calculator gives your own figure.
Does a degree from Reed pay off?
Graduates earn a median $62,927 ten years after entering, and $38,607 at six years. 70% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years. 85% are actively paying down their loans three years in.
Will my child actually graduate?
90% of first-years return for a second year. 59% graduate within four years and 73% within six (2019 cohort). The rate holds up across income: 67.0% of Pell-grant recipients graduate within six years against 73.0% of everyone else, a gap of 6.0 points.
How big are the classes?
83% of class sections have fewer than 20 students, while 0% have 100 or more. The student-faculty ratio is 9:1, and 95% of faculty are full-time. Accredited by Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.
What is life at Reed like?
1,267 undergraduates. 100% of freshmen live in university housing, falling to 76% across all undergraduates. Greek life is small: 0% of men join a fraternity and 0% of women a sorority, and the median family income is $71,777.
What this means for your student
- Course rigor is rated Very Important here, so the senior-year schedule should hold its AP, IB or honors depth rather than lighten.
- 50% of enrolled students are at a 4.0 GPA or above, averaging 4. Below that line the rest of the application has to carry real weight.
- Do not spend money on test preparation for Reed: scores are not read even if you send them.
- The waitlist is live but thin: 110 of 2,597 who waited were admitted, about 4%.
- See where your student actually stands: calculate their GPA and compare it against the distribution above.
Common questions about Reed
What GPA do you need for Reed?
50% of enrolled students at Reed had a high school GPA of 4.0 or above, and the average was 4, according to its 2025-2026 Common Data Set.
Does the Reed waitlist move?
2,597 students accepted a place on the Reed waiting list and 110 were admitted in the 2025-2026 cycle.
What do Reed graduates earn?
Reed graduates earn a median $62,927 ten years after entering, and 70% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years.
Other schools families compare with Reed
- Cal State San BernardinoAdmissions report · 94.3% admit rate
- California State University-San MarcosAdmissions report · 95.1% admit rate
- NAUAdmissions report · 89.6% admit rate
- College of CharlestonAdmissions report · 73.0% admit rate
- Jacksonville State UniversityAdmissions report · 73.2% admit rate
- TROYAdmissions report · 95.3% admit rate
Where these numbers come from
Admissions figures: Reed’s 2025-2026 Common Data Set, published here, factor grid re-read from it on 2026-09-20. Earnings, debt, net price and graduation rates: College Scorecard (2022-2023). Unreported values show as “Not reported”.