Admission Requirements
ACE General Admission Requirements
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- Complete and submit all application components including the admission application, the enrollment agreement and payment agreement.
- Submit the nonrefundable application fee. *
- Provide official transcripts from an institution that is accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education indicating successful completion of the level of education required for entry to the program. **
- Secure electronic transcripts can be mailed to [email protected].
*The application fee is valid for one year from date of submission.
**Additional evidence may be required to fulfill state requirements, including but not limited to verification of professional experience, test scores, or an interview.
Program Admission Requirements
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- Transcript showing Masters’ or doctoral level
- Minimum grade point average 2.50 on a 4.00 scale for full admission
- Minimum cumulative grade point average 2.0 on a 4.0 scale for provisional admission
- Must provide evidence of active unencumbered registered nursing (RN) license
- Applicants must achieve and maintain a 3.0 GPA throughout their program
International Transcript Requirements
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All applicants must submit, to the Admissions Office, an official evaluation from a NACES-approved organization.
- Transcripts that are international and/or not in English must be evaluated through a NACES-recommended agency.
- Texas applicants for licensure programs may only submit evaluations from agencies approved by the Texas Education Agency.
- International applicants must request the course-by-course evaluation. The evaluation report must show that the non-U.S. education is equivalent to the education/accreditation level required for the program.
English as a Second Language Applicants
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All applicants whose first language is not English must demonstrate competence in the English language as demonstrated in one of three ways:
- Submission of an official transcript showing a degree from a United States secondary school or regionally accredited college/university.
- Submission of an official minimum score on the paper or internet-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exams.
- The minimum TOEFL score required for the internet-based version is 80, and the paper-based version requires a minimum TOEFL score of 20 for each of the three skills: Reading, Listening and Writing.
- The minimum IELTS score required is 6.5. Note: IELTS is not acceptable for Texas programs leading to certification.
- The testing agency must send test scores directly to American College of Education.
- Applicants to the Texas Educational Leadership program whose first language is not English must submit a minimum scaled score of 24 for speaking, 22 for listening, 22 for reading and 21 for writing from the Internet-Based TOEFL (IBT) or evidence of an undergraduate or graduate degree earned at an institution of higher education in a country outside of the United States listed in Figure: 19 TAC §230.11(b)(5)(C).
1Lightcast Study
2CollegeTuitionCompare. Competitor pricing reflects out-of-state tuition for public schools and annual costs rather than total program cost. As master’s programs commonly span multiple academic years, total costs at comparison institutions may exceed the annual amounts shown. Accessed July 9, 2026.
3Across all ACE Programs. See Student Right to Know. Accessed May 28, 2026
4Education Data Initiative. Accessed January 28, 2026
5Internal research completed in November 2025
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