Several major states have adopted or considered college admissions plans that give a top percentage of high school graduates automatic admissions. Among them:
- Texas: The state’s percent plan guarantees admission to students ranked in the top 10 percent of their high school classes. Qualified students are guaranteed admission to any public institution in the state.
- Florida: The state’s percent-based plan grants a space at one of Florida’s state universities to students ranked in the top 20 percent of their high school classes.
- California: The top 12.5 percent of students at all California high schools are guaranteed a spot in the University of California system. But those who fall between 4 percent and 12.5 percent first must attend a community college for two years.
- Pennsylvania: The state briefly considered—but never adopted—a plan that would have admitted students ranked in the top 15 percent of their high school classes.
- Colorado: The state had considered a percent plan for awarding merit-based financial aid, but opted instead to set a minimum 3.0 grade point average for retaining scholarships from year to year.
