We have compiled a list of 10 of the top US colleges to consider, for every ACT score range. All you need is 31 or above, and you can apply to Yale or Princeton. If your score falls between 25 and 30, you’ll have a choice from high-quality schools like Indiana University Bloomington and Georgetown University. What’s important is that one’s college goals should not be determined by their ACT score, but that they are mindful of what one can realistically achieve with their current skill set and GPA.
In each category, we’ve compiled a list of schools organized from our 75th percentile rankings on both US News College Rankings and Compass Education Group. The schools listed in alphabetical order are those for which we could not find rank data and those that ranked at least three out of five stars on all the other rankings.
Top photo: Duke University. Photo via Duke University.
Yale University. Photo via Yale University.
The University of Texas at Austin. Photo via The University of Texas at Austin.
Finding the right college has a lot more to do with more than just your ACT score. You also should review grades, extracurriculars, and personal essays in order to make sure you’re applying to the best school for you.
To find a college with the best fit for your academic profile, you’ll want to choose schools that score in your ACT percentile range. For example, reach schools are those scoring in the 25th percentile and safety schools are those scoring in the 75th percentile.
The ACT scoring range was compiled by taking each school’s 25 and 75 percentile of last year’s acceptance class. If your ACT score matches their 75 percentile score, you officially scored higher than 75% of their applicants last year. The best resource to find your schools’ average ACT score is to review their admissions page on their official website. Sources: Compass Educational Group, Niche.com, and U.S. News Best Colleges Rankings
James Madison University. Photo via James Madison University.
While this list is insightful, don’t forget that your ACT score is solely one part of many that college admissions use in their equation to select next year’s students. Though doing your best on the ACT is essential, don’t forget about the other aspects of university admissions calculations, like your grades, extracurricular activities, and personal essays. They all play a role in completing your college application. Also, keep in mind that an excellent strategy for submitting applications is to choose a few “reach” schools (where you are in their bottom 25 percentile) and a few “safety” schools (where you are in their top 75 percentile).
When you’re choosing which colleges to apply to, be sure to select a few reach schools (your score is in the 25th percentile) and safety schools (your score is in the 75th percentile) to apply to.
10 Top-Tier Colleges | An ACT Score of 18 and below
Texas Southern University. Photo via Texas Southern University.
| ACT Score Range | University |
| 15 – 20 | California State University – Los Angeles |
| 15 – 20 | Dean College |
| 15 – 19 | California State University – Dominguez Hills |
| 15 – 19 | Lincoln University of Pennsylvania |
| 15 – 19 | Prairie View A&M University |
| 15 – 19 | Texas Southern University |
| 15 – 19 | Virginia State University |
| 15 – 18 | Bethune-Cookman University |
| 15 – 17 | New Jersey City University |
| 14 – 17 | South Carolina State University |
10 Top-Tier Colleges | An ACT Score of 19 to 24
| ACT Score Range | University |
| 25 – 29 | University of Delaware |
| 19 – 28 | Goshen College |
| 23 – 28 | James Madison University |
| 21 – 27 | High Point University |
| 20 – 26 | California State University – Long Beach |
| 19 – 26 | San Jose State University |
| 19 – 25 | La Salle University |
| 19 – 24 | California State University, Fullerton |
| 19 – 24 | Florida A&M University |
| 20 – 24 | Hampton University |
James Madison University. Photo via James Madison University.
10 Top-Tier Colleges
An ACT Score of 25 to 30
The University of Texas at Austin. Photo via The University of Texas at Austin.
| ACT Score Range | University |
| 29 – 33 | New York University |
| 29 – 32 | Boston University |
| 26 – 32 | University of California, Santa Barbara |
| 26 – 32 | University of California, San Diego |
| 28 – 32 | University of Florida |
| 27 – 32 | The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
| 26 – 31 | University of Georgia |
| 25 – 31 | The University of Texas at Austin |
| 27 – 31 | University of Wisconsin – Madison |
| 25 – 30 | Syracuse University |
10 Top-Tier Colleges | An ACT Score of 31 to 36
| ACT Score Range | University |
| 31 – 35 | Brown University |
| 32 – 35 | Columbia University |
| 31 – 35 | Duke University |
| 32 – 35 | Harvard University |
| 33 – 35 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) |
| 31 – 35 | Princeton University |
| 31 – 35 | Stanford University |
| 32 – 35 | University of Chicago |
| 32 – 35 | University of Pennsylvania |
| 32 – 35 | Yale University |
Yale University. Photo via Yale University.
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