ACT Score Comparison for Admission to Washington D.C. Colleges

A few of the universities in the District of Columbia have highly selective admissions, so you'll probably need strong standardized test scores to get in. After you get back your ACT scores, the table below can help you figure out if those scores are on target for admission to your top choice D.C. colleges. The table shows ACT scores for the middle 50% of matriculated students.

ACT Scores for District of Columbia Colleges (mid 50%)

(Learn what these numbers mean)

* View the SAT version of this table

If your scores fall within or above these ranges, you're in a good position for admission. If your scores are a little below the bottom number, Keep in mind that 25% of enrolled students have scores below those listed. Be sure to keep the ACT in perspective and don't lose sleep over it. A strong academic record typically carries more weight than standardized test scores. Also, some of the schools will look at non-numerical information and want to see a winning essay, meaningful extracurricular activities and good letters of recommendation. Factors such as legacy status and demonstrated interest can also make a difference.

Since these schools generally have holistic admissions, some students with lower ACT scores (lower even than the ranges listed here) can still be admitted, if they have otherwise strong application, while some students with higher scores (but weaker applications) may not get in.

If you have enough time, you can also retake the exam--then, you have the option of submitting the higher of the two scores to your schools. Sometimes, an admissions office will let you resubmit scores after turning in your application. Check with the schools you're applying to to see if that's an option.

Note that the SAT is far more popular than the ACT in Washington D.C., but all the schools will accept either exam.

If you want to check out a profile for any of the school listed here, just click on its name in the chart. These profiles have more details about admissions, along with financial aid information, enrollment and graduation stats, and more helpful data for prospective students.

You can also check out these other ACT links:

ACT Comparison Charts: the Ivy League | top universities | top liberal arts colleges | more top liberal arts | top public universities | top public liberal arts colleges | University of California campuses | Cal State campuses | SUNY campuses | More ACT charts

ACT Tables for Other States: AL | AK | AZ | AR | CA | CO | CT | DE | DC | FL | GA | HI | ID | IL | IN | IA | KS | KY | LA | ME | MD | MA | MI | MN | MS | MO | MT | NE | NV | NH | NJ | NM | NY | NC | ND | OH | OK | OR | PA | RI | SC | SD | TN | TX | UT | VT | VA | WA | WV | WI | WY

Most data from the National Center for Educational Statistics