Resources For Students & Parents ACT Scores for Admission to Top Texas Colleges A Side-by-Side Comparison of College Admissions Data for 13 Top Schools Share Flipboard Email Print University of Texas at Austin. Amy Jacobson For Students & Parents Test Prep ACT Strategies & Studying Registration Study Skills SAT The GRE The LSAT TOEFL & TOEIC Certifications Homework Help Private Schools College Admissions College Life Graduate School Business School Law School Distance Learning View More by Allen Grove Dr. Allen Grove is an Alfred University English professor and a college admissions expert with 20 years of experience helping students transition to college. Updated January 04, 2019 What ACT scores do you need to get into one of the top Texas colleges or universities? This side-by-side comparison of scores shows the middle 50 percent of enrolled students. If your scores fall within or above these ranges, you're on target for admission to one of these top Texas colleges.Top Texas Colleges ACT Score Comparison (mid 50 Percent) ACT ScoresGPA-SAT-ACTAdmissionsScattergram CompositeEnglishMathPercentile25th75th25th75th25th75thAustin College2329----see graphBaylor University263125322529see graphRice University333533353135see graphSt. Edwards University222822282126see graphSouthern Methodist University (SMU)283228342731see graphSouthwestern University232922302227see graphTexas A&M243023302429see graphTexas Christian University (TCU)253026332529see graphTexas Tech222721262126see graphTrinity University273227342630see graphUniversity of Dallas243124332328see graphUT Austin263325342632see graphUT Dallas263225342632see graphSAT version of this tableWill You Get In? Calculate your chances with this free tool from Cappex Test Scores and Your College Admission ApplicationRealize, of course, that ACT scores are just one part of the application. The admissions officers in Texas will also want to see a strong academic record, a winning essay, meaningful extracurricular activities and good letters of recommendation.You will see that some universities are more selective. A student who was at the 75th percentile for Texas Tech or St. Edwards would be in the bottom 25th percentile for Southern Methodist University or Rice University. That doesn't rule you out altogether if you have a lower score, but it does mean that the rest of your application should be as strong as possible.If you have a lower score and are admitted, you should also consider that your classmates will generally have scored better than you. That may be a good way to keep yourself challenged, but it can also be daunting.The range of scores changes slightly from year to year, but usually no more than a point or two for any university. This data is from that reported for 2015.What Do Percentiles Mean?To calculate the percentiles, all scores of enrolled students were compiled. Half of the enrolled students had scores between the 25th and the 75th percentile. You would be in the average mix of students who applied to that school and were accepted if that is where your score falls. If your score was at the 25th percentile, it is better than the bottom quarter of those who were accepted to that university. However, three-quarters of those accepted scored better than that number. If you score below the 25th percentile, it probably won't weigh favorably for your application for that university.If your score is at the 75th percentile, it is higher than three-quarters of the others who were accepted at that school. Only one-quarter of those accepted scored better than you for that element. If you are above the 75th percentile, this will likely weigh favorably for your application.Data from the National Center for Educational Statistics Continue Reading