Texas Colleges: Compare ACT Scores for Admission

For Students and Parents

Updated May 23, 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 Scores						GPA-SAT-ACT Admissions Scattergram
	Composite		English		Math
Percentile	25th	75th	25th	75th	25th	75th
Austin College	23	29	-	-	-	-	see graph
Baylor University	26	31	25	32	25	29	see graph
Rice University	33	35	33	35	31	35	see graph
St. Edwards University	22	28	22	28	21	26	see graph
Southern Methodist University (SMU)	28	32	28	34	27	31	see graph
Southwestern University	23	29	22	30	22	27	see graph
Texas A&M	24	30	23	30	24	29	see graph
Texas Christian University (TCU)	25	30	26	33	25	29	see graph
Texas Tech	22	27	21	26	21	26	see graph
Trinity University	27	32	27	34	26	30	see graph
University of Dallas	24	31	24	33	23	28	see graph
UT Austin	26	33	25	34	26	32	see graph
UT Dallas	26	32	25	34	26	32	see graph
SAT version of this table
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Test Scores and Your College Admission Application

Realize, 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