ACT Scores for Admission to Top Washington Colleges

A Side-by-Side Comparison of College Admissions Data for 11 Top Schools

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Updated on February 24, 2020

Are your ACT scores good enough for admission to one of the top Washington colleges? The comparison table below shows scores for the middle 50% of enrolled students. If your scores fall within or above these ranges, you're on target for admission to one of these top Washington colleges. Note that 25% of applicants had scores below the range shown below.

Top Washington Colleges ACT Scores (mid 50%)
(Learn what these numbers mean)

	Composite 25%	Composite 75%	English 25%	English 75%	Math 25%	Math 75%
Evergreen State College	19	27	18	28	17	24
Gonzaga University	26	30	25	32	25	29
Pacific Lutheran University	21	27	21	27	21	27
Seattle Pacific University	21	27	20	26	21	29
Seattle University	24	29	23	31	24	28
University of Puget Sound	-	-	-	-	-	-
University of Washington	27	32	25	33	27	33
Washington State University	20	26	19	25	19	26
Western Washington University	22	28	22	29	20	27
Whitman College	28	32	-	-	-	-
Whitworth University	23	29	22	30	23	29

View the SAT version of this table

Don't give up on a college is your ACT scores are below the lower number in table above. Selective colleges have holistic admissions, so they are looking at the whole applicant, not just numerical measures such as standardized test scores. For all schools, a strong academic record is going to be the most important part of your application. The admissions folks will want to see good grades in challenging courses. All AP, IB, Honors, and dual enrollment classes you take will strengthen your application and help show that you are prepared for college.

Specific requirements will vary from school to school, but most will also want to see a winning application essay, meaningful extracurricular activities and good letters of recommendation. Strengths with these non-numerical measures can help make up for ACT scores that are slightly less than ideal. At some schools, you can further improve your chances of getting in by applying through an Early Action or Early Decision program. Applying early helps demonstrate your commitment to the school, and colleges want to admit the students who are most eager to attend.

The SAT is more popular than the ACT in Washington, but both exams are accepted by all of the colleges in the table. Take whichever exam is better suited to your strengths. Also note that the University of Puget Sound is one of the hundreds of colleges nation-wide that is test-optional. If you don't think your ACT scores will strengthen your application, you are welcome to submit two short essays instead of test scores.

Data from the National Center for Educational Statistics

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Grove, Allen. "ACT Scores for Admission to Top Washington Colleges." ThoughtCo, Oct. 29, 2020, thoughtco.com/act-scores-for-top-washington-colleges-788831. Grove, Allen. (2020, October 29). ACT Scores for Admission to Top Washington Colleges. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/act-scores-for-top-washington-colleges-788831 Grove, Allen. "ACT Scores for Admission to Top Washington Colleges." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/act-scores-for-top-washington-colleges-788831 (accessed June 2, 2023).