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

A Side-by-Side Comparison of ACT Admissions Data for Washington D.C. Colleges

Georgetown University
Georgetown University. Kārlis Dambrāns / Flickr / CC by 2.0

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)

Composite
25%
Composite
75%
English
25%
English
75%
Math 25% Math 75%
American University 26 31 26 32 24 28
Capitol Technology University 19 26 17 26 18 28
Catholic University of America
Corcoran College of Art and Design
Gallaudet University 14 20 13 19 15 19
George Washington University 27 32 27 34 26 31
Georgetown University 30 34 31 35 28 34
Howard University 22 28 22 29 21 26
Trinity Washington University test-optional admissions test-optional admissions test-optional admissions test-optional admissions test-optional admissions test-optional admissions
University of the District of Columbia open-admissions open-admissions open-admissions open-admissions open-admissions open-admissions

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

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Grove, Allen. "ACT Score Comparison for Admission to Washington D.C. Colleges." ThoughtCo, Oct. 29, 2020, thoughtco.com/act-score-washington-dc-colleges-788720. Grove, Allen. (2020, October 29). ACT Score Comparison for Admission to Washington D.C. Colleges. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/act-score-washington-dc-colleges-788720 Grove, Allen. "ACT Score Comparison for Admission to Washington D.C. Colleges." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/act-score-washington-dc-colleges-788720 (accessed April 26, 2024).