ACT Scores for Admission to Top Washington Colleges

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

Whitworth University
Whitworth University. bikeride / Flickr

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 March 28, 2024).