Colleges With the Lowest ACT Scores, Ranked

Colleges With the Lowest ACT Scores, Ranked SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The college application process can be stressful, but don't worry, if you hopeto attend a four-year universityand havea low ACTscore, there is quite possiblya collegefor you! In this article, I list the universitieswith the lowest 25th percentile ACTscores for their admitted students. The 25th percentile ACTscore signifiesthat 25% of admitted applicantsto the school received an ACT scoreat or below that number. The 75th percentileACTscore signifiesthat 75% ofadmitted applicantsto the school received an ACT scoreat or below that score (25% scored higher).I will also explainwhy you shouldn’t always judge the colleges by their low 25th/75th percentile ACT. Schools Listed in Ascending Order of 25th/75th Percentile with Admission Rate I compiled this comprehensive list through online research. I chose to organize the schoolsin ascending order by 25th percentile score (rather than the 75th percentile score) so you could see the lowest ACT scores allowed for admission to these universities: School Name 25th Percentile ACT Score 75th Percentile ACT Score Admission Rate Rust College 13 14 9% Shaw University 13 16 61% Livingstone College 13 16 72% Saint Augustines College 13 17 67% Huston-Tillotson University 13 17 46% Virginia Union University 13 17 83% Jarvis Christian College 13 18 100% Paul Quinn College 13 18 99% Cheyney University of Pennsylvania 14 16 88% Lane College 14 17 33% Chowan University 14 18 58% Paine College 14 18 44% Marygrove College 14 19 42% Johnson C.Smith University 15 19 37% Texas Southern University 15 19 45% Cal State Dominguez Hills 15 19 80% Alabama State University 15 20 54% Cal State Los Angeles 15 20 62% Mid-Atlantic Christian University 15 20 Unknown Ferrum College 15 20 74% Southern Vermont College 15 21 75% Why Are Their 25th/75th Percentiles So Low? Should You Be Concerned? There are several possibilities as to why these colleges have lower ACT score averages than other schools.A lot of the universities in this article are specialized colleges offering specific degree programs or a religious education. As such, these colleges may weight other application components more heavily than the ACT score such as artistic talent or religious involvement. For example, Mid-Atlantic Christian University says,"Student candidates who deeply desire an education from a Christian world view; yet who may not meet all of the criteria as outlined above may be admitted to the University in a provisional status and are encouraged to apply." Additionally, several of the universities above have a large difference between the 25th and 75th percentile score (some with a more than 6 point difference).Applicants whose scores were at or below the 25th percentile may have uniques reasons for being admitted such as being the child of a significant donor, a legacy, an athlete, or an exceptional talent (such as a world-renowned opera singer). However, another reason these schools accept applicants with low scores could bedue to theirhigh admission rates; these colleges need to accept morestudents to fill up theirfreshman class. A few of the abovecollegesacceptnearlyevery applicantand, therefore,will have a larger score range. You should not necessarily be concerned by a school’s low 25th/75th percentile.A low ACT average may simply suggest, as I noted above, that the college is choosing to admit students for other reasons. Many universities are no longer even asking for a standardized test score with your application. This does not mean that you should not consider attending one of these schools. All it means is that the admissions offices no longer consider standardized tests to be a good representation of your higher education potential. That being said, many of the universities listed aboveare not known for their stellar academics. If you're looking for an intellectual challenge, these probably are not the schools for you. Unfortunately, there are colleges thatonlyexist to make money, and their alumniend up with hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt. For-profit schools are typicallythe worst offenders, but some non-profit universities also have a lower quality of education and leave their alumni with few job optionsafter graduation. Make sure to choose your college carefully. When choosing where to apply, you should not necessarily take into account their ACT average, but rather you should ask yourself whether that school is right for you: What majors does it offer? Where is it located? Will I get financial aid? For help deciding where to apply to college,check out our guide to finding the right school for you. What’s next? Check out our other articles for help with the college application process: Cheap Out of State Colleges: Top 25 Most Affordable The 37 Most Expensive Colleges in the United States Do Colleges Use Weighted or Unweighted GPA? Should I Go to a Big or Small College? Want to improve your ACT score by 4+ points? Download our free guide to the top 5 strategies you need in your prep to improve your ACT score dramatically. Have friends who also need help with test prep? Share this article! Tweet Dora Seigel About the Author As an SAT/ACT tutor, Dora has guided many students to test prep success. She loves watching students succeed and is committed to helping you get there. Dora received a full-tuition merit based scholarship to University of Southern California. She graduated magna cum laude and scored in the 99th percentile on the ACT. 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