SAT and ACT: Key Differences Between the SAT and ACT

If you’re applying in 2026, understanding which colleges expect ACT scores and how they factor into admissions decisions will help you build a smarter application strategy.

Top 10 Highly Selective Colleges That Consider ACT Scores

“Students who want to take the test should focus less on where the ACT is accepted and more on how their performance compares to each school’s expectations. While the national ACT score is the average around 19 to 20, competitive colleges expect significantly higher results, so aligning preparation with target score ranges is essential”

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The landscape of standardized testing has shifted heading into 2026. Prominent institutions including MIT, Dartmouth, Brown, Yale, Harvard, Cornell, Penn, and Caltech have returned to mandatory testing, with most requiring students to submit either ACT or SAT scores. Understanding where each school stands helps you help you determineexactly how much your score matters for your specific college list.

ACT education research has played a meaningful role in this reversal. Dartmouth argued that test-optional admissions had made it easier to miss strong applicants, especially students from less-resourced backgrounds whose scores would have helped them in context. ACT also serves as an equity tool at many institutions, giving first-generation and low-income students a concrete way to demonstrate academic readiness beyond GPA alone.

Here are the top 10 highly selective colleges that actively consider ACT scores in 2026:

A 33 to 34 ACT score places students right around the middle of the admitted range at Ivy League schools like Cornell and Yale, and many highly selective colleges like Northwestern, NYU, Notre Dame, and UMich. However, once you reach that range, improving by a single point rarely changes outcomes. What separates candidates at this level is the depth and quality of the overall application.

The bigger strategic point is about finding a better fit between your score and your school list. At test-optional schools, students who submit scores at or above the school’s median generally have higher admit rates than non-submitters, so submitting is almost always the right move if your score falls within or above a school’s middle 50%. If your score falls below the 25th percentile at a target school, a better fit may be a school where your score sits comfortably in range rather than forcing an application where the numbers work against you.

Over 90% of four-year colleges remain test-optional or test-free overall, but many of the most prominent selective schools have moved back to required testing. If you are aiming at selective colleges and have reasonable access to testing, the recommendation as of late April 2026 is to plan to take at least one SAT or ACT.

What Is A Good ACT Score For College Admissions?

A “good” ACT score depends on where you’re applying. For most colleges, anything above the national average of 19.5-20.3 is considered competitive. But for top-tier universities, you’ll need a much higher score to stand out. Here’s how ACT scores generally compare:

A good ACT score for you is one that aligns with the expectations of your target schools and strengthens your overall application. Use each college’s published ranges to guide your prep and testing strategy.

What ACT Score Range Do Most Colleges Accept?

There is no single universal ACT score that all colleges require, but understanding the tiers makes it much easier to set the right goal for your specific list of schools.

The national average composite ACT score for the class of 2025 was 19.4, and a score of 24 or higher places students in the top 25% of all test takers nationally, which is where most college admissions experts draw the line for a genuinely competitive score. That said, what counts as competitive shifts dramatically depending on the type of school you are targeting.

The ACT is a national test whose composite score is the average of English, math, and reading scores rounded to the nearest whole number, and each section score is converted from a raw score so that results carry the same meaning regardless of test date.

Many excellent colleges accept students with a score of 20, and with a score at that level students are competitive at approximately 429 institutions and a strong match at 33 schools where the score meets or exceeds the 75th percentile of enrolled students.

ACT and SAT: Which Score Do Colleges Prefer?

“Students deciding whether to take the SAT or ACT should focus on how each test format aligns with their strengths and long-term college goals rather than trying to guess a preference from admissions offices. The most effective approach is to try both formats through practice tests and compare scores to see which exam better reflects their abilities under real testing conditions”

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The short answer is that no college prefers one over the other. All colleges and universities that require standardized testing accept both the ACT and SAT, and admissions counselors have openly stated they do not prefer one test over the other. What matters is the strength of your ACT and SAT scores relative to each school’s middle 50% range, not which test you chose to submit.

ACT vs SAT. Key differences:

The total testing time for the ACT core is 2 hours and 5 minutes, making it the shortest college admissions test. Adding the optional science or writing section requires approximately 40 additional minutes per section. The SAT vs ACT time difference matters for students who work better under tighter pacing versus those who need more time per question.

The SAT gives students between 41% and 44% more time per question than the ACT, so students can show what they know rather than how fast they work. The reading and writing section on the SAT features shorter passages with one question each, while the ACT uses longer passages with multiple questions per passage.

One structural advantage of the SAT is its built-in graphing calculator available throughout the math section, while the ACT only permits a calculator on its math portion and restricts certain calculator types. Students who rely heavily on calculator tools during math work may find the SAT format more comfortable on test day.

SAT or ACT: Decide Which Test to Choose?

Students strong in data analysis often prefer the ACT, while those strong in reading comprehension may lean toward the SAT. If you prefer analytical reasoning, the SAT is a natural fit; if you prefer straightforward speed, the ACT may suit you better.

ACT education research shows the exam is specifically designed to measure college readiness through real curriculum content. Students meeting three or four ACT college readiness benchmarks have a strong likelihood of experiencing success in first-year college courses. ACT allows students to choose between paper and digital formats, giving flexibility that the fully digital SAT does not offer for those who prefer pencil and paper on test day.

The best way to decide which test is right for you is to take the SAT and ACT practice exams under timed conditions and compare your results. Most colleges do not prefer one test over the other, and neither the SAT or the ACT is universally harder. Different students tend to perform better on one versus the other. Whichever direction you go, focusing your preparation on a single exam rather than splitting effort between both is almost always the more effective strategy.

ACT vs. SAT: Score Conversion Chart

Colleges use concordance tables to compare applicants who submitted different standardized test scores, evaluating them on equal footing regardless of which one exam they chose to take.

The most recent ACT and SAT concordance tables were released in 2018 and are not updated annually. Both ACT and the College Board confirmed that these remain the tables colleges and institutions should use for comparison purposes. They remain valid for the digital SAT since the scoring scale of 400 to 1600 has not changed.

Here is the full official ACT comparison conversion chart:

If you have taken both tests, the process for deciding which to submit is to convert both scores using the concordance table, compare the equivalents, and submit whichever score converts to a higher equivalent on the other scale.

Whichever test you choose to submit, the concordance chart can also help you determine whether your score meets scholarship thresholds listed in the other test’s scale. Many merit scholarship programs, state scholarship funds, athletic conference eligibility requirements, and honor program admissions use minimum test score thresholds, and when those thresholds are stated in one test’s scale, concordance tables let students with the other test determine whether they meet the comparable standard.

Alyssa Mendoza, AP Coordinator and College Prep Specialist

Sources: College Board, Harvard University, Yale University, Brown University, Dartmouth College, MIT, University of Florida, University of Texas at Austin, Georgetown University, Georgia Tech, Purdue University