Which Colleges Superscore the ACT®

Answer sheet for ACT exam

It is crucial to know how to leverage multiple ACT® scores when applying to colleges. Know which colleges superscore the ACT and see how it works?

Answer sheet for ACT exam

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If you have taken the ACT ® more than once, it is important to know how to use your scores to highlight your best performance when applying to colleges. Many colleges consider your highest section scores from multiple tests rather than your single test composite score, thus giving you an opportunity to superscore. In this blog, we will discuss which colleges superscore the ACT and why they accept it.

What Does Superscore Mean?

Superscoring means selecting your highest section scores from multiple tests to get a new final score. As you already know, there are four mandatory sections on the ACT – English, Math, Reading, and Science. The final ACT score ranging from 1-36 is the average of the scores from these four sections. Note that you also have an optional writing section on the ACT but its scores do not contribute to your final score.

To superscore your ACT, compare your scores from each attempt and choose the best score from each section. After choosing your highest section scores, divide the sum of the scores by four to obtain your new final score. If the result is in a decimal form, round it up to the nearest whole number.

To learn in detail how superscoring works, read our blog on ACT superscore. Also, make sure to check out our ACT scoring guide to understand how ACT scores are calculated.

List of Colleges That Superscore the ACT

There are many colleges that superscore the ACT in the United States. To save you time, we have compiled a list of colleges that superscore the ACT. Refer to the table below as you start submitting your applications to colleges.

College/University State College/University State
Abilene Christian University TX Auburn University at Montgomery AL
Adelphi University NY Augustana University SD
Agnes Scott College GA Austin College TX
Albion College MI Averett University VA
Albright College PA Babson College MA
Alderson-Broaddus College WV Baldwin Wallace University OH
Allegheny College PA Baylor University TX
Amherst College MA Bellarmine University KY
Antioch College OH Beloit College WI
Appalachian State University NC Bennington College VT
Bentley University MA Brenau University GA
Berea College KY Bridgewater College VA
Berry College GA Bridgewater State University MA
Biola University CA Bryant University RI
Bloomfield College NJ Bryn Mawr College PA
Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania PA Bucknell University PA
Boston College MA Butler University IN
Boston University MA California Polytechnic State University CA
Bowdoin College ME California State Polytechnic University, Pomona CA
California University of Pennsylvania PA Cleveland Institute of Art OH
Calvary Bible College and Theological Seminary MO Coastal Carolina University SC
Canisius College NY Colgate University NY
Carson-Newman University TN College of St. Benedict/Saint John's University MN
Cedar Crest College PA College of the Atlantic ME
Cedarville University OH College of the Holy Cross MA
Central Connecticut State University CT College of Wooster OH
Christendom College VA Colorado State University CO
Claremont McKenna College CA Columbia University NY
Clark University MA Connecticut College CT
Cornell College IA Duquesne University PA
Creighton University NE Earlham College IN
Delaware Valley University PA East Carolina University NC
Denison University OH East Texas Baptist University TX
DePaul University IL Eckerd College FL
DePauw University IN Elmira College NY
DeSales University PA Elon University NC
Dickinson College PA Endicott College MA
Drexel University PA Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts NY
Drury University MO Fairfield University CT
Fashion Institute of Technology, State University of New York NY Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering MA
Flagler College FL Frostburg State University MD
Florida Institute of Technology FL Furman University SC
Florida International University FL Gannon University PA
Florida Southern College FL Georgetown College KY
Florida State University FL Georgia College & State University GA
Fordham University NY Georgia Institute of Technology GA
Fort Lewis College CO Gettysburg College PA
Franklin & Marshall College PA Gonzaga University WA
Franklin College IN Goucher College MD
Greensboro College NC High Point University NC
Grinnell College IA Hiram College OH
Grove City College PA Hobart and William Smith Colleges NY
Guilford College NC Hofstra University NY
Hamilton College NY Hollins University VA
Hampden-Sydney College VA Hood College MD
Hampton University VA Huntingdon College AL
Hanover College IN Husson University ME
Harvey Mudd College CA Illinois Institute of Technology IL
Hawai'i Pacific University HI Immaculata University PA
Indiana State University IN John Carroll University OH
Indiana University East IN Johns Hopkins University MD
Indiana University Northwest IN Juniata College PA
Indiana University of Pennsylvania PA Kalamazoo College MI
Indiana University South Bend IN Kean University NJ
Indiana University Southeast IN Keene State College NH
Indiana University--Bloomington IN Kennesaw State University GA
Indiana University-Kokomo IN Kentucky State University KY
Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis IN Kenyon College OH
Iona College NY Kettering University MI
King University TN Lehigh University PA
King's College (PA) PA Lewis & Clark College OR
Knox College IL Lincoln University (MO) MO
La Roche University PA Linfield College OR
La Salle University PA Louisiana State University--Baton Rouge LA
Lake Erie College OH Loyola Marymount University CA
Lake Forest College IL Loyola University of Chicago IL
Lawrence University WI Lycoming College PA
Le Moyne College NY Lynn University FL
Lebanon Valley College PA Marian University IN
Marist College NY Meredith College NC
Marlboro College VT Merrimack College MA
Marquette University WI Messiah College PA
Mary Baldwin University VA Miami University OH
Massachusetts College of Art and Design MA Millersville University of Pennsylvania PA
Massachusetts Institute of Technology MA Millsaps College MS
McDaniel College MD Minneapolis College of Art and Design MN
McMurry University TX Misericordia University PA
Menlo College CA Monmouth University (NJ) NJ
Mercer University GA Montclair State University NJ
Mount Holyoke College MA North Carolina State University NC
Mount Saint Mary's University CA College/University State
Mount St. Joseph University OH Northern Arizona University AZ
Muhlenberg College PA Northwestern University IL
Multnomah University OR Northwood University MI
Nazareth College NY Occidental College CA
New College of Florida FL Ohio Dominican University OH
New York University NY Ohio University--Athens OH
Niagara University NY Olivet College MI
Norfolk State University VA Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) TX
Parsons The New School for Design NY Rice University TX
Patrick Henry College VA Robert Morris University PA
Point Loma Nazarene University CA Rochester Institute of Technology NY
Portland State University OR Roger Williams University RI
Presbyterian College SC Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology IN
Principia College IL Rutgers University-Camden NJ
Radford University VA Rutgers University-New Brunswick NJ
Randolph College VA Rutgers University-Newark NJ
Randolph-Macon College VA Sacred Heart University CT
Regis University CO Saint Anselm College NH
Saint Francis University (PA) PA Sarah Lawrence College NY
Saint Joseph's College (IN) IN Schreiner University TX
Saint Leo University FL Scripps College CA
Saint Martin's University WA Seton Hall University NJ
Saint Mary's College (IN) IN Shepherd University WV
Saint Michael's College VT Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania PA
Salve Regina University RI Siena College NY
San Diego State University CA Simmons University MA
San Francisco Art Institute CA Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania PA
Santa Clara University CA Soka University of America CA
South Carolina State University SC St. Olaf College MN
Southern University of New Orleans LA Stanford University CA
Southwestern University TX State University of New York - New Paltz NY
Spelman College GA State University of New York - Potsdam NY
St. John Fisher College NY State University of New York - University at Albany NY
St. John's College (MD) MD State University of New York at Geneseo NY
St. John's College (NM) NM State University of New York—Alfred State College NY
St. John's University (NY) NY State University of New York--Fredonia NY
St. Lawrence University NY State University of New York--Oswego NY
St. Mary's University TX State University of New York--Purchase College NY
State University of New York--Stony Brook University NY Texas Lutheran University TX
State University of New York--The College at Brockport NY Texas Tech University TX
Stockton University NJ The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina SC
Susquehanna University PA The College of Saint Scholastica MN
Swarthmore College PA The Culinary Institute of America NY
Syracuse University NY The New School College of Performing Arts NY
Tabor College KS The University of Chicago IL
Taylor University IN The University of Findlay OH
Temple University PA The University of Saint Francis (IN) IN
Texas Christian University TX The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley TX
The University of the South TN United States Air Force Academy CO
Thomas More College KY United States Merchant Marine Academy NY
Toccoa Falls College GA United States Military Academy NY
Towson University MD University of Arkansas--Fayetteville AR
Transylvania University KY University of Central Arkansas AR
Trine University IN University of Central Florida FL
Trinity University TX University of Colorado--Boulder CO
Tufts University MA University of Dallas TX
Union College (KY) KY University of Dayton OH
Union College (NY) NY University of Denver CO
University of Florida FL University of Michigan--Ann Arbor MI
University of Georgia GA University of Michigan-Flint MI
University of Hawaii-Manoa HI University of Missouri MO
University of Kansas KS University of Missouri-Saint Louis MO
University of La Verne CA University of New England ME
University of Maine at Farmington ME University of New Haven CT
University of Maryland, Baltimore County MD University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill NC
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth MA University of North Carolina at Greensboro NC
University of Massachusetts-Amherst MA University of North Carolina-Charlotte NC
University of Miami FL University of North Dakota ND
University of North Florida FL University of Saint Thomas (MN) MN
University of North Georgia GA University of San Francisco CA
University of Oklahoma OK University of Scranton PA
University of Oregon OR University of South Florida FL
University of Pittsburgh at Bradford PA University of South Florida St. Petersburg FL
University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown PA University of Southern Indiana IN
University of Portland OR University of St. Thomas (Texas) TX
University of Puget Sound WA University of Tampa FL
University of Rhode Island RI University of Tennessee at Martin TN
University of Rochester NY University of Tennessee- Knoxville TN
University of the Incarnate Word TX Vassar College NY
University of the Ozarks AR Villanova University PA
University of Tulsa OK Virginia Tech VA
University of Vermont VT Wabash College IN
University of West Georgia GA Wagner College NY
Upper Iowa University IA Warren Wilson College NC
Ursinus College PA Washington & Jefferson College PA
Ursuline College OH Washington University in St. Louis MO
Valparaiso University IN Waynesburg University PA
VanderCook College of Music IL Webb Institute NY
Wesleyan University CT Whitworth University WA
West Virginia University WV William & Mary VA
Western Connecticut State University CT William Paterson University NJ
Western Michigan University MI Williams College MA
Western New England University MA Winthrop University SC
Westfield State University MA Wittenberg University OH
Westminster College of Salt Lake City UT Wofford College SC
Wheaton College (IL) IL Woodbury University CA
Wheeling Jesuit University WV Worcester Polytechnic Institute MA
Whitman College WA Xavier University (OH) OH

Why Do Colleges Superscore?

While submitting your admission application to colleges, you might be wondering why some colleges accept superscores. Here are a few reasons:

  1. It helps universities in maintaining their reputation.
    Instead of focusing on the results of a single test, colleges that superscore ACT are able to report higher test score averages across all admitted students through superscoring. This helps in maintaining their good name.
  2. At least two ACTs are taken by the majority of students.
    The fact that many students retake the ACT at least twice to prepare for college admissions is known to all the schools. When taking the test again, schools that superscore ACT have observed that students perform better in at least one section.
  3. Your academic potential cannot be determined by a single test result.
    Your level of preparation, your sleeping and eating schedule before the test, and having any personal issues that may affect your focus—all have an impact on how well you perform on the test.

Why do some colleges not accept ACT superscore?

To qualify for superscoring, students need to take multiple tests and submit their best scores to colleges. This raises the already prohibitive cost of college applications. So, in order to lessen the financial burden on students, some colleges decide against superscoring. In addition, superscoring is also not taken into account because for some colleges sending in ACT scores is optional.