What colleges accept a 17 ACT score?
Based on 2021 freshman class ACT scores for all U.S. colleges, here are 245 schools where submitting a 17 with your college application places you around the middle ACT score range of admitted students. This list represents the most popular schools where you will be a competitive applicant and those which have historically accepted a 17 ACT score. Keep in mind, an ACT score alone won't get you admitted. It's equally important to have the GPA that the college is expecting for incoming students.
A score of 17 is pretty low. It places you in the bottom 31st percentile nationally out of the 2 million test takers of the ACT entrance exam. The score indicates you've done a well below average job answering the questions on the English, Math, Reading and Science sections of the test. Since your score is on the lower end of the range, consider taking a test prep course and re-taking the ACT to see if you can do better.
For comparison purposes, a 17 on the ACT converts to a 930 on the SAT based on the College Board / ACT concordance. Not all colleges report both SAT and ACT score admission data so you should check our comparable listings for both standardized tests to find academically similar schools.
Here are some of the top ranked colleges which have historically accepted students in this test score range. Scroll down further to explore, search, sort and filter the full list.
College | Average ACT |
---|---|
Rutgers University Camden | 21 |
University of Alaska Fairbanks | 22 |
Augsburg College | 20 |
Gallaudet University | 17 |
University of La Verne | 20 |
Judson University | 22 |
Thomas University | 20 |
The University of Texas of the Permian Basin | 20 |
Saint Peter's University | 22 |
Wayland Baptist University | 19 |
University of New Mexico Main Campus | 21 |
MidAmerica Nazarene University | 20 |
Fresno Pacific University | 20 |
Mercy College of Ohio | 18 |
Southwestern College | 19 |
245 results nationwide
Displaying 245 colleges where your 17 ACT score is within the typical range of past accepted students. You have a chance at being accepted but admission may be challenging at more selective colleges. Hint: Filter by admission chance for 693 target schools (good chance), 1,542 reach (harder) schools and 1,182 safety (easier) schools you can consider.
Public 4 Year
0 reviews
19 Average ACT Composite
Test Optional
#18 Best Public Universities in California
Applications Due May 1
Public 4 Year
0 reviews
17 Average ACT Composite
Test Optional
#26 Best Public Universities in California
Public 4 Year
0 reviews
20 Average ACT Composite
Test Optional
#21 Best Public Universities in California
Private 4 Year
0 reviews
18 Average ACT Composite
Test Optional
#15 Best Private Colleges in Georgia
Applications Due May 1
Public 4 Year
5 reviews
18 Average ACT Composite
Test Optional
#9 Best Public Universities in Maryland
Applications Due Nov 1
Public 4 Year
2 reviews
17 Average ACT Composite
Test Optional
#12 Best Public Universities in Alabama
Applications Due Mar 1
Public 4 Year
1 reviews
19 Average ACT Composite
Test Optional
#12 Best Public Universities in North Carolina
Applications Due May 1
Public 4 Year
3 reviews
17 Average ACT Composite
Test Optional
#25 Best Public Universities in Texas
Applications Due Apr 30
Public 4 Year
6 reviews
20 Average ACT Composite
Test Optional
#10 Best Public Universities in New Jersey
Applications Due May 31
Public 4 Year
0 reviews
18 Average ACT Composite
Test Optional
#14 Best Public Universities in Virginia
Applications Due May 1
Public 4 Year
0 reviews
20 Average ACT Composite
Test Optional
#4 Best Public Universities in Oregon
Applications Due Mar 1
Public 4 Year
2 reviews
18 Average ACT Composite
Test Optional
#24 Best Public Universities in California
Applications Due Apr 1
Public 4 Year
3 reviews
17 Average ACT Composite
#12 Best Public Universities in Georgia
Applications Due Jul 15
Public 4 Year
0 reviews
20 Average ACT Composite
Test Optional
#17 Best Public Universities in California
Applications Due May 31
Public 4 Year
2 reviews
16 Average ACT Composite
#10 Best Public Universities in Georgia
Applications Due May 1
Public 4 Year
0 reviews
20 Average ACT Composite
#8 Best Public Universities in Georgia
Applications Due Apr 1
Public 4 Year
1 reviews
19 Average ACT Composite
Test Optional
#23 Best Public Universities in California
Public 4 Year
2 reviews
20 Average ACT Composite
Test Optional
#14 Best Public Universities in Texas
Applications Due May 31
A score of 17 is pretty low. The score puts you in the bottom 31st percentile of those who take the test. Explore colleges you can get into with a 17 ACT score.
San Francisco State University, California State University Los Angeles and California State University Sacramento are some of the best colleges that you have a competitive chance of getting into. Explore the full list: Colleges for a 17 ACT score.
A 17 ranks in the bottom 31st percentile of all students who take the ACT exam.
A 17 converts to a 930 on the SAT using College Board / ACT concordance tables. Explore the colleges: Colleges for a 930 SAT score.