California Colleges for a 20 on the ACT

With a 20 ACT, you are competitive at 76 four-year colleges in California (25 target, 15 reach, 36 safety). Your score is roughly equivalent to a 1040 SAT.

Colleges in California for a 20 ACT

Target Schools (Competitive Chance of Admission)

Target schools have middle 50% ranges that include 20 - your score fits squarely in the admitted pool.

College	ACT Range	Avg ACT	Acceptance Rate	Your Chance
San Jose State University San Jose, CA	19-26	22	85%	Medium
California State University Long Beach Long Beach, CA	20-26	23	46%	Medium
San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA	16-23	19	96%	Medium
California State University Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA	15-20	17	91%	Medium
California State University Fullerton Fullerton, CA	18-23	20	91%	Medium
California State University Sacramento Sacramento, CA	17-23	20	94%	Medium
California State University Chico Chico, CA	18-24	21	93%	Medium
California State University Fresno Fresno, CA	16-21	18	95%	Medium
Sonoma State University Rohnert Park, CA	17-23	20	93%	Medium
California State University Northridge Northridge, CA	16-22	19	93%	Medium
University of California Merced Merced, CA	19-24	21	91%	Medium
California State University San Marcos San Marcos, CA	17-22	19	95%	Medium

View all 25 target colleges

Reach Schools (Lower Admission Chance)

Reach schools typically enroll students with higher average ACT scores; admission is possible but more competitive.

College	ACT Range	Avg ACT	Acceptance Rate	Your Chance
San Diego State University San Diego, CA	22-29	25	36%	Low
University of California Davis Davis, CA	25-33	29	42%	Low
University of California Riverside Riverside, CA	22-31	26	76%	Low
University of California Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA	25-33	29	66%	Low
University of the Pacific Stockton, CA	23-32	27	71%	Low
Point Loma Nazarene University San Diego, CA	25-32	28	84%	Low
University of Redlands Redlands, CA	21-28	24	83%	Low
Whittier College Whittier, CA	24-30	27	81%	Low
Westmont College Santa Barbara, CA	25-32	28	77%	Low
Biola University La Mirada, CA	24-29	26	74%	Low
Concordia University Irvine Irvine, CA	21-29	25	66%	Low
California Lutheran University Thousand Oaks, CA	24-31	27	76%	Low

View all 15 reach colleges

Safety Schools (Very High Chance of Admission)

Safety schools have average ACT scores well below 20; you have a very high chance of acceptance.

College	ACT Range	Avg ACT	Acceptance Rate	Your Chance
Notre Dame de Namur University Belmont, CA	-	-	100%	High
Bethesda University Anaheim, CA	-	-	100%	High
Touro University Worldwide Los Alamitos, CA	-	-	100%	High
American Jewish University Los Angeles, CA	-	-	100%	High
Pacific States University Los Angeles, CA	-	-	100%	High
Los Angeles Pacific University San Dimas, CA	-	-	100%	High
Lincoln University Oakland, CA	-	-	100%	High
Providence Christian College Pasadena, CA	-	-	100%	High
University of the West Rosemead, CA	-	-	100%	High
California College of ASU Los Angeles, CA	-	-	100%	High
Horizon University Indianapolis, CA	-	-	100%	High
World Mission University Los Angeles, CA	-	-	100%	High

View all 36 safety colleges

View the full list of colleges that accept a 20 ACT in California

See all colleges nationally for a 20 ACT

20 ACT to SAT Equivalent Conversion

Colleges use concordance tables to compare SAT and ACT scores. The following table shows the 20 ACT to SAT equivalent and nearby scores for context. These conversions are approximate.

ACT Score	SAT Equivalent
17	930
18	970
19	1010
20	1040
21	1080
22	1110
23	1140

Individual colleges may interpret scores slightly differently, so treat concordance as a guide rather than an exact rule.

Published: August 19, 2026