Western Colleges for a 23 on the ACT

With a 23 ACT, you are competitive at 184 four-year colleges in the West (78 target, 20 reach, 86 safety). Your score is roughly equivalent to a 1140 SAT.

Colleges in the West for a 23 ACT

Target Schools (Competitive Chance of Admission)

Target schools have middle 50% ranges that include 23 - your score fits squarely in the admitted pool.

College	ACT Range	Avg ACT	Acceptance Rate	Your Chance
San Diego State University San Diego, CA	22-29	25	36%	Medium
University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu, HI	17-25	21	87%	Medium
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
Colorado State University Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO	23-29	26	89%	Medium
San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA	16-23	19	96%	Medium
Washington State University Pullman, WA	20-26	23	87%	Medium
University of Oregon Eugene, OR	23-30	26	88%	Medium
Boise State University Boise, ID	21-26	23	87%	Medium
California State University Fullerton Fullerton, CA	18-23	20	91%	Medium
California State University Sacramento Sacramento, CA	17-23	20	94%	Medium
University of California Riverside Riverside, CA	22-31	26	76%	Medium

View all 78 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
University of California Irvine Irvine, CA	26-33	29	29%	Low
University of Washington Seattle Campus Seattle, WA	27-33	30	39%	Low
University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA	28-34	31	33%	Low
University of California Davis Davis, CA	25-33	29	42%	Low
University of California San Diego La Jolla, CA	28-34	31	27%	Low
Oregon State University Corvallis, OR	24-31	27	77%	Low
University of San Francisco San Francisco, CA	25-30	27	62%	Low
United States Air Force Academy USAF Academy, Colorado	26-33	29	14%	Low
California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA	26-32	29	31%	Low
University of California Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA	25-33	29	66%	Low
Azusa Pacific University Azusa, CA	25-30	27	88%	Low
Western Washington University Bellingham, WA	24-31	27	93%	Low

View all 20 reach colleges

Safety Schools (Very High Chance of Admission)

Safety schools have average ACT scores well below 23; you have a very high chance of acceptance.

College	ACT Range	Avg ACT	Acceptance Rate	Your Chance
California State University Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA	15-20	17	91%	High
California State University Fresno Fresno, CA	16-21	18	95%	High
Utah Valley University Orem, UT	-	-	100%	High
California State University Northridge Northridge, CA	16-22	19	93%	High
California State University San Marcos San Marcos, CA	17-22	19	95%	High
Adams State University Alamosa, CO	15-26	20	100%	High
Bellevue College Bellevue, WA	-	-	100%	High
Notre Dame de Namur University Belmont, CA	-	-	100%	High
California State University San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA	15-20	17	94%	High
College of Southern Nevada Las Vegas, NV	-	-	100%	High
Western Colorado University Gunnison, CO	22-26	24	100%	High
Weber State University Ogden, UT	-	-	100%	High

View all 86 safety colleges

View the full list of colleges that accept a 23 ACT in the West

See all colleges nationally for a 23 ACT

23 ACT to SAT Equivalent Conversion

Colleges use concordance tables to compare SAT and ACT scores. The following table shows the 23 ACT to SAT equivalent and nearby scores for context. These conversions are approximate.

ACT Score	SAT Equivalent
20	1040
21	1080
22	1110
23	1140
24	1180
25	1210
26	1240

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

Published: August 19, 2026