Midwestern Colleges for a 26 on the ACT

With a 26 ACT, you are competitive at 365 four-year colleges in the Midwest (159 target, 13 reach, 193 safety). Your score is roughly equivalent to a 1240 SAT.

Colleges in the Midwest for a 26 ACT

Target Schools (Competitive Chance of Admission)

Target schools have middle 50% ranges that include 26 - your score fits squarely in the admitted pool.

College	ACT Range	Avg ACT	Acceptance Rate	Your Chance
Michigan State University East Lansing, MI	25-31	28	85%	Medium
Miami University Oxford Oxford, OH	25-30	27	75%	Medium
Iowa State University Ames, IA	21-28	24	89%	Medium
University of Illinois Chicago Chicago, IL	25-31	28	77%	Medium
Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI	22-30	26	83%	Medium
University of Iowa Iowa City, IA	21-28	24	84%	Medium
University of Minnesota Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN	26-31	28	80%	Medium
University of Cincinnati Main Campus Cincinnati, OH	24-29	26	85%	Medium
DePaul University Chicago, IL	25-31	28	76%	Medium
Illinois State University Normal, IL	21-27	24	88%	Medium
Wayne State University Detroit, MI	23-29	26	81%	Medium
Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, MI	21-27	24	90%	Medium

View all 159 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
Ohio State University Main Campus Columbus, OH	28-32	30	61%	Low
University of Wisconsin Madison Madison, WI	29-33	31	45%	Low
Purdue University Main Campus West Lafayette, IN	27-34	30	50%	Low
Indiana University Bloomington Bloomington, IN	27-33	30	78%	Low
University of Illinois Urbana Champaign Champaign, IL	30-34	32	42%	Low
Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL	27-32	29	82%	Low
Wheaton College Wheaton, IL	28-32	30	87%	Low
DePauw University Greencastle, IN	28-32	30	57%	Low
St Olaf College Northfield, MN	28-32	30	48%	Low
Macalester College Saint Paul, MN	30-34	32	29%	Low
The College of Wooster Wooster, OH	27-33	30	60%	Low
Rose Hulman Institute of Technology Terre Haute, IN	29-34	31	77%	Low

View all 13 reach colleges

Safety Schools (Very High Chance of Admission)

Safety schools have average ACT scores well below 26; you have a very high chance of acceptance.

College	ACT Range	Avg ACT	Acceptance Rate	Your Chance
Ball State University Muncie, IN	20-24	22	85%	High
Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL	19-25	22	70%	High
Southern Illinois University Carbondale Carbondale, IL	18-25	21	87%	High
University of Wisconsin Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI	19-24	21	91%	High
Concordia University Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI	19-24	21	69%	High
Kent State University at Kent Kent, OH	18-25	21	86%	High
Central State University Wilberforce, OH	14-18	16	99%	High
Saint Cloud State University Saint Cloud, MN	17-25	21	95%	High
Ferris State University Big Rapids, MI	20-24	22	91%	High
University of Wisconsin Whitewater Whitewater, WI	19-24	21	86%	High
Chicago State University Chicago, IL	15-19	17	43%	High
Northeastern Illinois University Chicago, IL	15-21	18	75%	High

View all 193 safety colleges

View the full list of colleges that accept a 26 ACT in the Midwest

See all colleges nationally for a 26 ACT

26 ACT to SAT Equivalent Conversion

Colleges use concordance tables to compare SAT and ACT scores. The following table shows the 26 ACT to SAT equivalent and nearby scores for context. These conversions are approximate.

ACT Score	SAT Equivalent
23	1140
24	1180
25	1210
26	1240
27	1280
28	1310
29	1340

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

Published: August 19, 2026