If you've achieved a score of 36 on your ACTs, this places you squarely within the average range for accepted students at 168 U.S. colleges. This list features popular colleges where your application will likely be competitive, given their historical acceptance of students with a 36 ACT score. However, it's crucial to remember that a good ACT score is not the sole criterion for admission. In fact, may colleges are now test optional. It's equally significant to maintain a Grade Point Average (GPA) that aligns with the college's expectations for incoming students. The creation of this list is rooted in a comprehensive analysis of ACT scores from students admitted to all U.S. colleges
Can't be beat. You have a shot at getting in anywhere with a score of 36. It situates you in the top 99th percentile on the national scale, outperforming the majority of the 2 million ACT test takers. This score signifies your truly exceptional performance in answering questions in the English, Math, Reading and Science sections of the exam. The ACT is scored out of a maximum of 36 and a minimum of 1, meaning your 36 score represents 100% of the total possible points. If a 36 does not meet the requirements of your preferred college, you might want to consider enrolling in a test prep course to potentially enhance your score.
Let's examine how a 36 ACT score stacks up to the national averages across various demographic groups
A 36 on the ACT translates to a 1590 on the SAT according to the concordance provided by the College Board and ACT. It's important to note that not all colleges disclose admission data for both the SAT and ACT. As such, we recommend checking our listings for each test to identify schools with similar academic profiles.
Scoring a 36 on the ACT places you in the 99th percentile nationwide. This implies that your performance surpassed 99% of all test takers. To put this in perspective, about 2 million students sit for the ACT each year. Thus, with your score, you've outperformed about 1,980,000 students placing you ahead of the majority.
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 |
---|---|
Princeton University | 34 |
Stanford University | 34 |
Duke University | 34 |
Harvard University | 34 |
Yale University | 34 |
University of Chicago | 34 |
California Institute of Technology | 35 |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 35 |
Rice University | 34 |
Johns Hopkins University | 35 |
Brown University | 34 |
Dartmouth College | 34 |
Northwestern University | 34 |
Amherst College | 33 |
Vanderbilt University | 34 |
168 results nationwide
Displaying 168 colleges where your 36 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 144 target schools (good chance), 126 reach (harder) schools and 4,224 safety (easier) schools you can consider.
Private 4 Year
4 reviews
34 Average ACT Composite
Test Optional
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Applications Due Jan 1
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6 reviews
34 Average ACT Composite
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#2 Best Colleges in America
Applications Due Jan 2
Public 4 Year
6 reviews
31 Average ACT Composite
#7 Best Public Universities in America
Applications Due Mar 1
Public 4 Year
3 reviews
30 Average ACT Composite
Test Optional
#12 Best Public Universities in America
Applications Due Dec 1
Public 4 Year
5 reviews
32 Average ACT Composite
Test Optional
#19 Best Value Colleges in America
Applications Due Feb 1
Public 4 Year
3 reviews
32 Average ACT Composite
Test Optional
#4 Best Public Universities in America
Applications Due Nov 30
Public 4 Year
9 reviews
29 Average ACT Composite
Test Optional
#1 Best Public Universities in South Carolina
Applications Due May 1
Private 4 Year
5 reviews
33 Average ACT Composite
Test Optional
#5 Best Private Colleges in California
Private 4 Year
14 reviews
31 Average ACT Composite
Test Optional
#1 Best Private Colleges in Florida
Applications Due Jan 1
Public 4 Year
2 reviews
31 Average ACT Composite
Test Optional
#3 Best Colleges in Georgia
Applications Due Jan 1
Public 4 Year
3 reviews
29 Average ACT Composite
Test Optional
#20 Best Public Universities in America
Applications Due Jan 15
Private 4 Year
1 reviews
33 Average ACT Composite
Test Optional
#6 Best Private Colleges in New York
Private 4 Year
6 reviews
34 Average ACT Composite
#3 Best Colleges in America
Applications Due Jan 3
Private 4 Year
5 reviews
34 Average ACT Composite
Test Optional
#15 Best Colleges in America
Applications Due Jan 1
Private 4 Year
1 reviews
34 Average ACT Composite
Test Optional
#1 Best Colleges in America
Applications Due Jan 1
Private 4 Year
1 reviews
35 Average ACT Composite
Test Optional
#10 Best Colleges in America
Applications Due Jan 3
Private 4 Year
9 reviews
32 Average ACT Composite
Test Optional
#8 Best Private Colleges in Massachusetts
Applications Due Jan 4
Public 4 Year
5 reviews
29 Average ACT Composite
Test Optional
#1 Best Public Universities in Ohio
Applications Due Feb 1
Can't be beat. You have a shot at getting in anywhere with a score of 36. The score puts you in the top 99th percentile of those who take the test. Explore colleges you can get into with a 36 ACT score.
Harvard University, Stanford University and University of Florida are some of the best colleges that you have a competitive chance of getting into. Explore the full list: Colleges for a 36 ACT score.
A 36 ranks in the top 99th percentile of all students who take the ACT exam.
A 36 converts to a 1590 on the SAT using College Board / ACT concordance tables. Explore the colleges: Colleges for a 1590 SAT score.