Midwestern Colleges for a 36 on the ACT

With a 36 ACT, you are competitive at 377 four-year colleges in the Midwest (8 target, 5 reach, 364 safety). Your score is roughly equivalent to a 1590 SAT.

Colleges in the Midwest for a 36 ACT

Target Schools (Competitive Chance of Admission)

Target schools have middle 50% ranges that include 36 - your score fits squarely in the admitted pool.

College	ACT Range	Avg ACT	Acceptance Rate	Your Chance
University of Michigan Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI	31-34	32	16%	Medium
Purdue University Main Campus West Lafayette, IN	27-34	30	50%	Medium
University of Illinois Urbana Champaign Champaign, IL	30-34	32	42%	Medium
Oberlin College Oberlin, OH	31-34	32	34%	Medium
Carleton College Northfield, MN	32-34	33	20%	Medium
Denison University Granville, OH	30-33	31	17%	Medium
Macalester College Saint Paul, MN	30-34	32	29%	Medium
Hillsdale College Hillsdale, Michigan	30-33	31	21%	Medium

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 Chicago Chicago, IL	34-35	34	4%	Low
Northwestern University Evanston, IL	33-35	34	8%	Low
University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN	33-35	34	11%	Low
Washington University in St Louis St. Louis, MO	33-35	34	12%	Low
Grinnell College Grinnell, IA	31-34	32	15%	Low

Safety Schools (Very High Chance of Admission)

Safety schools have average ACT scores well below 36; you have a very high chance of acceptance.

College	ACT Range	Avg ACT	Acceptance Rate	Your Chance
Michigan State University East Lansing, MI	25-31	28	85%	High
Ohio State University Main Campus Columbus, OH	28-32	30	61%	High
University of Wisconsin Madison Madison, WI	29-33	31	45%	High
Miami University Oxford Oxford, OH	25-30	27	75%	High
Indiana University Bloomington Bloomington, IN	27-33	30	78%	High
Iowa State University Ames, IA	21-28	24	89%	High
University of Illinois Chicago Chicago, IL	25-31	28	77%	High
Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI	22-30	26	83%	High
Ball State University Muncie, IN	20-24	22	85%	High
University of Iowa Iowa City, IA	21-28	24	84%	High
University of Minnesota Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN	26-31	28	80%	High
Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL	27-32	29	82%	High

View all 364 safety colleges

View the full list of colleges that accept a 36 ACT in the Midwest

See all colleges nationally for a 36 ACT

36 ACT to SAT Equivalent Conversion

Colleges use concordance tables to compare SAT and ACT scores. The following table shows the 36 ACT to SAT equivalent and nearby scores for context. These conversions are approximate.

ACT Score	SAT Equivalent
33	1460
34	1500
35	1540
36	1590

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

Published: August 19, 2026