Are you taking the ACT? Before registering, you should know how admissions officers look at your scores. Do they consider Math, Science, Reading, and English individually, or do they care more about the composite score?
You might be relieved to hear that many colleges "superscore" your ACT scores by taking the best subscores across all your test dates and creating the strongest possible composite score. Read on for the full list of colleges that superscore the ACT, followed by some tips on how you can use this policy to your advantage.
ACT Scoring and Superscoring
Before getting to the full list of colleges that superscore the ACT, let's quickly review how the ACT is scored. Each section of the ACT is given a scaled score between 1 and 36. These area scores are then averaged together to get your composite score, which also ranges between 1 and 36.
If a college superscores the ACT, it will take your highest Math, Science, Reading, and English scores that you achieved on any of the dates you took the test. Then, it will average these together for a new composite so that you'll end up with your highest possible composite score.
While superscoring means that you are much safer retaking the test many times, you still shouldn't treat retaking the ACT as having absolutely zero cost. Many superscoring ACT schools can still see all your scores, which can subconsciously affect how they view you as an applicant. For example, if you took the ACT more than six times and your scores were all over the place, admissions officers might wonder how seriously you're taking the test and whether your results are a true measure of your skills.
As long as you don't overdo it, taking the ACT more than once can strongly work in your favor if you're applying to schools that superscore. Now that you know how ACT superscoring works, let's look at the colleges that superscore.
Complete List of Schools That Superscore the ACT
For this section, we've compiled a complete list of all schools that superscore ACT tests. In addition, we've included each school's official standardized testing policy and the link to its admissions page. This is the most comprehensive guide to ACT-superscoring colleges available online. Since policies can change, definitely contact your school(s) if you have any questions or want to double-check their scoring policies.
Also keep in mind that just because these schools superscore doesn’t mean that they require standardized test scores. Some of the schools listed below are now either temporarily or permanently test optional (even if their official statement on scoring doesn’t mention it). But if you’re choosing to submit scores to maximize your chances of admission, their superscoring policies can work in your favor!
If a school's policy states, "Contact school for information," this means the policy isn't available on the school's website (though multiple sources have confirmed that this school does superscore the ACT). If you're interested in applying to this type of school, contact it directly.
| School | Official ACT Superscoring Policy | Website |
| Albion College | Contact school for information | Albion Admissions |
| Amherst College | For applicants who have taken the SAT and/or the ACT more than once, we will consider the highest score achieved in each section. For official score reporting, applicants are free to use the SAT Score Choice option and the ACT option. | Amherst Admissions |
| Auburn University at Montgomery | Send all your scores for each SAT or ACT you've taken to AUM and we will take the best score from each section to average your superscore. | AUM Admissions |
| Austin College | Austin College accepts both the ACT or SAT and as a policy we "super score." (We will take your highest subscores from different test dates and combine them to make a highest "super score." We feel what is important is that we see your highest potential in each sub-section, not just how you scored overall during one test session.) | Austin College Admissions |
| Babson College | For students who have taken either the SAT or ACT more than once, Babson will superscore (use the best individual section scores) in reviewing their application. | Babson Admissions |
| Baylor University | Contact school for information | Baylor Admissions |
| Bates | The submission of standardized tests is optional for all students applying to Bates. Bates College does "superscore" both the SAT and ACT. | Bates Admissions |
| Beloit College | Beloit is test-optional for both admission and consideration for merit scholarships. If you feel that your test scores reflect well on your abilities and would like us to consider them, please send them. We will consider your highest subscores from multiple test dates. | Beloit Admissions |
| Bowdoin | Test optional. If you do submit, though, Bowdoin superscores the ACT. The admissions committee will consider the highest submitted Composite score and subsection scores, and will also recalculate a new Composite score from subsection scores earned on different test dates. | Bowdoin Admissions |
| Brandeis | Brandeis has a test-optional policy and no longer requires domestic applicants to submit SAT or ACT scores for the purpose of admission. If you do decide to submit scores, the admissions committee will superscore your results. | Brandeis Admissions |
| Bryn Mawr College | SAT and ACT scores are optional for US citizens and permanent residents. But, Bryn Mawr accepts both SAT and ACT standardized test scores. Bryn Mawr is interested in your best achievement, so we consider the highest section scores submitted, irrespective of the test date. | Bryn Mawr Admissions |
| Butler | Test optional. Butler reviews the highest subscores for each test and uses your new high test score for an admission decision. Writing test scores are not required. | Butler Admissions |
| Claremont McKenna College |
"CMC will continue to superscore the ACT or SAT. This means we will accept the highest scores from each section of the ACT or SAT, regardless of the test date. We do not superscore across test types." |
Claremont McKenna Admissions |
| Colby | Contact school for information | Colby Admissions |
| Colorado College | You could choose to report the SAT Reasoning Test (SAT) or the ACT if you believe that these scores are the most accurate indicators of your academic performance and potential. If you select "Flexible Testing," we will select from the scores in our records the combination of test scores that is most advantageous to you. | Colorado College Admissions |
| Columbia University | If you take an exam more than once, you will be evaluated on the highest score you received in any individual section. | Columbia Admissions |
| Connecticut College | Test optional. We "superscore" the SAT Reasoning Test and use the combined highest composite score from the ACT. | Conn College Admissions |
| Cornell | Currently test optional. Otherwise, contact school for information. | Cornell Admissions |
| Davidson College | Test optional. Davidson superscores both the ACT and SAT. | Davidson Admissions |
| Denison | Test optional. Contact school for information | Denison Admissions |
| DePauw University | Contact school for information | DePauw Admissions |
| Dickinson College | Dickinson's long-standing test-optional policy provides you with a choice regarding the submission of standardized test scores. (Note: through fall 2023 Dickinson is test-free. This means that even if you choose to submit test scores they will not be considered by the admissions committee.) | Dickinson Admissions |
| Drexel | Drexel is test optional and test flexible. For those submitting ACT scores, Drexel will consider the highest section scores across each testing date. | Drexel Admissions |
| Duke | Students must submit at least one full set of scores from a single test date (if not choosing the test optional admissions track) but may also submit scores from subsections taken individually on different test dates. Duke will consider the highest scores on each section, regardless of the test date, and will create a new composite score by averaging those scores. We do not require the optional essay. | Duke Admissions |
| Duquesne University | We super score all tests, which means we take the highest of all components of each test and recalculate the highest possible score for you. | Duquesne Admissions |
| Eckerd College | Eckerd will combine scores to create your best possible composite score. We accept either the ACT or the SAT and use the test on which you scored higher. | Eckerd Admissions |
| Elon University | Contact school for information | Elon Admissions |
| Georgia Tech | We super score within the same test, using your highest section scores from any test date. Each time you submit new scores to us, we will update your record with your highest scores. We evaluate all your sub-section scores, not just the sum or composite. | Georgia Tech Admissions |
| Grinnell College | We consider your best superscored ACT composite scores. The essay component is optional. | Grinnell Admissions |
| Hamilton College | Hamilton will accept official or self-reported scores with a student’s application for admission, and will superscore the SAT or ACT (meaning that if multiple tests are submitted we will consider the highest individual subsection scores). | Hamilton Admissions |
| Harvey Mudd | Contact school for information | Harvey Mudd Admissions |
| Haverford College | Contact school for information | Haverford Admissions |
| Hawai'i Pacific University | Contact school for information | Hawai'i Pacific Admissions |
| Hendrix College | Hendrix utilizes a method called "super scoring" in which sub-scores from multiple tests are combined to form the highest composite score. | Hendrix Admissions |
| Hollins University | Contact school for information | Hollins Admissions |
| Indiana University Bloomington | We superscore, which means that if you choose to have test scores considered as part of your application review, we'll consider your best test scores. For the ACT, we'll combine the highest scores for each subtest from different exams for a new ACT composite. | IU Bloomington Admissions |
| Ithaca College | Contact school for information | Ithaca College Admissions |
| Johns Hopkins | We also consider your highest combined score for the ACT. We'll find the maximum value of each official section score submitted, then recalculate the composite score. | Johns Hopkins Admissions |
| Kalamazoo College | Contact school for information | Kalamazoo Admissions |
| Kenyon College | Please note that Kenyon "super-scores" all results. This means that we will automatically compute a new composite score for both the SAT and ACT, if you've taken either test more than once. | Kenyon Admissions |
| Kettering University | Contact school for information | Kettering Admissions |
| Lafayette College | Contact school for information | Lafayette Admissions |
| Lawrence University | Test optional. Contact school for more information. | Lawrence Admissions |
| Lehigh University | Contact school for information | Lehigh Admissions |
| Liberty University | We will accept your superscore. If you took the ACT or SAT more than one time, we will look at your highest individual test scores and calculate a new, super composite score from across your test dates. | Liberty Admissions |
| Loyola University Maryland | If you send us scores from multiple test dates, we'll take your highest score for each section of the ACT or SAT and consider those scores as we evaluate your application. | Loyola Admissions |
| Miami University | Miami superscores, using the highest test scores submitted for admission and scholarship consideration. For ACT, the highest scores for each subtest from different exams will determine a combined highest composite score. | Miami University Admissions |
| Middlebury College | Middlebury will "super score" standardized test results—we will accept the highest score from each section of the SAT or ACT, regardless of sitting, and sum the best scores across sittings of the same test. | Middlebury Admissions |
| MIT | If you take the same test multiple times, we will consider the highest score achieved in each section. | MIT Admissions |
| NYU | If you've taken the ACT more than once, we will recalculate a new composite using the highest of each section, regardless of test date. | NYU Admissions |
| Northeastern | For the ACT, we will average together your highest English, Math, Reading, and Science sections, from across multiple test dates, to create a new overall Composite score. | Northeastern Admissions |
| North Carolina State University | If you choose to submit your test scores, you should self-report them on your application. We encourage you to submit all scores, and we will consider your highest sub-score from each section across your test dates to create a super-score. | NC State Admissions |
| Olin College | We take your best score from each test and disregard the others. | Olin Admissions |
| Pitzer | Test optional. Contact school for information. Note: for three years starting in the fall of 2022 Pitzer will be test-free. This means that test scores will not be considered for admission. | Pitzer Admissions |
| Pomona College | We will consider your highest section scores on the SAT by superscoring; we will also superscore ACT section scores. | Pomona Admissions |
| Purdue | We will always use the best available score for admission decisions and scholarship consideration and will not penalize you if earlier scores were lower. | Purdue Admissions |
| Regis | Test optional. Contact school for information. | Regis Admissions |
| Rhode Island School of Design | For students who choose to submit test scores, RISD will superscore your results, looking at your highest outcome across multiple test dates. | RISD Admissions |
| Rochester Institute of Technology | Contact school for information | RIT Admissions |
| Roger Williams | Test optional. RWU will take your highest score from each section of the SAT regardless of the exam date. If you submit both an SAT and an ACT score, we will use the composite score that is in your best interest per the official concordance data. | Roger Williams Admissions |
| Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Contact school for information | Rose-Hulman Admissions |
| Saint Mary's College | Contact school for information | Saint Mary's Admissions |
| Seattle University | If you choose to report your scores, Seattle University employs the highest sub-scores on the ACT when making admission, scholarship, and class placement decisions. | Seattle Admissions |
| Seton Hall University | Seton Hall super scores the ACT. | Seton Hall Admissions |
| Spring Hill College | Contact school for information | Spring Hill Admissions |
| Stanford | For the ACT, we will review all subscores and will focus on the highest Composite from all sittings. | Stanford Admissions |
| Syracuse | Contact school for information | Syracuse Admissions |
| Texas Christian University | If you submit scores from more than one sitting of the ACT, we will consider your highest section scores across multiple sittings or test dates ("Super-Score"). We will consider your highest English, Math, Reading, and Science scores even if you earn them on separate test dates for the ACT. | TCU Admissions |
| Towson University | Contact school for information | Towson Admissions |
| Trinity College | Test optional. If you decide to submit standardized test scores, Trinity will accept the highest scores on all tests (they need not be from the same exam date). | Trinity College Admissions |
| Trinity University | Test optional. Trinity University will super score standardized test scores by taking the best subtest score and creating a new composite score regardless of test date. | Trinity U Admissions |
| Tufts University | When taken multiple times, we will use your highest sub-score for each section. For the ACT, we review the highest subscores and calculate a superscore ACT Composite. | Tufts Admissions |
| University of Alabama | UA will superscore for admission purposes. We will not superscore for automatic, merit-based scholarships. | University of Alabama Admissions |
| University of Arkansas | Contact school for information | U Arkansas Admissions |
| University of Chicago | Test optional. We will superscore both the SAT and the ACT, meaning that if you have taken either test more than once, you should submit all your scores, and we will add your highest subsection scores together to give you the highest possible combined score. | U Chicago Admissions |
| University of Colorado—Boulder | Your highest scores are used in the admission decision. If you take the same test more than once, we combine your scores on each subsection to give you the highest overall score. | U Colorado Admissions |
| University of Connecticut | We will combine the highest scores from each subsection of an exam to create the best overall score (within the same exam formats) for exams taken more than once. | U Conn Admissions |
| University of Dayton | Contact school for information | U Dayton Admissions |
| University of Delaware | Contact school for information | U Delaware Admissions |
| University of Denver | If you've taken either test more than once, we'll combine the best scores from the individual sections of each test to create an ideal "superscore." | U Denver Admissions |
| University of Georgia | UGA superscores the SAT and ACT. For the ACT, this means that we take the highest individual score of each of the four subsections of the test from all ACT tests you’ve taken and use that to calculate the highest composite. When we report ACT test score information, we utilize the composite, but when reviewing your file for admission purposes we only focus on the ACT English and Math. | U Georgia Admissions |
| University of Maryland | We use the highest subscores from the SAT and ACT in our review of your application. | U Maryland Admissions |
| University of Mary Washington | Test optional. Contact school for information. | U Mary Washington Admissions |
| UMass Amherst | For those who choose to submit test scores, we will continue to consider your best combination of scores from all of your tests. | U Mass Admissions |
| University of Miami | We will use the highest composite score from among each test that you've taken. This is called super scoring. There is no limit to the number of test scores you may submit to us for your application. | University of Miami Admissions |
| University of North Alabama | We consider a student’s highest ACT section (or subtest) scores regardless of test date. The super composite ACT score is calculated as the average of the best ACT English, Reading, Math and Science subject scores. | University of North Alabama Admissions |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | If you share scores from both the SAT and ACT, we will use the higher of the two and ignore the other. If you share scores from multiple administrations of either test, we will use the highest score you earn on each section or subject of the test and ignore the others. | UNC Admissions |
| University of North Texas | Contact school for information | UNT Admissions |
| University of Pennsylvania | For the ACT, we consider the highest individual English, Math, Reading, and Science scores across test sittings. | UPenn Admissions |
| University of Pittsburgh | We will take your highest ACT composite score and your highest SAT superscore. | U Pitt Admissions |
| University of Puget Sound | Test optional. Contact school for information. | Puget Sound Admissions |
| University of Rhode Island | We "superscore" your ACT results ... using the English, math, reading and science sections. | Rhode Island Admissions |
| University of Rochester | Test optional. Only your highest SAT or ACT sub-scores will be considered in our final decision, even if they are from different test dates. | U Rochester Admissions |
| University of South Florida | The University of South Florida considers your highest submitted section scores across all SAT and ACT test dates. Final admission decisions will be made using only your highest cumulative scores. Each time you submit test scores to USF, we will update your record with any new high scores. | USF Admissions |
| University of Tampa | Contact school for information | U Tampa Admissions |
| University of Tennessee | We use the superscoring method, meaning we take your highest section scores of each test taken to determine your new composite score for application review. | U Tennessee Admissions |
| University of Vermont | Contact school for information | U Vermont Admissions |
| University of Virginia | For the ACT, we look at the best composite score and the best subscores, regardless of whether those subscores are from the administration where the best composite was earned. | UVA Admissions |
| University of Washington | Test optional. Superscoring refers to the practice of taking a student's best section scores across all exam sittings to combine for the best overall score. The UW does superscore. | UW Admissions |
| Vanderbilt University | Vanderbilt will superscore both the SAT and the ACT. | Vanderbilt Admissions |
| Valparaiso University | We evaluate the ACT or SAT according to your "superscore," which is a composition of your best subscores regardless of test date. Be sure to send in all your test scores for consideration. | Valparaiso Admissions |
| Vassar College | Vassar will accept self-reported SAT and ACT scores; we superscore, which means we will look at your highest section scores if you’ve taken a test more than once. | Vassar Admissions |
| Villanova University | The Admission Committee will superscore the highest subscores from the SAT and/or ACT from multiple test dates. | Villanova Admissions |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | Contact school for information | VCU Admissions |
| Virginia Tech | Contact school for information | Virginia Tech Admissions |
| Wake Forest University | Test optional. Contact school for information. | Wake Forest Admissions |
| Washington and Lee University | We "super score" the SAT and ACT, which means we combine your best scores from multiple test sittings to produce your highest SAT or ACT score. | W & L Admissions |
| Washington University in St. Louis | For the ACT, Washington University considers your highest section scores across all the test dates that you submit. Each time you submit scores, we will update your record with any new high scores (so-called "Super Scores"). | WUSTL Admissions |
| Wesleyan University | Test optional. We will recalculate a new composite ACT score from subsections taken on different dates. | Wesleyan Admissions |
| Western Michigan University | Test optional. Applicants who do wish test scores to be used in the admission process should report/submit scores from all test dates. Doing so will allow WMU to use your highest subscores from any test date to superscore your total (SAT) or composite (ACT) score. | WMU Admissions |
| West Point (US Military Academy) | Contact school for information | West Point Admissions |
| West Virginia University | WVU combines the highest sub-scores from different test dates to create a "super score" total or composite for admissions and scholarship consideration eligibility. | WVU Admissions |
| Wheaton College | Test optional. Contact school for information. | Wheaton Admissions |
| Williams College | Williams superscores the SAT and ACT. This means that if you submit multiple test scores, we’ll consider your highest score when reviewing your application. | Williams Admissions |
| Xavier University | Contact school for information | Xavier Admissions |
Let us know in the comments if we missed any schools, or if any schools have changed so we can provide you with the most updated list!
If you're applying to colleges on this list, how do their superscoring policies affect your ACT testing plan?
Tips for Applying to Superscoring Schools
If your college superscores the ACT, you should, too! What I mean by this is that you can concentrate on one to two sections for each test date to build up your highest ACT superscore.
If this is your strategy, you will have to start taking the ACT tests earlier to ensure that you have enough test dates to maximize your score. Some schools require that you send all of your scores from every time you took the ACT, so we do not recommend having huge fluctuations in your section scores. In other words, give your best effort on every administration of the test.
However, this focused study plan may help you build a strong "superscore" that's a great asset to your college application.
Every piece of your application is important to building a successful whole. By carefully crafting a testing plan, researching your schools' policies, and preparing strategically and intensively for test day, you'll be well on your way to creating an outstanding college application!
What's Next?
Now that you know all of the colleges that superscore ACT tests, the goal now is to improve your ACT score as much as possible. First, what's a good ACT score? Read our article on good, bad, and excellent ACT scores so you can identify and prepare for your target score.
Next step, preparation! We've compiled all free ACT practice tests available today so you can get started on tons of practice questions.
Want to get a perfect 36 ACT score? Read a perfect scorer's guide to acing the ACT.
Need help on a specific section of the ACT? Read our guides to getting a 36 on ACT English, ACT Math, and ACT Reading.
