The college application process can be stressful, but don't worry, if you hope to attend a four-year university and have a low ACT score, there is quite possibly a college for you!
In this article, I list the universities with the lowest 25th percentile ACT scores for their admitted students. The 25th percentile ACT score signifies that 25% of admitted applicants to the school received an ACT score at or below that number. The 75th percentile ACT score signifies that 75% of admitted applicants to the school received an ACT score at or below that score (25% scored higher). I will also explain why you shouldn't always judge the colleges by their low 25th/75th percentile ACT.
Schools Listed in Ascending Order of 25th/75th Percentile with Admission Rate
I compiled this comprehensive list through online research. I chose to organize the schools in ascending order by 25th percentile score (rather than the 75th percentile score) so you could see the lowest ACT scores allowed for admission to these universities:
| Name | ACT 25th | ACT 75th | Admission % |
| Claflin University | 12 | 23 | 41 |
| Medgar Evers College (City University of New York) | 13 | 16 | 100 |
| Livingstone College | 13 | 16 | 37 |
| Shaw University | 13 | 16 | 53 |
| Rust College | 13 | 17 | 52 |
| Jarvis Christian University | 13 | 17 | 54 |
| Pine Manor College | 13 | 18 | 41 |
| Langston University | 13 | 20 | 54 |
| Paul Quinn College | 14 | 17 | 54 |
| LeMoyne-Owen College | 14 | 17 | 100 |
| Central State University | 14 | 18 | 57 |
| Johnson C. Smith University | 14 | 18 | 46 |
| Lane College | 14 | 18 | 60 |
| Brewton-Parker College | 14 | 18 | 54 |
| Chowan University | 14 | 18 | 55 |
| Paine College | 14 | 18 | 32 |
| Wilberforce University | 14 | 18 | 48 |
| New York City College of Technology | 14 | 19 | 75 |
| Lincoln University | 14 | 19 | 57 |
| Philander Smith College | 14 | 19 | 52 |
| Bacone College | 14 | 19 | 73 |
| Universidad del Este | 14 | 20 | 66 |
| Bennett College | 14 | 28 | 96 |
Why Are Their 25th/75th Percentiles So Low? Should You Be Concerned?
There are several possibilities as to why these colleges have lower ACT score averages than other schools. A lot of the universities in this article are specialized colleges offering specific degree programs or a religious education. As such, these colleges may weight other application components more heavily than the ACT score such as artistic talent or religious involvement.
Additionally, several of the universities above have a large difference between the 25th and 75th percentile score (some with a more than 6 point difference). Applicants whose scores were at or below the 25th percentile may have unique reasons for being admitted such as being the child of a significant donor, a legacy, an athlete, or an exceptional talent (such as a world-renowned opera singer).
However, another reason these schools accept applicants with low scores could be due to their high admission rates; these colleges need to accept more students to fill up their freshman class. A few of the above colleges accept nearly every applicant and, therefore, will have a larger score range.
You should not necessarily be concerned by a school's low 25th/75th percentile. A low ACT average may simply suggest, as I noted above, that the college is choosing to admit students for other reasons.
Many universities are no longer even asking for a standardized test score with your application. This does not mean that you should not consider attending one of these schools. All it means is that the admissions offices no longer consider standardized tests to be a good representation of your higher education potential.
That being said, many of the universities listed above are not known for their stellar academics. If you're looking for an intellectual challenge, these probably are not the schools for you. Unfortunately, there are colleges that only exist to make money, and their alumni end up with hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt. For-profit schools are typically the worst offenders, but some non-profit universities also have a lower quality of education and leave their alumni with few job options after graduation.
Make sure to choose your college carefully. When choosing where to apply, you should not necessarily take into account their ACT average, but rather you should ask yourself whether that school is right for you:
- What majors does it offer?
- Where is it located?
- Will I get financial aid?
For help deciding where to apply to college, check out our guide to finding the right school for you.
What's Next?
Need help raising your ACT score? Check out guides to the ACT Reading, Math, English, and Science sections. Taking the ACT very soon? Read our guide to cramming for the test.
Not sure where you want to go to college? Check out our guide to finding your target school. Also, figure out your target ACT score.
Thinking about getting a job while in high school? Check out our guide to the 8 best jobs for teens and learn how to find yours!
