18 ACT Colleges: Best Schools for 18 ACT Score

A 18 ACT Score is Below Average (35th percentile). You are currently below the national mean. This score may limit your options to colleges with high acceptance rates or open enrollment policies.

2026 Admissions Real Talk: At a 18, we recommend looking at Test-Optional schools where your extracurriculars and life experience can shine. Many regional universities will prioritize your 3.0+ GPA over this testing data.

Best Colleges for 18 ACT Score

Following is the list of best suited colleges with your 18 ACT Score.

Logo	College	State	ACT 25th Percentile	ACT 75th Percentile	Acceptance Rate	Status
Logo	College	State	ACT 25th Percentile	ACT 75th Percentile	Acceptance Rate	Status
	Southeast Missouri Hospital College of Nursing and Health Sciences	Missouri	18	19	100%	SOLID MATCH
	Culver-Stockton College	Missouri	18	21	98%	SOLID MATCH
	Lincoln University	Pennsylvania	18	22	78.37%	SOLID MATCH
	Blue Mountain Christian University	Mississippi	18	22	100%	SOLID MATCH
	Appalachian Bible College	West Virginia	18	23	98.57%	SOLID MATCH
	West Virginia Wesleyan College	West Virginia	18	23	95.05%	SOLID MATCH
	University of Houston-Clear Lake	Texas	18	23	75.3%	SOLID MATCH
	Christian Brothers University	Tennessee	18	23	88.42%	SOLID MATCH
	John A Gupton College	Tennessee	18	23	83.87%	SOLID MATCH
	Austin Peay State University	Tennessee	18	23	95.95%	SOLID MATCH
	Black Hills State University	South Dakota	18	23	94.43%	SOLID MATCH
	Northeastern State University	Oklahoma	18	23	99.21%	SOLID MATCH
	Southeastern Oklahoma State University	Oklahoma	18	23	80.34%	SOLID MATCH
	Urshan University	Missouri	18	23	83.87%	SOLID MATCH
	Northwest Missouri State University	Missouri	18	23	85.91%	SOLID MATCH
	Westminster College	Missouri	18	23	77.58%	SOLID MATCH
	Belhaven University	Mississippi	18	23	53.25%	SOLID MATCH
	Mississippi University for Women	Mississippi	18	23	100%	SOLID MATCH
	Bemidji State University	Minnesota	18	23	70.66%	SOLID MATCH
	Kentucky Christian University	Kentucky	18	23	62.38%	SOLID MATCH
	Tabor College	Kansas	18	23	64.62%	SOLID MATCH
	Georgia Southern University	Georgia	18	23	89.63%	SOLID MATCH
	Thomas University	Georgia	18	23	43.16%	SOLID MATCH
	University of Arkansas at Little Rock	Arkansas	18	23	57.74%	SOLID MATCH
	University of the Ozarks	Arkansas	18	23	58.14%	SOLID MATCH
	University of Arkansas-Fort Smith	Arkansas	18	23	81.47%	SOLID MATCH
	University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee	Wisconsin	18	24	88.44%	SOLID MATCH
	University of Wisconsin-Superior	Wisconsin	18	24	93.64%	SOLID MATCH
	University of Wisconsin-Whitewater	Wisconsin	18	24	82.76%	SOLID MATCH
	University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh	Wisconsin	18	24	86.68%	SOLID MATCH
	West Liberty University	West Virginia	18	24	72.12%	SOLID MATCH
	West Virginia University Institute of Technology	West Virginia	18	24	61%	SOLID MATCH
	Marshall University	West Virginia	18	24	96.46%	SOLID MATCH
	West Texas A & M University	Texas	18	24	97.35%	SOLID MATCH
	Lamar University	Texas	18	24	85.73%	SOLID MATCH
	East Texas A&M University	Texas	18	24	92.59%	SOLID MATCH
	Hardin-Simmons University	Texas	18	24	96.53%	SOLID MATCH
	Trevecca Nazarene University	Tennessee	18	24	70.02%	SOLID MATCH
	Northern State University	South Dakota	18	24	92.79%	SOLID MATCH
	Lake Erie College	Ohio	18	24	64.12%	SOLID MATCH
	Marietta College	Ohio	18	24	78.62%	SOLID MATCH
	Minot State University	North Dakota	18	24	72.21%	SOLID MATCH
	Valley City State University	North Dakota	18	24	69.31%	SOLID MATCH
	Wingate University	North Carolina	18	24	84.99%	SOLID MATCH
	University of Nevada-Las Vegas	Nevada	18	24	96.26%	SOLID MATCH
	Midland University	Nebraska	18	24	66.92%	SOLID MATCH
	College of Saint Mary	Nebraska	18	24	43.95%	SOLID MATCH
	University of Central Missouri	Missouri	18	24	68.61%	SOLID MATCH
	Missouri Southern State University	Missouri	18	24	97.44%	SOLID MATCH
	Southwest Baptist University	Missouri	18	24	99.72%	SOLID MATCH
	McNeese State University	Louisiana	18	24	67.55%	SOLID MATCH
	Nicholls State University	Louisiana	18	24	96.02%	SOLID MATCH
	Northwestern State University of Louisiana	Louisiana	18	24	93.74%	SOLID MATCH
	Emporia State University	Kansas	18	24	97.74%	SOLID MATCH
	Pittsburg State University	Kansas	18	24	88.17%	SOLID MATCH
	University of Saint Mary	Kansas	18	24	89.84%	SOLID MATCH
	Piedmont University	Georgia	18	24	92.84%	SOLID MATCH
	Auburn University at Montgomery	Alabama	18	24	92.63%	SOLID MATCH
	University of Wisconsin-Green Bay	Wisconsin	18	25	87.84%	SOLID MATCH
	University of Wisconsin-Parkside	Wisconsin	18	25	72.62%	SOLID MATCH
	Southern Virginia University	Virginia	18	25	99.64%	SOLID MATCH
	McMurry University	Texas	18	25	57.65%	SOLID MATCH
	Texas A & M University-Corpus Christi	Texas	18	25	89.47%	SOLID MATCH
	Stephen F Austin State University	Texas	18	25	88.25%	SOLID MATCH
	Howard Payne University	Texas	18	25	67.69%	SOLID MATCH
	Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania	Pennsylvania	18	25	94.75%	SOLID MATCH
	Mount Vernon Nazarene University	Ohio	18	25	84.3%	SOLID MATCH
	Capital University	Ohio	18	25	73.17%	SOLID MATCH
	University of Akron Main Campus	Ohio	18	25	70.91%	SOLID MATCH
	Kent State University at Kent	Ohio	18	25	86.65%	SOLID MATCH
	University of Nebraska at Kearney	Nebraska	18	25	85.79%	SOLID MATCH
	Montana Technological University	Montana	18	25	89.9%	SOLID MATCH
	Saint Cloud State University	Minnesota	18	25	94.95%	SOLID MATCH
	Buena Vista University	Iowa	18	25	71.76%	SOLID MATCH
	Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary	Iowa	18	25	49.68%	SOLID MATCH
	University of La Verne	California	18	25	48.48%	SOLID MATCH
	Troy University	Alabama	18	25	92.61%	SOLID MATCH
	The University of Texas at Arlington	Texas	18	26	81.29%	SOLID MATCH
	Southern Adventist University	Tennessee	18	26	66.61%	SOLID MATCH
	American College of the Building Arts	South Carolina	18	26	62.07%	SOLID MATCH
	Kettering College	Ohio	18	26	82.86%	SOLID MATCH
	Trinity Bible College and Graduate School	North Dakota	18	26	36.22%	SOLID MATCH
	Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary	North Carolina	18	26	76.61%	SOLID MATCH
	Guilford College	North Carolina	18	26	83.76%	SOLID MATCH
	SUNY Brockport	New York	18	26	71.29%	SOLID MATCH
	Rutgers University-Camden	New Jersey	18	26	77.75%	SOLID MATCH
	University of Nebraska at Omaha	Nebraska	18	26	86.9%	SOLID MATCH
	Adrian College	Michigan	18	26	68.37%	SOLID MATCH
	Eastern Michigan University	Michigan	18	26	81.35%	SOLID MATCH
	Ferris State University	Michigan	18	26	80.58%	SOLID MATCH
	Lasell University	Massachusetts	18	26	82.25%	SOLID MATCH
	Wichita State University	Kansas	18	26	94.94%	SOLID MATCH
	Clarke University	Iowa	18	26	68.16%	SOLID MATCH
	Indiana University-Kokomo	Indiana	18	26	84.69%	SOLID MATCH
	Azusa Pacific University	California	18	26	79.48%	SOLID MATCH
	Tuskegee University	Alabama	18	26	31.43%	SOLID MATCH
	Salem College	North Carolina	18	27	87.03%	SOLID MATCH
	Bridgewater State University	Massachusetts	18	27	89.19%	SOLID MATCH
	Olivet Nazarene University	Illinois	18	28	66.9%	SOLID MATCH
	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine	Pennsylvania	18	29	95.33%	SOLID MATCH
	Pennsylvania State University-World Campus	Pennsylvania	18	30	80.27%	SOLID MATCH
	North Carolina Central University	North Carolina	17	18	90.49%	SOLID MATCH
	Florida College	Florida	17	20	66.45%	SOLID MATCH
	Mount Carmel College of Nursing	Ohio	17	21	57.39%	SOLID MATCH
	Morgan State University	Maryland	17	21	82.96%	SOLID MATCH
	Bluefield State University	West Virginia	17	22	87.22%	SOLID MATCH
	Concord University	West Virginia	17	22	89.65%	SOLID MATCH
	Nelson University	Texas	17	22	84.23%	SOLID MATCH
	Randall University	Oklahoma	17	22	44.81%	SOLID MATCH
	Muskingum University	Ohio	17	22	81.66%	SOLID MATCH
	The Christ College of Nursing and Health Sciences	Ohio	17	22	50.18%	SOLID MATCH
	University of Mount Olive	North Carolina	17	22	77.75%	SOLID MATCH
	Jersey College	New Jersey	17	22	67.91%	SOLID MATCH
	Louisiana State University-Alexandria	Louisiana	17	22	92.63%	SOLID MATCH
	Friends University	Kansas	17	22	55.64%	SOLID MATCH
	Dominican University	Illinois	17	22	79.8%	SOLID MATCH
	Central Baptist College	Arkansas	17	22	46.36%	SOLID MATCH
	University of Arkansas Community College-Morrilton	Arkansas	17	22	100%	SOLID MATCH
	University of West Alabama	Alabama	17	22	87.11%	SOLID MATCH
	Fairmont State University	West Virginia	17	23	99.24%	SOLID MATCH

Your best choices will be the schools and colleges where the average ACT score of the admitted students is 16 to 20. We are also showing you the 25th percentile and 75th percentile ACT Score of the admitted students so that you can have a clear understanding of how many students score what ACT Score. If your 18 ACT Score is higher than 25th percentile, it means your score is better than the quarter of the admitted students, and if it is higher than 75th percentile, then it means your ACT score of 18 is higher than 75% of the students admitted at that school.

Choose a college where your score is near to 75th percentile, this will maximize your chances of admission. You can also apply to other schools as well, but to be on safe side, you must apply to at least 2-3 such schools and colleges.

FAQ for ACT 18 Score

How does a 18 ACT score compare to the SAT?

A 18 ACT score is roughly equivalent to an SAT score of around 930. It’s considered a low score and will limit your options at more competitive schools.

What scholarships are available for a 18 ACT score?

With a 18 ACT, you may qualify for small merit-based scholarships at state universities, but most competitive scholarships require higher scores.

Can I get into Ivy League schools with a 18 ACT score?

Ivy League schools usually require scores above 30. A 18 would not be competitive, and you may want to retake the test for a better chance.

Should I retake the ACT to improve my score?

Yes, retaking the ACT would significantly improve your chances at competitive universities. Consider focusing on improving your test-taking skills.

What is the national average ACT score?

The national average ACT score is around 20–21, so a 18 is below average and may limit your chances at selective universities.

Do test-optional colleges consider a 18 ACT score if submitted?

Submitting a 18 ACT score at test-optional colleges might help, but it may not enhance your application enough for competitive programs.

What GPA is a 18 ACT?

A 18 ACT is generally associated with a GPA of about 1.5–2.0, which is below average and could limit your options for more selective colleges.

Can I get into NYU with a 18 ACT?

NYU’s typical ACT range is much higher, so a 18 would not be competitive for admission. You may want to retake the ACT or apply to less competitive schools.

Is 18 a good ACT score for Harvard?

Harvard admits students with ACT scores over 30, so a 18 would not meet their expectations. Retaking the test is essential if you wish to apply to Harvard.

Can I get into MIT with a 18 ACT?

MIT requires high scores, typically 34 or higher. A 18 would not meet MIT’s standards, and retaking the test would be necessary.

Can I get into Princeton with a 18 ACT score?

Princeton generally accepts students with scores over 30, so a 18 is well below their competitive range. Consider retaking the ACT for a better chance.

What if you improve your ACT score by 2 points (to 20)?

Improving to 20 would increase your competitiveness for more schools, but it still falls short of most competitive institutions.

Best Suited Colleges for ACT Score