A 31 ACT Score is Superior (95th percentile). You are highly competitive for flagship state universities (e.g., Michigan, UVA, UT Austin).
2026 Strategy: In the current admissions cycle, a 31 is a 'Golden Ticket' for merit scholarships at mid-tier private colleges.
Expert Insight: If you are targeting T20 schools, check their Middle-50% range. If 31 is below their 25th percentile, you may benefit from a test-optional submission, provided your GPA is exceptionally high.
Best Colleges for 31 ACT Score
Following is the list of best suited colleges with your 31 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 |
|
Bucknell University | Pennsylvania | 31 | 33 | 32.01% | SOLID MATCH |
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Lehigh University | Pennsylvania | 31 | 33 | 29.26% | COMP. MATCH |
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Mount Holyoke College | Massachusetts | 31 | 33 | 38.29% | SOLID MATCH |
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Bates College | Maine | 31 | 33 | 13.02% | COMP. MATCH |
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Tulane University of Louisiana | Louisiana | 31 | 33 | 14.59% | COMP. MATCH |
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Simpson College | Iowa | 31 | 33 | 88.88% | SOLID MATCH |
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Connecticut College | Connecticut | 31 | 33 | 38.28% | SOLID MATCH |
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Northeastern University Oakland | California | 31 | 33 | 16.54% | COMP. MATCH |
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Kenyon College | Ohio | 31 | 34 | 30.71% | SOLID MATCH |
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Davidson College | North Carolina | 31 | 34 | 14.48% | COMP. MATCH |
|
University of Rochester | New York | 31 | 34 | 35.85% | SOLID MATCH |
|
Stevens Institute of Technology | New Jersey | 31 | 34 | 43.44% | SOLID MATCH |
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University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | Michigan | 31 | 34 | 17.94% | COMP. MATCH |
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Brandeis University | Massachusetts | 31 | 34 | 35.31% | SOLID MATCH |
|
Grinnell College | Iowa | 31 | 34 | 12.68% | COMP. MATCH |
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George Washington University | District of Columbia | 31 | 34 | 43.54% | SOLID MATCH |
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Colorado College | Colorado | 31 | 34 | 20.03% | COMP. MATCH |
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Occidental College | California | 31 | 34 | 39.89% | SOLID MATCH |
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Amherst College | Massachusetts | 31 | 35 | 9.82% | ELITE REACH |
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Bennington College | Vermont | 30 | 32 | 48.04% | SOLID MATCH |
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Bard College | New York | 30 | 32 | 52.29% | SOLID MATCH |
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Trinity University | Texas | 30 | 33 | 28.16% | COMP. MATCH |
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Rhode Island School of Design | Rhode Island | 30 | 33 | 13.81% | COMP. MATCH |
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Bryn Mawr College | Pennsylvania | 30 | 33 | 31.06% | SOLID MATCH |
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Lafayette College | Pennsylvania | 30 | 33 | 31.47% | SOLID MATCH |
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Oberlin College | Ohio | 30 | 33 | 32.98% | SOLID MATCH |
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Skidmore College | New York | 30 | 33 | 22.92% | COMP. MATCH |
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Union College | New York | 30 | 33 | 43.79% | SOLID MATCH |
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Fordham University | New York | 30 | 33 | 56.28% | SOLID MATCH |
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Macalester College | Minnesota | 30 | 33 | 28.21% | COMP. MATCH |
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Hillsdale College | Michigan | 30 | 33 | 20.59% | COMP. MATCH |
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Babson College | Massachusetts | 30 | 33 | 19.74% | COMP. MATCH |
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Clark University | Massachusetts | 30 | 33 | 41.67% | SOLID MATCH |
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Emerson College | Massachusetts | 30 | 33 | 47.48% | SOLID MATCH |
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University of Miami | Florida | 30 | 33 | 18.51% | COMP. MATCH |
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Trinity College | Delaware | 30 | 33 | 33.52% | SOLID MATCH |
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Santa Clara University | California | 30 | 33 | 43.84% | SOLID MATCH |
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Southern Methodist University | Texas | 30 | 34 | 61.22% | SOLID MATCH |
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University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | North Carolina | 30 | 34 | 18.74% | COMP. MATCH |
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Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | New York | 30 | 34 | 58.45% | SOLID MATCH |
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Westmont College | California | 30 | 34 | 79.86% | SOLID MATCH |
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University of Vermont | Vermont | 29 | 32 | 60.02% | SOLID MATCH |
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Franklin and Marshall College | Pennsylvania | 29 | 32 | 31.83% | SOLID MATCH |
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Denison University | Ohio | 29 | 32 | 16.93% | COMP. MATCH |
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Ohio State University-Main Campus | Ohio | 29 | 32 | 50.82% | SOLID MATCH |
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St Lawrence University | New York | 29 | 32 | 58.47% | SOLID MATCH |
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Bentley University | Massachusetts | 29 | 32 | 48.44% | SOLID MATCH |
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St. John's College | Maryland | 29 | 32 | 44.29% | SOLID MATCH |
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Fairfield University | Connecticut | 29 | 32 | 44.98% | SOLID MATCH |
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University of Denver | Colorado | 29 | 32 | 71.19% | SOLID MATCH |
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University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus | Pennsylvania | 29 | 33 | 49.7% | SOLID MATCH |
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Sarah Lawrence College | New York | 29 | 33 | 58.93% | SOLID MATCH |
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Rochester Institute of Technology | New York | 29 | 33 | 71.4% | SOLID MATCH |
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University of Massachusetts-Amherst | Massachusetts | 29 | 33 | 57.77% | SOLID MATCH |
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Wheaton College (Massachusetts) | Massachusetts | 29 | 33 | 71.33% | SOLID MATCH |
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American University | District of Columbia | 29 | 33 | 47.38% | SOLID MATCH |
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University of Connecticut | Connecticut | 29 | 33 | 53.95% | SOLID MATCH |
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Colorado School of Mines | Colorado | 29 | 33 | 59.71% | SOLID MATCH |
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Reed College | Oregon | 29 | 34 | 27.16% | COMP. MATCH |
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Binghamton University | New York | 29 | 34 | 37.73% | SOLID MATCH |
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Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Indiana | 29 | 34 | 72.81% | SOLID MATCH |
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University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | Illinois | 29 | 34 | 43.69% | SOLID MATCH |
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Muhlenberg College | Pennsylvania | 28 | 31 | 64.01% | SOLID MATCH |
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Lewis & Clark College | Oregon | 28 | 31 | 74.53% | SOLID MATCH |
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Lake Forest College | Illinois | 28 | 31 | 59.41% | SOLID MATCH |
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University of Wisconsin-Madison | Wisconsin | 28 | 32 | 43.35% | SOLID MATCH |
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DigiPen Institute of Technology | Washington | 28 | 32 | 68.02% | SOLID MATCH |
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Brigham Young University | Utah | 28 | 32 | 69.19% | SOLID MATCH |
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Clemson University | South Carolina | 28 | 32 | 38.05% | SOLID MATCH |
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Furman University | South Carolina | 28 | 32 | 52.57% | SOLID MATCH |
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Providence College | Rhode Island | 28 | 32 | 48.72% | SOLID MATCH |
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Bryant University | Rhode Island | 28 | 32 | 65.65% | SOLID MATCH |
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Ursinus College | Pennsylvania | 28 | 32 | 87.37% | SOLID MATCH |
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North Carolina State University at Raleigh | North Carolina | 28 | 32 | 39.85% | SOLID MATCH |
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Syracuse University | New York | 28 | 32 | 41.69% | SOLID MATCH |
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St Olaf College | Minnesota | 28 | 32 | 52.15% | SOLID MATCH |
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College of the Holy Cross | Massachusetts | 28 | 32 | 21.1% | COMP. MATCH |
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Chapman University | California | 28 | 32 | 55.61% | SOLID MATCH |
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Rhodes College | Tennessee | 28 | 33 | 49.68% | SOLID MATCH |
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Touro University | New York | 28 | 33 | 63.01% | SOLID MATCH |
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Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences | New York | 28 | 33 | 59.08% | SOLID MATCH |
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Yeshiva University | New York | 28 | 33 | 63.75% | SOLID MATCH |
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Stony Brook University | New York | 28 | 33 | 49.01% | SOLID MATCH |
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United States Military Academy | New York | 28 | 33 | 13.98% | COMP. MATCH |
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Rutgers University-New Brunswick | New Jersey | 28 | 33 | 65.35% | SOLID MATCH |
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University of Florida | Florida | 28 | 33 | 24.03% | COMP. MATCH |
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University of Colorado Boulder | Colorado | 28 | 33 | 83.28% | SOLID MATCH |
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Marist University | New York | 27 | 30 | 64.71% | PROBABLE |
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University of Puget Sound | Washington | 27 | 31 | 76.28% | SOLID MATCH |
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Champlain College | Vermont | 27 | 31 | 66.72% | SOLID MATCH |
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Wofford College | South Carolina | 27 | 31 | 58.59% | SOLID MATCH |
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Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia | Pennsylvania | 27 | 31 | 86.39% | SOLID MATCH |
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Ithaca College | New York | 27 | 31 | 69.94% | SOLID MATCH |
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Hofstra University | New York | 27 | 31 | 70.59% | SOLID MATCH |
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St. John's College | New Mexico | 27 | 31 | 49.46% | SOLID MATCH |
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Seton Hall University | New Jersey | 27 | 31 | 78.9% | SOLID MATCH |
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University of Minnesota-Twin Cities | Minnesota | 27 | 31 | 77.03% | SOLID MATCH |
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Loyola University Chicago | Illinois | 27 | 31 | 81.39% | SOLID MATCH |
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Florida State University | Florida | 27 | 31 | 25.38% | SOLID MATCH |
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University of Florida-Online | Florida | 27 | 31 | 64.38% | SOLID MATCH |
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University of Delaware | Delaware | 27 | 31 | 65.11% | SOLID MATCH |
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Lawrence University | Wisconsin | 27 | 32 | 63.03% | SOLID MATCH |
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Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | Virginia | 27 | 32 | 57.03% | SOLID MATCH |
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Baylor University | Texas | 27 | 32 | 50.99% | SOLID MATCH |
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The University of the South | Tennessee | 27 | 32 | 50.9% | SOLID MATCH |
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Thomas Jefferson University | Pennsylvania | 27 | 32 | 86.14% | SOLID MATCH |
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Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | Pennsylvania | 27 | 32 | 54.22% | SOLID MATCH |
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Gettysburg College | Pennsylvania | 27 | 32 | 47.51% | SOLID MATCH |
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Willamette University | Oregon | 27 | 32 | 79.11% | SOLID MATCH |
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The College of Wooster | Ohio | 27 | 32 | 54.32% | SOLID MATCH |
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University at Buffalo | New York | 27 | 32 | 69.3% | SOLID MATCH |
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SUNY at Purchase College | New York | 27 | 32 | 72.83% | SOLID MATCH |
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Loyola University Maryland | Maryland | 27 | 32 | 76.33% | SOLID MATCH |
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Indiana University-Bloomington | Indiana | 27 | 32 | 80.37% | SOLID MATCH |
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Wheaton College | Illinois | 27 | 32 | 89.98% | SOLID MATCH |
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Whitman College | Washington | 27 | 33 | 49.99% | SOLID MATCH |
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The University of Texas at Austin | Texas | 27 | 33 | 29.12% | COMP. MATCH |
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Drexel University | Pennsylvania | 27 | 33 | 77.53% | SOLID MATCH |
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Salve Regina University | Rhode Island | 26 | 30 | 69.91% | PROBABLE |
|
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg | Pennsylvania | 26 | 30 | 96.39% | HIGH SAFETY |
Your best choices will be the schools and colleges where the average ACT score of the admitted students is 29 to 33. 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 31 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 31 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.
Data Methodology & Expert Verification
The admission statuses (Elite Reach, Competitive Match, etc.) displayed on this page are calculated using a proprietary 7-tier multivariate logic. Unlike static lists, our algorithm cross-references the student's score of 31 against:
- 2024-2025 Common Data Set (CDS): Specifically Section C8 (Standardized Testing) and Section C9 (Percentiles).
- IPEDS Analytics: Latest federal reporting on institutional acceptance rates.
- 2026 Trend Analysis: Adjustments for schools that have recently reinstated mandatory testing (e.g., Brown, Dartmouth, Harvard).
Note: Standardized test scores are one component of a holistic application. For 2026, many institutions place "Very Important" weight on the rigors of your secondary school record and GPA.
FAQ for ACT 31 Score
How does a 31 ACT score compare to the SAT?
A 31 ACT corresponds to about a 1460 SAT. It’s competitive for many top schools but may not guarantee Ivy League acceptance.
What scholarships are available for a 31 ACT score?
You’re eligible for many merit scholarships, especially if you also have strong extracurriculars and a solid GPA.
Can I get into Ivy League schools with a 31 ACT score?
A 31 is on the lower end for Ivy League schools. You can still be considered if your GPA and extracurriculars are exceptional.
Should I retake the ACT to improve my score?
Retaking is optional unless you're aiming for Ivy League schools, where higher scores are more competitive.
What is the national average ACT score?
The national average ACT score is around 20–21, so a 31 is well above the national average.
Do test-optional colleges consider a 31 ACT score if submitted?
Yes, a 31 ACT will strengthen your application even at test-optional schools.
What GPA is a 31 ACT?
A 31 ACT typically aligns with a GPA of 3.6–3.8, indicating strong academic performance.
Can I get into NYU with a 31 ACT?
Yes, NYU accepts students with ACT scores around 28–32, so a 31 places you well within their typical range.
Is 31 a good ACT score for Harvard?
Harvard generally expects scores closer to 34, but a 31 may still be considered if your application is exceptional in other areas.
Can I get into MIT with a 31 ACT?
MIT usually looks for scores in the 34–36 range, so a 31 is slightly below their typical range. However, other academic strengths can help.
Can I get into Princeton with a 31 ACT score?
Princeton’s average ACT score is closer to 34, but a 31 is still within reach, especially with strong grades and extracurricular activities.
What if you improve your ACT score by 2 points (to 33)?
A score of 33 would place you in a stronger position for Ivy League and other top-tier schools.

