Non-Profit Private
Accredited · Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
Portland, Oregon
27.2% Acceptance Rate
Reed College — Admission Snapshot 2026
A complete at-a-glance picture of every metric that matters for your 2026 application
27.2%Acceptance Rate
4Avg GPA
1420Avg SAT
32Avg ACT
$83,310Annual Cost
$62,927Grad Salary
12.3%Pell Grant
Acceptance Rate
27.2%
Avg GPA
4
Avg SAT
1420
Avg ACT
32
Selectivity
Highly Competitive
Institution Type
Non-Profit Private
Campus
Main Campus
Accredited By
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
SAT Middle 50%
1300–1510
ACT Middle 50%
29–34
Need-Based Aid
12.3% receive Pell
Reed College, founded in 1911 in Portland, Oregon, is renowned for its intellectual intensity and unconventional 'Reedies,' who thrive in its student-governed academic environment. The college's curriculum centers on a year-long humanities course and mandatory senior thesis 85% of students complete original research, often published in journals. Reed excels in physics (housing one of only two nuclear reactors operated by undergraduates) and creative writing (alumni include Gary Snyder and Barry Lopez). Its 116-acre campus features canyon trails and the Paradox Lost sculpture, embodying Reed's quirky ethos.
With no fraternities or Division sports, Reed's culture revolves around intellectual pursuits, visible in its 24-hour thesis-writing 'Paradox Cafe.' The college's honor principle allows self-proctored exams and fosters deep faculty-student collaboration (10:1 ratio). Despite its small size, Reed produces the 2nd highest number of PhDs per capita in the U.S. Recent initiatives like the $200 million 'Reed Forward' campaign expanded financial aid, with 40% of students now receiving Pell Grants. Reed's alumni network includes 32 Rhodes Scholars and MacArthur 'geniuses,' testament to its transformative liberal arts model.
Reed College Acceptance Rate
Reed College admits about 27.2% of applicants — around 27 per 100 — making it a highly competitive option among colleges in Oregon.
What Reed Admissions Looks For
- Sustained Involvement: Depth in 2–3 activities reads better than breadth across ten.
- Clear Intent: Interviews and supplements should show why this school specifically, not just any selective school.
- Consistent Academics: A steady record of A-level performance across core subjects is expected.
Selectivity at a Glance
Highly Competitive
Selectivity scale: Highly Competitive — 27.2% acceptance rate
Most Selective (0%)Open Enrollment (100%)
Reed reviews the whole profile, not just grades — a well-crafted personal statement genuinely moves the needle here.
Recommended Academic Profile
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
4.00 – 4.00
Target Match
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.80 – 3.99
Competitive Reach
Focus on Score Compensation
Below 3.55
Secondary Reach
Requires Contextual Support
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard (Nov 2025).
Reed College Application Deadlines & Admission Dates 2026
The application deadline for Reed College is November 15 for Early Decision I applicants, with additional plans listed below. Admission decisions are typically released by December 15.
Key Admission Dates
⏳ 111 days left — Early Decision I
Early Decision I
November 15
Decision by: December 15
Early Decision II
January 2
Decision by: February 1
Regular Decision
January 15
Decision by: April 1
💡 The scholarship deadline (November 15, 2026) often falls before the regular admission deadline. Submit your application and FAFSA early to be considered for maximum aid.
Deadlines are verified from official institutional sources but may change each cycle. Always confirm final dates on the official website.
Reed GPA Requirement
The average GPA of admitted students at Reed is 4. That makes admissions here extremely selective on GPA — near the top of your class is the expectation, not the exception. Most admitted students carry mostly A's across the board.
AP or IB courses aligned with your intended major (calculus and physics for engineering, for instance) meaningfully strengthen an application here.
Most schools report GPA on a weighted or unweighted 4.0 scale differently — for an unweighted profile like this, students with AP/IB coursework typically carry a weighted GPA of 4.20–4.40.Reed GPA & Admission Outlook
Assessment: Extreme selectivity; requires elite academic standing.
Recommended Strategy: High Course Rigor (AP/IB/Honors) to validate the grade.
Where your GPA falls in this range shapes what the rest of your application needs to do:
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
4.00 – 4.00
Academic Target
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.80 – 3.99
Competitive Match
Focus on SAT/ACT Compensation
3.60 – 3.79
Secondary Reach
Personal Statement & Impact
Below 3.59
Institutional Reach
Requires Significant Contextual Factors
Evaluation Metrics That Matter Here
- Reed houses one of only two nuclear reactors in the country operated by undergraduates, a genuinely distinctive resource for students with serious physics or nuclear science interests.
- Reed offers a 9:1 to 10:1 student-to-faculty ratio with conference-style classes, allowing genuine individual mentorship uncommon even among peer small liberal arts colleges.
- Reed accepts both the Common Application and the Coalition for College, with neither platform favored in the admission decision process, and international applicants are strongly encouraged (though not required) to submit TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo scores.
- Rigor Over Raw Number: A slightly lower GPA (say 3.8) paired with multiple AP or IB courses often outweighs a flat 4.0 from a standard curriculum.
- Trajectory Matters: A lower start in 9th or 10th grade, followed by a clear upward trend senior year, reads as academic resilience rather than a weakness.
Data verified via IPEDS, College Scorecard (Nov 2025) and the Common Data Set (CDS). Expert Review led by Sohaib Khan and Dr. Waseem.
Check Your Admission Chances at Reed
Admission Chance Predictor
Real-Time Sensitive Analysis — based on Reed College's verified institutional data
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Calculating Profile...
Adjust the sliders to see how every decimal point affects your outcome.
Your SAT Score 1200
Your Unweighted GPA 3.00
✅ Verified Data: Institutional records for 2026.
Calculated via College Portal's Human-Intelligence (HI) Methodology & Editorial Standards. Verified by Sohaib Ahmad Khan.
Reed College (Reed) Test Requirements
Standardized scores still matter here: aim for the middle 50% range of the 2026 admitted class below, and if Reed is test-optional, a high score submitted voluntarily still helps with merit scholarships.
Can I Get Into Reed Without SAT or ACT?
Reed considers scores when submitted, without requiring them. Prepare well and submit your best attempt — most applicants test 2–3 times.
Reed College Average SAT Score: 1420
The average SAT score of admitted students at Reed College is 1420 on the 1600-point scale.
SAT Competitiveness
SAT 1420 — Very Competitive
A 1420 average puts Reed well above the national mean SAT score.
Key Insight: Aim for the 75th percentile (1510 SAT or 34 ACT) to stand out. Below average? Reed College allows Score Choice for the SAT, so a retake only helps — a low sitting never has to be sent.
If your score is below 1300, retaking the SAT is strongly recommended to improve your chances at Reed. Retaking multiple times is completely normal — most competitive applicants sit for it two or three times. There's no official limit on attempts.
SAT Scores Breakdown by Sections
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Math | 690 | 630 | 750 |
| SAT Reading | 715 | 670 | 760 |
| SAT Composite | 1420 | 1300 | 1510 |
Below 1300, you're behind most admitted students; at 1510 or above, you're ahead of 75% of them. (25th/75th percentile = the score below which that share of admitted students fall.)
View list of all colleges with average SAT score of 1400
Can I get into Reed College (Reed) with a 1500 SAT?
A 1500 SAT puts you ahead of most of Reed's admitted class — but admissions still weighs GPA, course rigor, and essays alongside it. A strong score opens the door; the rest of your profile decides what happens next.
Reed College (Reed) ACT Requirements
The average ACT score at Reed is 32.
ACT Competitiveness
ACT 32 — Very Competitive
An average of 32 is well above the national ACT mean.
ACT Scores Breakdown by Sections
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACT Math | 30 | 27 | 32 |
| ACT English | 34 | 32 | 35 |
| ACT Composite | 32 | 29 | 34 |
Can I get into Reed College with a 34 ACT?
A 34 ACT puts you ahead of 75% of Reed's admitted students — a strong position, though the ACT is only one benchmark among several admissions weighs.
Unlike the SAT, the ACT scores four separate sections — English, Math, Reading, and Science — each on a 1–36 scale. A noticeably weak section (Science, especially, at STEM-focused schools) stands out to reviewers, so it's worth checking your section breakdown for outliers before applying.
Your ACT score clears the first filter, but GPA, course rigor, extracurricular depth, recommendations, and essays are what carry an application the rest of the way at Reed.
Your 2026 Admissions Roadmap for Reed
Selective Strategy: Competitive Positioning
At Reed, admissions looks for reliable, high-achieving students. The goal is to land as a top-tier applicant — that's what triggers both admission and the best merit aid.
Write Highly Intellectual, Original Essays - Reed Explicitly Selects for Independent Thinking
Reed's culture revolves around discussion-based, conference-style classes and a self-governed academic environment ("Reedies" thrive on genuine intellectual intensity), and admissions guidance is explicit that essays need real originality and independent thought, not polished conventionality. Choose an essay topic that lets you demonstrate genuine, idiosyncratic intellectual curiosity rather than a safe, broadly appealing narrative.
Show Genuine Readiness for the Senior Thesis and Hum 110 Sequence
Reed's academic identity centers on the year-long Hum 110 humanities course every student takes, building toward a mandatory senior thesis where 85% of students complete original research, often published in journals. If you reference Reed specifically, demonstrate comfort with sustained, independent academic work and genuine excitement for rigorous, foundational humanities study, not just a general liberal arts interest.
Understand Reed Is Test-Blind, Not Merely Test-Optional
For the current admission cycle, Reed will neither require nor use SAT/ACT results in its review at all - a stricter policy than the test-optional approach common at most peer schools. Don't submit scores expecting them to be considered; instead, focus all your energy on the academic transcript, essays, and recommendations that Reed actually evaluates.
Reference Reed's Honor Principle and Unconventional Campus Culture With Specificity
Reed has no fraternities, no Division sports, and operates on an honor principle allowing self-proctored exams - genuine structural features reflecting deep institutional trust and intellectual seriousness. If you reference Reed's distinctive culture, ground it in specific knowledge of these structures (the honor principle, the absence of conventional Greek/athletic social structures) rather than vague "quirky" language.
Expert Insight: Do not submit a Reed application built around generic "intellectual community" language without engaging with what's structurally unique to Reed - the mandatory Hum 110 sequence, the senior thesis culture, the honor principle's self-proctored exams, and the complete absence of fraternities or Division athletics are concrete, defining features that differentiate Reed from virtually every peer liberal arts college, and essays lacking this specificity read as generic.
Reed Profile
Full Name
Reed College (Reed)
City
Portland
State
Oregon
ZIP Code
97202-8199
Type
Non-Profit Private
Campus
Main Campus
Official Website
Accredited By
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
Is a Reed Degree Worth It?
Reed offers a rigorous academic environment, but 'worth it' is a personal calculation of cost, program fit, and outcomes — the figures below are a starting point.
The average household income among admitted students is $71,800, with a graduate unemployment rate of 3.48%.
How much does a degree from Reed Cost?
The sticker price is $83,310/year, but the average net price students actually pay — after Pell and federal grants — is typically much lower.
12.3% of students receive a Pell Grant and 38.4% take federal loans at Reed — file your FAFSA early and list Reed as a choice to be considered for both.
How much does a Reed Graduate earn?
Median earnings 10 years after enrollment (roughly 4–6 years post-graduation) are $62,927 — about 55% above the U.S. median graduate income.
Compare Similar Colleges
Less Competitive Schools
These schools have lower average SAT or ACT scores than Reed College. If your SAT or ACT score is slightly lower, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado School of Mines | Golden, CO | 1403 | 31 |
| Trinity College | Hartford, CT | 1396 | 32 |
| American University | Washington, DC | 1392 | 31 |
| University of Florida | Gainesville, FL | 1397 | 31 |
| Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Terre Haute, IN | 1389 | 32 |
| Simpson College | Indianola, IA | 1410 | 32 |
| St. John's College | Annapolis, MD | 1381 | 31 |
| University of Massachusetts-Amherst | Amherst, MA | 1393 | 31 |
| St Olaf College | Northfield, MN | 1373 | 30 |
| Rutgers University-New Brunswick | New Brunswick, NJ | 1383 | 31 |
Equally Competitive Schools
These schools have the same range of average SAT or ACT scores as Reed College. If your SAT or ACT score is competitive, you'll be competitive for these schools also.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Clara University | Santa Clara, CA | 1417 | 32 |
| Connecticut College | New London, CT | 1412 | 32 |
| University of Miami | Coral Gables, FL | 1416 | 32 |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | Champaign, IL | 1418 | 32 |
| Simpson College | Indianola, IA | 1410 | 32 |
More Competitive Schools
These schools have higher average SAT or ACT scores than Reed College. If you improve your SAT or ACT score, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northeastern University Oakland | Oakland, CA | 1472 | 32 |
| Occidental College | Los Angeles, CA | 1461 | 33 |
| Scripps College | Claremont, CA | 1480 | 33 |
| Georgetown University | Washington, DC | 1494 | 33 |
| Grinnell College | Grinnell, IA | 1486 | 33 |
Degree Programs at Reed
Bachelor Degree Programs
Frequently Asked Questions About Reed Admissions
Median graduate earnings at Reed College run about $62,927 a year.
At about $83,310 a year, Reed College's cost is on the higher end; look closely at aid options.
Reed College's Pell Grant rate of 12.3% sits below the national average — merit-based aid is worth checking regardless of income.
At 27.2%, Reed College's acceptance rate is on the more attainable end compared to top-tier selective schools.
Admitted students at Reed College average a 4 GPA.
Reed College doesn't publish a hard GPA floor — but landing at or above 3.7 keeps you in the typical applicant range; below it, lean on essays and recommendations.
Below 3.6, Reed College becomes a harder reach — though a strong test score, meaningful activities, and AP/IB coursework can still make a real case.
A strong SAT score matters at Reed College — aim above 1420, ideally within the 1300–1510 range admitted students typically fall in.
The application deadline for Reed College is November 15 for Early Decision I applicants. Admission decisions are released by December 15.
The scholarship/financial aid priority deadline is November 15, 2026. Submit FAFSA before then for maximum consideration.
Yes — transfers are common. Have transcripts, recommendation letters, and a solid personal statement ready to make your case.
Strong academics, a focused extracurricular profile, and standout essays move the needle most — along with a competitive SAT/ACT score where relevant.