Academic Statistics at “Best of the Rest” Colleges

The 44 colleges we have termed the “best of the rest” have less demanding academic achievement benchmarks than the 61 highly selective colleges with acceptance rates of 25% or less, while still maintaining reasonably high academic standards based especially on the middle 50% test score ranges of their admitted students for the class of 2025.

The colleges in the “best of the rest” list were selected based on middle 50% test score ranges that start at 1200 and who have acceptance rates above 25%. We found a total of 44 colleges that fit these metrics.

GPA

27 of the 44 “best of the rest” colleges disclosed GPA data with a mix of unweighted and weighted GPA data giving us a clearer picture of classroom academic achievement of the freshman class of 2025 compared to the highly selective colleges which mostly did not disclose the GPA of the class of 2025.

Remember that while the GPA is a strong indicator of an applicant’s high school work ethic, it is not the best indicator of college readiness. High schools across the country do not have consistent curriculums or grading practices such that the GPA cannot be used as a standardized benchmark to measure academic achievement.

Despite test optionality, colleges continue to evaluate test scores, if available and rigor of classes taken as stronger indicators of college readiness than GPA.

Middle 50% Test Score Ranges

While there is overlap in middle 50% test score ranges between these 44 “best of the rest” colleges, and the highly selective colleges, the percentage of admitted students who submitted test scores is much lower relative to the 61 highly selective colleges. That said, at half of the 44 colleges, a majority of admitted students submitted test scores clearly underlining the value of a test score for purposes of admission to a good college.

Read: What a College’s Test Score Ranges Mean

Just like at the highly selective colleges, these admitted students generally favored the SAT over the ACT except at Ohio State University where 64% of admitted students took the ACT and at University of Wisconsin - Madison where 46% of admitted students also took the ACT.

The 3 colleges in the University of California system are the only ones that are no longer accepting test scores from applicants, while the remaining 41 colleges continue to accept and evaluate test scores in the admission process if they are submitted.

For applicants interested in adding one of these 44 colleges to their college list, the GPA and 50% test score ranges in the table below will help in assessing whether these colleges are “stretch”, “right fit” or “safety” schools.

See: Get Admitted with a Great College List

Table of GPA and Test Scores at “Best of the Rest” Colleges

Data obtained from Common Data Sets and college websites

CollegeGPASAT% with SATACT% with ACT% w/Test Scores
American University (ED)ND1290 -143028%29-3318%46%
Binghamton University - SUNY3.991320-146054%30-3313%67%
Brandeis University (ED I & II)3.841390-150040%31-3417%57%
Bryn Mawr College (ED I & II)ND1290-146048%30-3327%75%
Bucknell University (EA)3.621230-139057%27-3126%83%
Case Western Reserve University (EA & ED I, II)ND1340-152039%31-3527%66%
Clark University3.691220-138017%27-305%22%
College of the Holy Cross (EA & ED I,II)ND1240-142040%28-3219%59%
College of William and Mary (EA)4.31360-152051%31-3419%70%
Connecticut College (ED I & II)3.71353-145012%30-3310%22%
Dickinson College (ED I & II)ND1383-1465-27-31--
Denison University (ED I & II)ND1250-141028%28-3223%51%
Florida State University3.6/4.171200-133065%26-3036%100%
George Washington UniversityND1320-146029%30-3418%47%
Lafayette College (ED I & II)3.531330-144028%30-3313%41%
Lehigh University (ED)ND1340-146036%30-3418%54%
Loyola Marymount University3.921260-141018%28-3214%32%
North Carolina State University3.831290-143021%27-3235%56%
Oberlin College (EA & ED I, II)3.671338-146034%30-3422%56%
Ohio State UniversityND1260-142021%26-3264%85%
Pepperdine University (EA)3.741280-143019%25-303%22%
Reed College (EA & ED I, II)4.011330-150039%30-3428%67%
Rensselaer Polytechnic3.931310-1460-29-34--
Santa Clara University3.671300-146029%29-3318%47%
Scripps College (ED I & II)4.281400-151031%31-3423%53%
Smith College (ED I & II)4.01390-151034%31-3420%54%
Skidmore College (ED I & II)ND1300-142026%29-3311%37%
Stony Brook University - SUNY3.941320-146037%29-336%43%
Trinity College (ED I & II)ND1310-142018%30-3213%31%
Trinity University (EA & ED I, II)3.721300-145039%29-3329%68%
University of California - San Diego4.131260-1480-26-33--
University of California - Santa Barbara4.251230-1480-26-33--
University of California--IrvineND1215-1450----
University of Florida4.41350-1490-30-34--
University of Georgia (EA)4.11280-143036%28-3231%67%
Uiniversity of Illinois Urbana ChampaignND1340-151043%29-3424%67%
University of Maryland4.341340-149034%30-349%43%
University of Miami (ED & EA)3.71310-145031%30-3324%55%
University of Pittsburgh4.11250-147049%28-3316%65%
University of Richmond (EA & ED I,II)3.711320-146224%31-3432%56%
University of Rochester (ED I, II)3.81310-1500-30-34--
University of Texas at AustinND1210-1470-26-33--
University of Washington3.821200-145719%27-338%27%
University of Wisconsin - Madison3.881350-148015%27-3246%61%

Class Rank

While only a minority of admitted students submitted their class rank making this data less reliable, it is still noteworthy that at nearly all of the 44 colleges, more than 80% of those that did submit a class rank were in the top 25% of their high school class.

CollegeHS Top 10%HS Top 25%% with class rank
American University (ED)---
Binghamton University - SUNY52%86%36%
Brandeis University (ED I & II)57%89%16%
Bryn Mawr College (ED I & II)68%85%22%
Bucknell University (EA)59%86%23%
Case Western Reserve University (EA & ED I, II)62%95%21%
Clark University41%77%24%
College of the Holy Cross (EA & ED I,II)43%80%17%
College of William and Mary (EA)82%97%39%
Connecticut College (ED I & II)41%79%26%
Dickinson College (ED I & II)47%76%4%
Denison University (ED I & II)71%88%35%
Florida State University47%79%78%
George Washington University45%79%25%
Lafayette College (ED I & II)45%75%23%
Lehigh University (ED)57%86%27%
Loyola Marymount University33%71%23%
North Carolina State University47%85%77%
Oberlin College (EA & ED I, II)54%81%25%
Ohio State University64%94%34%
Pepperdine University (EA)45%83%9%
Reed College (EA & ED I, II)51%80%38%
Rensselaer Polytechnic55%87%37%
Santa Clara University35%72%15%
Scripps College (ED I & II)69%88%18%
Smith College (ED I & II)74%93%29%
Skidmore College (ED I & II)28%65%18%
Stony Brook University - SUNY44%76%26%
Trinity College (ED I & II)51%82%17%
Trinity University (EA & ED I, II)49%84%66%
University of California - San Diego---
University of California - Santa Barbara---
University of California--Irvine---
University of Florida82%98%92%
University of Georgia (EA)61%93%20%
Uiniversity of Illinois Urbana Champaign54%85%18%
University of Maryland69%90%42%
University of Miami (ED & EA)65%87%38%
University of Pittsburgh45%80%36%
University of Richmond (EA & ED I,II)54%86%22%
University of Rochester (ED I, II)71%93%25%
University of Texas at Austin87%96%80%
University of Washington---
University of Wisconsin - Madison49%86%30%

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Donna Meyer

Donna is the founder of X Factor Admissions and the popular blog Fencing Parents , the single most important reference source for college bound fencers interested in athlete recruitment. In preparation of her sons’ applications to college, she spent years learning the intricacies of college admissions, consulted with a variety of admissions experts, and talked to admissions officers, NCAA coaches and many parents. She is a firm believer in data, and she uses it extensively to gain insight into the college admissions process. She sees that there is method in the madness.

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