Bethune Cookman SAT Scores, GPA, and ACT (2026)

Bethune Cookman University is a private nonprofit university in Daytona Beach, Florida, with 2,732 students, and the Bethune Cookman SAT scores picture is friendlier than most applicants expect. The middle 50 percent of enrolled students scored between 830 and 990 on the SAT in the 2024-2025 cycle, with an average of 880. With under 3,000 students on campus, this is a small school where admissions reads more like an open door than a gauntlet: 88.2% of applicants get in.

The section numbers tell you where students land. Reading and Writing runs 430 to 510 for the middle half, while Math runs 400 to 480, so verbal scores sit about 30 points higher at both ends of the range. Testing is optional in the most recent federal data, which means you decide whether an SAT score goes in your file. That choice matters here. A score above 990 would put you past 3 out of 4 enrolled students, and at a school admitting 88.2% of applicants, a strong number can do more than get you in. It can shape scholarship conversations and course placement once you arrive in Daytona Beach.

The middle 50 percent range, 830 to 990, splits enrolled students into 3 groups. Below 830 means you scored lower than roughly 3 out of 4 students who enrolled. Since testing is optional in the most recent federal data, a score in that zone is usually one to leave out of your application. Inside 830 to 990 means you look like a typical Bethune Cookman student, and submitting helps confirm you belong. Above 990 puts you past 3 out of 4 enrollees, and that score should absolutely go in your file.

The section splits show Reading and Writing sets the higher bar: 430 to 510 versus 400 to 480 for Math. Enrolled students here run about 30 points stronger on the verbal side at both the 25th and 75th percentiles. If Math is your weak spot, you have company. If Math is your strength, a 500 there already clears the 75th percentile of 480 and stands out more than the same score would in Reading and Writing.

Admitted students at Bethune Cookman typically present an unweighted GPA in the 3.0 to 3.5 range. That is a band most students with steady B averages can reach, and it fits a school that says yes to 88.2% of its applicants. Sitting inside that band does not require a perfect transcript. It requires steady work across all 4 years of high school.

What you took matters as much as the number on the transcript. A 3.2 earned in honors and challenging courses reads stronger than a 3.4 built on the lightest schedule available. Admissions readers look at both together. If your GPA sits near 3.0 or just under, the fastest offset is a strong SAT. The middle 50 percent here runs 830 to 990, so a score at 990 or above pairs with a modest GPA to make a clearly stronger file. Grades take years to move. A test score can move in months.

Set 2 targets. First, 830 total, the 25th percentile: at or above that, you are in range with the bottom edge of the enrolled class. Second, 990, the 75th percentile: at or above that, you outscore 3 out of 4 students who enrolled, which strengthens your case for admission and for merit aid. By section, aim for at least 430 in Reading and Writing and 400 in Math to match the 25th percentile marks, then push toward 510 and 480 to reach the top quarter.

Start by finding out where you stand today. A short diagnostic gives you a real baseline instead of a guess, and from there you can compare score plans that map the point gain you need to the weeks you have before test day. Getting from 880, the average here, to 990 or beyond is a focused project, not a mystery. Take the diagnostic this week, note your section scores against 430 and 400, and build your study calendar around the weaker one.