Clayton State SAT Scores, GPA, and ACT (2026)
By the Cheetah Prep team · Reviewed July 15, 2026
SAT middle 50 percent
860 to 1078
Half of enrolled students at Clayton State scored in this range on the SAT. One quarter scored above 1078, and one quarter below 860.
- Average composite
- 958
- Acceptance rate
- 68.5%
- ACT range
- 15 to 19
- Test policy
- Test optional
- Location
- Morrow, GA
- Undergraduates
- 4,348
Clayton State SAT Scores and Admissions
About 68 out of every 100 applicants get into Clayton State University, an admission rate of 68.5% in the 2024-2025 cycle. That context matters when you look at Clayton State SAT scores: the middle 50 percent of enrolled students landed between 860 and 1078, with an average around 958. In other words, this is a school where a solid but not spectacular score keeps you firmly in the conversation, and where a score above 1078 puts you ahead of 3 out of 4 students who enrolled.
Clayton State is a public university in Morrow, GA, just south of Atlanta, with about 4,348 students. That enrollment figure tells you something real: classes here are not lost in a sea of 30,000 undergraduates. The section splits are worth noting too. Reading and Writing ran from 450 to 558 across the middle 50 percent, while Math ran from 410 to 520. The verbal side sets the higher bar by roughly 40 points at both ends. In the most recent federal data, Clayton State is test optional, so you choose whether your SAT goes in the file. If your score sits inside or above that 860 to 1078 range, sending it works in your favor.
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Clayton State SAT Score Breakdown by Section
Here is the section by section SAT profile of enrolled students at Clayton State, from the federal College Scorecard.
| Section | 25th percentile | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Reading and Writing | 450 | 558 |
| Math | 410 | 520 |
| CompositeTotal SAT | 860 | 1078 |
The College Board reports section percentiles, not section averages, so an average is shown for the composite only.
Where this sits on the 400 to 1600 scale
860 to 1078
Clayton State Admissions Calculator: What Are Your Chances?
Enter your SAT score and unweighted GPA for an honest read on your chances of getting into Clayton State, measured against real enrolled student data instead of a made up percentage.
No SAT score yet? Take the diagnostic and get a real number in about 25 minutes.
How this calculator works: your SAT is compared with Clayton State's reported middle 50 percent range from the federal College Scorecard, your GPA is compared with the range admitted students at similarly selective schools typically present, and both are weighed against the school's real acceptance rate. We do not print a made up percent chance. No calculator can see your essays, your course rigor, or your recommendations, and at selective schools those decide close calls. Treat this as an honest read of your academic position, not a prediction.
Chances of Getting Into Clayton State by SAT Score
Here is what specific scores mean at Clayton State, based on its reported 860 to 1078 middle 50 percent range. Find the row closest to your score, or use the calculator above for a read on your exact numbers. No made up percentages: each verdict is your real position in the enrolled class.
| SAT score | Where it lands | The honest read |
|---|---|---|
| 710 | Well below the 25th percentile | A 710 is well below the 860 to 1078 range at Clayton State. On testing alone this score does not keep the application in contention, so raising it is the priority. |
| 810 | Just below the 25th percentile | A 810 falls just short of Clayton State's 25th percentile of 860. Some students get in below the range, but they usually bring something exceptional elsewhere in the application. |
| 970 | Inside the middle 50 percent | A 970 sits inside the 860 to 1078 range, matching the profile of enrolled students. This is a competitive score here. |
| 1080 | At the 75th percentile | A 1080 matches the 75th percentile at Clayton State, stronger than about 3 out of 4 enrolled students. Testing is a clear strength at this level. |
| 1110 | Above the 75th percentile | A 1110 beats the 75th percentile at Clayton State. The score is doing all it can; nothing more is gained by retaking. |
How to Raise Your SAT Score to Clayton State's Range
The two targets that matter here are 860, the score that puts you inside the admitted range, and 1078, the score that puts you in the top quarter. Here is the size of the jump from common starting points, with the step by step plan for each one.
| Starting score | To reach 860 | To reach 1078 | The plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1000 | Already there | +78 points | 1000 to 1100 plan |
Not sure where you stand today? The diagnostic gives you a real starting score and a section breakdown in one sitting, so the gap you plan around is your actual gap.
What SAT Score Do You Need for Clayton State?
Here is how to read your own number against Clayton State's range. Below 860, you are under the 25th percentile, meaning at least 3 out of 4 enrolled students scored higher than you. Since the school is test optional in the most recent federal data, a score down there is usually better left out of your application. Between 860 and 1078, you are inside the middle 50 percent: your score looks like a typical Clayton State student's, and submitting it is a reasonable call, especially in the upper half of that range. Above 1078, you beat the 75th percentile and outscore 3 out of 4 enrollees, which strengthens your file and can help with merit consideration.
Check your sections separately. Reading and Writing at Clayton State runs 450 to 558, Math runs 410 to 520. The verbal bar sits higher, so a 540 in Reading and Writing is merely typical here while a 540 in Math clears the 75th percentile. Know which section is carrying your composite before you decide whether to send it.
Clayton State GPA Requirements
Admitted students at Clayton State typically present an unweighted GPA somewhere around 3.3 to 3.7. That is a band, not a cutoff. A 3.4 with honors and AP courses on the transcript reads very differently from a 3.4 built on the lightest schedule available. Admissions readers weigh the difficulty of what you took as much as the number at the top of the page.
If your GPA sits at the lower edge of that band, or below it, the fastest offset is a strong SAT score. Grades take years to move. A test score can move in months. At a school where the average SAT is 958, showing up with an 1100 or better makes a real statement about your academic ceiling, whatever your transcript says. Pair a rising grade trend in your junior and senior years with a score above the 75th percentile and you have a genuinely competitive file at Clayton State.
Typical admitted GPA
Admitted students at Clayton State typically present a GPA in the 3.3 to 3.7 range on an unweighted 4.0 scale. Solid grades with a clear upward trend read well, especially paired with a strong test score.
If your GPA sits at or below this range, a strong SAT score is the fastest way to stay competitive, since grades are hard to move late in high school. See where your SAT score really stands and build the plan around the gap.
These are unweighted grades on a 4.0 scale. A school that weights GPA or reports a different scale will show a higher number.
Clayton State SAT Testing Policy
Clayton State considered scores without requiring them (test optional) in the most recent federal data. Testing policies change year to year, so confirm the current 2026-2027policy on the school's admissions site before you decide whether to submit scores.
Should you submit your score?
Submit your score when it is at or above 969, the middle of Clayton State's range. If you are below 860, the 25th percentile, consider holding your score and letting your grades, essays, and activities carry the application.
Last verified July 15, 2026
Should You Submit Your SAT Score to Clayton State?
Clayton State was test optional in the most recent federal data, which turns your score into a strategic choice. The folk theory that applying without scores signals weakness is overstated, but the math of what helps is simple: a score that lands inside or above the admitted range works for you, and a score well below it does not.
970+
Submit
At or above the middle of the admitted range, submitting clearly helps. A real data point beats an open question.
860 to 970
Lean submit
Inside the range, most counselors say send it: you are within the profile of enrolled students, and holding it back leaves the reader guessing.
Below 860
Usually hold it
Below the 25th percentile the score rarely helps at Clayton State. Apply without it, or better, close the gap first. Scores can still matter for merit scholarships elsewhere on your list.
Policy as reported for the 2024-2025 cycle. We verified it against Clayton State's own site, where any mid cycle change would appear first.
Clayton State ACT Scores: Should You Take the SAT or ACT?
The middle 50 percent of enrolled students at Clayton State scored between 15 and 19 on the ACT, alongside the 860 to 1078 SAT range. Like nearly every US college, Clayton State states no preference between the two tests. The right move is to take whichever test converts higher for you, using the official concordance below, and send that one.
| ACT composite | SAT equivalent |
|---|---|
| 19 | 990 to 1020 |
| 18 | 960 to 980 |
| 17 | 920 to 950 |
| 16 | 880 to 910 |
SAT equivalents from the official College Board and ACT concordance tables. Highlighted rows fall inside Clayton State's ACT middle 50 percent.
How to Get Into Clayton State
Set two concrete targets. First, 860: at or above the 25th percentile keeps you in range for Clayton State. Second, 1078: at or above the 75th percentile puts you in the top quarter of enrolled students, and with a 68.5% admit rate, a top quarter score makes you a strong bet. If you are starting near the 958 average, that second target means finding about 120 points, which is very doable with a focused plan over 2 to 3 months. Our score plans break that climb into weekly targets by section, which matters here since the Math bar (410 to 520) sits lower than the verbal one (450 to 558).
Do not guess where you stand. Take a diagnostic to get a real baseline across both sections, then measure the gap to 860 and 1078. Your next step: sit for that 20 question diagnostic this week, write down your section scores, and pick the target that fits your timeline.
How Hard Is It to Get Into Clayton State?
Clayton State admits about 685 of every 1,000 applicants, and enrolls an undergraduate class of about 4,348. That ratio, not any single cutoff, is what makes the admitted profile look the way it does: when a school turns away 315 of every 1,000 people who apply, the students who get in cluster at the top of every measurable scale.
For perspective against the country as a whole: Clayton State's 25th percentile score of 860 already beats roughly 16% of all SAT takers nationally, and its 75th percentile of 1078 sits around the 54th percentile. A score that feels middling on this page is an excellent score almost anywhere else, which is worth remembering when you build the rest of your list.
Colleges Similar to Clayton State: Reach, Match, and Safety Options
Real reported ranges from schools students often consider alongside Clayton State, ordered by acceptance rate. Odds are compared on acceptance rate first, because a school with a lower SAT average can still be far harder to get into.
| School | SAT middle 50 percent | Acceptance rate | Odds vs Clayton State |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clayton State | 860 to 1078 | 68.5% | This page |
| Southern University and A&M | 790 to 1020 | 35.1% | Harder to get into than Clayton StateSAT about 64 lower |
| West Georgia | 950 to 1140 | 51.6% | Similar oddsSAT about 76 higher |
| Georgia State | 940 to 1180 | 55.4% | Similar oddsSAT about 91 higher |
| Fort Valley State | 930 to 1070 | 65.9% | Similar oddsSAT about 31 higher |
| Georgia Southwestern State | 890 to 1110 | 75.2% | Similar oddsSAT about 31 higher |
| Abraham Baldwin Agricultural | 860 to 1080 | 75.7% | Similar oddssimilar SAT range |
How Recent Are These Clayton State SAT Scores?
Every score, rate, and enrollment figure on this page comes from the US Department of Education College Scorecard, 2024-2025 release, the same federal dataset colleges report into. Testing policy reflects the 2024-2025 admissions cycle. This page was last reviewed July 15, 2026.
Score ranges quoted around the web for Clayton State disagree with each other more than you would expect, usually because a site is quoting an older class or an unlabeled estimate. We publish the reported number, label the vintage, and update when the source updates. We also cross checked Clayton State's own admissions site, where any change would appear first.
Clayton State SAT Scores and GPA: Frequently Asked Questions
What SAT score do you need to get into Clayton State?
Clayton State's middle 50 percent SAT range is 860 to 1078. Aim for at least 860 to be competitive, and 1078 or higher to be a strong applicant. There is no hard cutoff, but a score in or above this range keeps your application in contention.
Is a 860 a good SAT score for Clayton State?
A 860 sits at Clayton State's 25th percentile, the lower edge of its middle 50 percent range of 860 to 1078. It keeps you in range, but a score closer to 1078 makes your application stronger.
What is the average SAT score at Clayton State?
The average composite SAT score at Clayton State is 958. The middle 50 percent of enrolled students scored between 860 and 1078.
Does Clayton State require SAT scores?
No. Clayton State was test optional in the most recent federal data, so you can apply without SAT scores. Confirm the current 2026-2027 policy on the school's admissions site before you decide whether to submit.
Is Clayton State test optional for 2026-2027?
Clayton State was test optional in the most recent federal data, meaning you could apply without scores. Policies change year to year, so verify the 2026-2027 policy on the school's admissions site.
What ACT score do you need for Clayton State?
Clayton State's middle 50 percent ACT range is 15 to 19. Aim for at least 15 to be competitive and 19 or higher to be a strong applicant. A strong ACT can stand in for the SAT at Clayton State.
What GPA do you need to get into Clayton State?
Admitted students at Clayton State typically present an unweighted GPA in the 3.3 to 3.7 range on the 4.0 scale, based on schools with a comparable acceptance rate. Grades earned in rigorous courses matter as much as the number itself, and a strong SAT score is the fastest way to offset a GPA at the lower edge of that range.
What is Clayton State's acceptance rate?
Clayton State admits about 68.5% of applicants, which makes it moderately selective. A strong SAT score still helps your application stand out, especially for selective majors, honors programs, and merit scholarships.
What are my chances of getting into Clayton State?
Clayton State admits about 68.5% of applicants, so your chances depend on where you sit against the admitted pool. The middle 50 percent of enrolled students scored 860 to 1078 on the SAT and admitted students typically carry an unweighted GPA around 3.3 to 3.7. A score above 1078 puts you in the strongest quarter of the class on testing. Use the admissions calculator on this page to check your own SAT and GPA against Clayton State's real numbers.
How can I raise my SAT score for Clayton State?
Focus your prep on the section costing you the most points, then follow a study plan built for your target score range. Cheetah Prep has step by step score plans for specific point jumps and unlimited practice questions with worked solutions.
Does Clayton State superscore the SAT?
Superscore policies vary by school and change year to year, and Clayton State does not report this in the federal data. Check the school's admissions site for its current superscore policy, which tells you whether it combines your best section scores across test dates.
About this page: written and reviewed by the Cheetah Prep team. Last reviewed July 15, 2026.
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