CUNY Hunter SAT Scores, GPA, and ACT (2026)
By the Cheetah Prep team · Reviewed July 14, 2026
SAT middle 50 percent
1100 to 1420
Half of enrolled students at CUNY Hunter scored in this range on the SAT. One quarter scored above 1420, and one quarter below 1100.
- Average composite
- 1280
- Acceptance rate
- 53.8%
- Test policy
- Test optional
- Location
- New York, NY
- Undergraduates
- 16,289
- School type
- Public university
CUNY Hunter SAT Scores and Admissions
Hunter College sits on Manhattan's Upper East Side, a public university in New York, NY with 16,289 undergraduates, and CUNY Hunter SAT scores tell you a lot about who gets in. The middle 50 of admitted students scored between 1100 and 1420 in the 2024 to 2025 cycle, with an average around 1280. Hunter admits 53.8% of applicants, so a little more than half of everyone who applies gets an offer. Put that in applicant terms: out of every 1,000 people who apply, roughly 538 hear yes. You are not fighting lottery odds here. You are trying to look like the stronger half of the pool.
That acceptance rate makes Hunter selective but reachable, which fits its place as one of the larger senior colleges in the CUNY system. The section splits are worth a look. Math runs 550 to 720 at the middle 50, a slightly wider and higher band than Reading and Writing at 550 to 700. The gap is small but real, and it shapes where prep time pays off. Testing is optional in the most recent federal data, so a score is a choice here, not a requirement. That changes strategy in a quiet way: nobody is forced to show a rough score, which means the scores Hunter does see skew strong. Submit one when it strengthens your file.
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CUNY Hunter SAT Score Breakdown by Section
Here is the section by section SAT profile of enrolled students at CUNY Hunter, from the federal College Scorecard.
| Section | 25th percentile | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Reading and Writing | 550 | 700 |
| Math | 550 | 720 |
| CompositeTotal SAT | 1100 | 1420 |
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
1100 to 1420
CUNY Hunter Admissions Calculator: What Are Your Chances?
Enter your SAT score and unweighted GPA for an honest read on your chances of getting into CUNY Hunter, 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 CUNY Hunter'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 CUNY Hunter by SAT Score
Here is what specific scores mean at CUNY Hunter, based on its reported 1100 to 1420 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 950 | Well below the 25th percentile | A 950 is well below the 1100 to 1420 range at CUNY Hunter. On testing alone this score does not keep the application in contention, so raising it is the priority. |
| 1050 | Just below the 25th percentile | A 1050 falls just short of CUNY Hunter's 25th percentile of 1100. Some students get in below the range, but they usually bring something exceptional elsewhere in the application. |
| 1260 | Inside the middle 50 percent | A 1260 sits inside the 1100 to 1420 range, matching the profile of enrolled students. This is a competitive score here. |
| 1420 | At the 75th percentile | A 1420 matches the 75th percentile at CUNY Hunter, stronger than about 3 out of 4 enrolled students. Testing is a clear strength at this level. |
| 1450 | Above the 75th percentile | A 1450 beats the 75th percentile at CUNY Hunter. The score is doing all it can; nothing more is gained by retaking. |
How to Raise Your SAT Score to CUNY Hunter's Range
The two targets that matter here are 1100, the score that puts you inside the admitted range, and 1420, 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 1100 | To reach 1420 | The plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1000 | +100 points | +420 points | All score plans |
| 1100 | Already there | +320 points | All score plans |
| 1200 | Already there | +220 points | 1200 to 1500 plan |
| 1300 | Already there | +120 points | 1300 to 1500 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 CUNY Hunter?
Read the 1100 to 1420 range in 3 zones. Below 1100 means you scored lower than 3 out of 4 admitted students, and at a school where testing is optional, that is usually a score to hold back rather than send. Inside the range, you are a normal admit: the closer you sit to the 1280 average, the more your score simply confirms the rest of your application. Above 1420 puts you in the top quarter of the class, a clear reason to submit.
The section splits shift the target slightly. Both sections start at 550 at the 25th percentile, but Math tops out at 720 at the 75th against 700 for Reading and Writing, so Math sets the higher bar. If you plan to study anything quantitative, aim your prep hours there first: a 720 in Math outpaces most of the admitted pool. Reading and Writing at 700 does the same work on its side of the test. Getting either section into its top quarter is a submit signal on its own, even if the other section lags a bit.
CUNY Hunter GPA Requirements
Admitted students at Hunter typically present an unweighted GPA around 3.3 to 3.7. That band leaves room for a rough semester, but the trend of your grades matters, and so does what you took. A 3.5 built on honors and AP coursework reads differently than a 3.5 built on the lightest schedule available. Readers at a school that admits 53.8% of applicants are not hunting for reasons to reject you. They are sorting a large pool, and course rigor is one of the fastest sorting tools they have.
Rigor counts as much as the number itself. If your GPA sits near the lower edge of that band, a strong SAT is the fastest offset. Hunter lets you choose whether to test, and that policy cuts both ways: you can withhold a weak score, but a score above the 1280 average gives an admissions reader a concrete reason to look past a transcript that undersells you. GPA is fixed by the time you apply. The test score is the part you can still move, and moving it takes weeks, not years.
Typical admitted GPA
Admitted students at CUNY Hunter 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.
CUNY Hunter SAT Testing Policy
CUNY Hunter 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 1260, the middle of CUNY Hunter's range. If you are below 1100, the 25th percentile, consider holding your score and letting your grades, essays, and activities carry the application.
Last verified July 14, 2026
Should You Submit Your SAT Score to CUNY Hunter?
CUNY Hunter 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.
1260+
Submit
At or above the middle of the admitted range, submitting clearly helps. A real data point beats an open question.
1100 to 1260
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 1100
Usually hold it
Below the 25th percentile the score rarely helps at CUNY Hunter. 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 CUNY Hunter's own site, where any mid cycle change would appear first.
How to Get Into CUNY Hunter
Set 2 concrete targets. First, get to 1100 or above, since scoring at or above the 25th percentile keeps you in range. Second, if you can push to 1420 or beyond, you land in the top quarter of Hunter admits and your score becomes an argument for you instead of a footnote. Between those marks, every 50 points helps, and the score plans break down how to schedule that climb by test date. If you already sit near the 1280 average, you are in solid shape, and the real question is how much higher one more test date can take you.
Because Hunter makes testing optional, the decision to submit should be made with data, not a guess. Take a diagnostic to see where you stand against the 1100 to 1420 band, section by section. Watch your Math result closely, since 720 at the 75th percentile is where Hunter's bar sits highest, with Reading and Writing close behind at 700. Then block out your first week of practice and start it this weekend.
How Hard Is It to Get Into CUNY Hunter?
CUNY Hunter admits about 538 of every 1,000 applicants, and enrolls an undergraduate class of about 16,289. That ratio, not any single cutoff, is what makes the admitted profile look the way it does: when a school turns away 462 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: CUNY Hunter's 25th percentile score of 1100 already beats roughly 58% of all SAT takers nationally, and its 75th percentile of 1420 sits around the 95th 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 CUNY Hunter: Reach, Match, and Safety Options
Real reported ranges from schools students often consider alongside CUNY Hunter, 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 CUNY Hunter |
|---|---|---|---|
| CUNY Hunter | 1100 to 1420 | 53.8% | This page |
| Syracuse | 1270 to 1440 | 45.9% | Similar oddsSAT about 95 higher |
| CUNY Bernard M Baruch | 1100 to 1400 | 47.5% | Similar oddssimilar SAT range |
| Stony Brook | 1330 to 1500 | 49.0% | Similar oddsSAT about 155 higher |
| CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice | 930 to 1220 | 57.1% | Similar oddsSAT about 185 lower |
| CUNY Brooklyn | 950 to 1340 | 58.4% | Similar oddsSAT about 115 lower |
| Fordham | 1320 to 1480 | 59.3% | Similar oddsSAT about 140 higher |
How Recent Are These CUNY Hunter 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 14, 2026.
Score ranges quoted around the web for CUNY Hunter 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 CUNY Hunter's own admissions site, where any change would appear first.
CUNY Hunter SAT Scores and GPA: Frequently Asked Questions
What SAT score do you need to get into CUNY Hunter?
CUNY Hunter's middle 50 percent SAT range is 1100 to 1420. Aim for at least 1100 to be competitive, and 1420 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 1100 a good SAT score for CUNY Hunter?
A 1100 sits at CUNY Hunter's 25th percentile, the lower edge of its middle 50 percent range of 1100 to 1420. It keeps you in range, but a score closer to 1420 makes your application stronger.
What is the average SAT score at CUNY Hunter?
The average composite SAT score at CUNY Hunter is 1280. The middle 50 percent of enrolled students scored between 1100 and 1420.
Does CUNY Hunter require SAT scores?
No. CUNY Hunter 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 CUNY Hunter test optional for 2026-2027?
CUNY Hunter 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 GPA do you need to get into CUNY Hunter?
Admitted students at CUNY Hunter 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 CUNY Hunter's acceptance rate?
CUNY Hunter admits about 53.8% 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 CUNY Hunter?
CUNY Hunter admits about 53.8% of applicants, so your chances depend on where you sit against the admitted pool. The middle 50 percent of enrolled students scored 1100 to 1420 on the SAT and admitted students typically carry an unweighted GPA around 3.3 to 3.7. A score above 1420 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 CUNY Hunter's real numbers.
How can I raise my SAT score for CUNY Hunter?
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 CUNY Hunter superscore the SAT?
Superscore policies vary by school and change year to year, and CUNY Hunter 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 14, 2026.
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