Dartmouth SAT Scores, GPA, and ACT (2026)

The section splits tell you a lot here. For Dartmouth SAT scores, the Math middle 50 runs 760 to 790 while Reading and Writing runs 740 to 780, so admitted students are close to the ceiling on both sides of the test. Dartmouth SAT scores overall land in a middle 50 of 1500 to 1570, with an average composite of 1534, based on the 2024-2025 cycle. Put plainly, half of enrolled students scored inside that 70 point window, 1 out of 4 scored above 1570, and 1 out of 4 scored below 1500.

The context around those numbers is just as steep. Dartmouth College admits about 5.4% of applicants, which means roughly 1 admit for every 18 or 19 who apply. It is a private nonprofit university in Hanover, NH, with an undergraduate enrollment of 4,541, one of the smallest student bodies among schools with acceptance rates this low. That scale matters: there are simply not many seats, so nearly every part of an application gets weighed. Testing is optional at Dartmouth in the most recent federal data, but the score profile above shows what applicants who do submit tend to bring. A strong number still does real work in this pool.

Read the middle 50 as three zones. Below 1500, you are in the bottom quarter of enrolled Dartmouth students, and with a 5.4% admit rate the rest of your application has to carry real weight to compensate. Inside 1500 to 1570, your score matches the typical admit and stops being a question mark: it neither helps you stand out nor holds you back. Above 1570, you are in the top quarter, and the test is working in your favor.

The section splits sharpen the picture. Math sets the higher bar at Dartmouth: the middle 50 is 760 to 790, meaning 3 out of 4 enrolled students scored 760 or higher on Math and a quarter scored 790 or above. Reading and Writing runs 740 to 780. So a 750 Math is below the typical range here while a 750 Reading and Writing sits comfortably inside it. If you are stronger verbally, know that a soft Math section is the more visible weakness in this pool.

Admitted students at Dartmouth typically present an unweighted GPA around 3.9 to 4.0. With an acceptance rate of 5.4%, the pool is dense with students who have nearly perfect transcripts, so a stray B is not fatal but a pattern of them stands out. Expect the students you are competing against to be at or near the top of their classes.

The number alone is not the whole story. Grades earned in rigorous courses count as much as the GPA itself: an A in a standard class does less for you than a strong grade in the hardest version of that class your school offers. If your GPA sits at the lower edge of that band, the fastest offset is a strong SAT. Transcripts take years to build, but a score at or above Dartmouth's 1534 average can be earned in months of focused prep, and it gives the admissions reader a second data point that says you can handle the work.

Set two targets. Hitting 1500, the 25th percentile, keeps you in range: you match the bottom edge of what enrolled students actually scored. Hitting 1570 or above puts you in the top quarter of the class, which is where a score starts actively arguing for you at a school that turns away 94.6% of applicants. By section, that means aiming for at least 760 on Math and 740 on Reading and Writing, and ideally 790 and 780.

Work backward from those numbers rather than prepping blind. Our score plans map how many points you need, how much study time that typically takes, and which topics to hit first. If you have not tested recently, start with a diagnostic so you know your real baseline instead of guessing from a practice book. Your next step is simple: take the diagnostic this week, subtract your result from 1500, and turn that gap into a week by week plan you can actually follow.