Delaware State SAT Scores, GPA, and ACT (2026)
By the Cheetah Prep team · Reviewed July 15, 2026
SAT middle 50 percent
800 to 1020
Half of enrolled students at Delaware State scored in this range on the SAT. One quarter scored above 1020, and one quarter below 800.
- Average composite
- 940
- Acceptance rate
- 46.6%
- ACT range
- 20 to 24
- Test policy
- Test optional
- Location
- Dover, DE
- Undergraduates
- 4,398
Delaware State SAT Scores and Admissions
About 47 of every 100 applicants to Delaware State University get an offer. The acceptance rate sits at 46.6% in the 2024-2025 federal data, so slightly more than half of applicants are turned away, and Delaware State SAT scores are one of the clearest ways to land on the right side of that line. The middle 50 percent of admitted students scored between 800 and 1020 on the SAT, with an average of 940. Half of the incoming class falls inside that 800 to 1020 window, 1 out of 4 students scored below 800, and 1 out of 4 scored above 1020.
Delaware State is a public university in Dover, DE, with 4,398 students enrolled. That is a small campus by public university standards, closer in scale to many private colleges than to a state flagship. The section numbers tell you where admitted students tend to be stronger: the Reading and Writing middle 50 runs 420 to 520 while Math runs 380 to 500, a 40 point gap at both ends. The school is test optional in the most recent federal data, so you choose whether your score goes in the file. A number above 940 is a reason to send it.
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Delaware State SAT Score Breakdown by Section
Here is the section by section SAT profile of enrolled students at Delaware State, from the federal College Scorecard.
| Section | 25th percentile | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Reading and Writing | 420 | 520 |
| Math | 380 | 500 |
| CompositeTotal SAT | 800 | 1020 |
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
800 to 1020
Delaware State Admissions Calculator: What Are Your Chances?
Enter your SAT score and unweighted GPA for an honest read on your chances of getting into Delaware 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 Delaware 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 Delaware State by SAT Score
Here is what specific scores mean at Delaware State, based on its reported 800 to 1020 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 650 | Well below the 25th percentile | A 650 is well below the 800 to 1020 range at Delaware State. On testing alone this score does not keep the application in contention, so raising it is the priority. |
| 750 | Just below the 25th percentile | A 750 falls just short of Delaware State's 25th percentile of 800. Some students get in below the range, but they usually bring something exceptional elsewhere in the application. |
| 910 | Inside the middle 50 percent | A 910 sits inside the 800 to 1020 range, matching the profile of enrolled students. This is a competitive score here. |
| 1020 | At the 75th percentile | A 1020 matches the 75th percentile at Delaware State, stronger than about 3 out of 4 enrolled students. Testing is a clear strength at this level. |
| 1050 | Above the 75th percentile | A 1050 beats the 75th percentile at Delaware State. The score is doing all it can; nothing more is gained by retaking. |
What SAT Score Do You Need for Delaware State?
The 800 to 1020 middle 50 splits applicants into 3 groups. Below 800 puts you in the bottom quarter of admitted students, which means people do get in with those scores, but your application needs the GPA and the rest of the file to carry more weight, and at a 46.6% acceptance rate there is real competition for those spots. Inside 800 to 1020 you look like a typical admitted student, and the closer you sit to the 940 average, the more ordinary your score reads in a good way. Above 1020 you outscore 3 out of 4 admitted students, which strengthens the whole application and can matter for merit decisions.
The section splits are worth reading separately. Reading and Writing runs 420 to 520 and Math runs 380 to 500, so the verbal section sets the higher bar here by 40 points at both the 25th and 75th percentiles. If your Math score is 460 and your Reading and Writing is 460, the Math number is actually the more competitive of the 2 at Delaware State.
Delaware State GPA Requirements
Admitted students at Delaware State typically show up with an unweighted GPA somewhere around 3.6 to 3.9. That band describes the center of the admitted pool, not a cutoff, so a transcript a bit below it does not end the conversation. What matters as much as the number is where the grades came from. A 3.6 built on honors and AP sections reads stronger than a 3.8 built on the lightest schedule your school offers, and admissions readers see the course list right next to the grades.
If your GPA sits at the lower edge of that band, or under it, a strong SAT is the fastest offset available to you. Grades take semesters to move. A test score can move in weeks. At a school where the average admitted SAT is 940, walking in with a 1020 or better puts a concrete, recent data point in your file that pushes back against an older transcript. That trade is worth making deliberately.
Typical admitted GPA
Admitted students at Delaware State typically present a GPA in the 3.6 to 3.9 range on an unweighted 4.0 scale. Strong grades in challenging courses count as much as the number itself, and an upward trend helps.
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.
Delaware State SAT Testing Policy
Delaware 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 910, the middle of Delaware State's range. If you are below 800, 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 Delaware State?
Delaware 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.
910+
Submit
At or above the middle of the admitted range, submitting clearly helps. A real data point beats an open question.
800 to 910
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 800
Usually hold it
Below the 25th percentile the score rarely helps at Delaware 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 Delaware State's own site, where any mid cycle change would appear first.
Delaware State ACT Scores: Should You Take the SAT or ACT?
The middle 50 percent of enrolled students at Delaware State scored between 20 and 24 on the ACT, alongside the 800 to 1020 SAT range. Like nearly every US college, Delaware 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 |
|---|---|
| 24 | 1160 to 1190 |
| 23 | 1130 to 1150 |
| 22 | 1100 to 1120 |
| 21 | 1060 to 1090 |
| 20 | 1030 to 1050 |
| 19 | 990 to 1020 |
SAT equivalents from the official College Board and ACT concordance tables. Highlighted rows fall inside Delaware State's ACT middle 50 percent.
How to Get Into Delaware State
Set 2 targets and pick 1. Scoring at or above 800 keeps you inside the range where half of admitted students land, and it is the floor worth committing to if Delaware State is on your list. Scoring at or above 1020 puts you in the top quarter of the admitted class, ahead of 3 out of 4 students who got in, and that is the target to chase if you want your score doing real work in the file. Between those 2 numbers, aim past the 940 average.
Start by finding out where you stand right now. Take a diagnostic and get a real baseline instead of guessing from a practice quiz. Then look at score plans built around the gap between that baseline and your target, whether that gap is 40 points or 200. Since Math trails Reading and Writing in Delaware State's admitted pool, extra Math points go furthest here. Your next step: take the diagnostic this week and write down the gap between your score and 1020.
How Hard Is It to Get Into Delaware State?
Delaware State admits about 466 of every 1,000 applicants, and enrolls an undergraduate class of about 4,398. That ratio, not any single cutoff, is what makes the admitted profile look the way it does: when a school turns away 534 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: Delaware State's 25th percentile score of 800 already beats roughly 8% of all SAT takers nationally, and its 75th percentile of 1020 sits around the 44th 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 Delaware State: Reach, Match, and Safety Options
Real reported ranges from schools students often consider alongside Delaware 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 Delaware State |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware State | 800 to 1020 | 46.6% | This page |
| Southern University and A&M | 790 to 1020 | 35.1% | Similar oddssimilar SAT range |
| Alcorn State | 670 to 998 | 45.3% | Similar oddsSAT about 76 lower |
| Delaware | 1190 to 1370 | 70.6% | Better odds than Delaware StateSAT about 370 higher |
| Abraham Baldwin Agricultural | 860 to 1080 | 75.7% | Better odds than Delaware StateSAT about 60 higher |
| Prairie View A&M | 860 to 1080 | 79.3% | Better odds than Delaware StateSAT about 60 higher |
| Puerto Rico Aguadilla | 791 to 1023 | 81.4% | Better odds than Delaware Statesimilar SAT range |
How Recent Are These Delaware 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 Delaware 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 Delaware State's own admissions site, where any change would appear first.
Delaware State SAT Scores and GPA: Frequently Asked Questions
What SAT score do you need to get into Delaware State?
Delaware State's middle 50 percent SAT range is 800 to 1020. Aim for at least 800 to be competitive, and 1020 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 800 a good SAT score for Delaware State?
A 800 sits at Delaware State's 25th percentile, the lower edge of its middle 50 percent range of 800 to 1020. It keeps you in range, but a score closer to 1020 makes your application stronger.
What is the average SAT score at Delaware State?
The average composite SAT score at Delaware State is 940. The middle 50 percent of enrolled students scored between 800 and 1020.
Does Delaware State require SAT scores?
No. Delaware 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 Delaware State test optional for 2026-2027?
Delaware 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 Delaware State?
Delaware State's middle 50 percent ACT range is 20 to 24. Aim for at least 20 to be competitive and 24 or higher to be a strong applicant. A strong ACT can stand in for the SAT at Delaware State.
What GPA do you need to get into Delaware State?
Admitted students at Delaware State typically present an unweighted GPA in the 3.6 to 3.9 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 Delaware State's acceptance rate?
Delaware State admits about 46.6% of applicants, which makes it selective. A strong SAT score helps your application stand out in a pool this competitive.
What are my chances of getting into Delaware State?
Delaware State admits about 46.6% of applicants, so your chances depend on where you sit against the admitted pool. The middle 50 percent of enrolled students scored 800 to 1020 on the SAT and admitted students typically carry an unweighted GPA around 3.6 to 3.9. A score above 1020 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 Delaware State's real numbers.
How can I raise my SAT score for Delaware 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 Delaware State superscore the SAT?
Superscore policies vary by school and change year to year, and Delaware 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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