Dillard SAT Scores, GPA, and ACT (2026)
By the Cheetah Prep team · Reviewed July 15, 2026
SAT middle 50 percent
968 to 1202
Half of enrolled students at Dillard scored in this range on the SAT. One quarter scored above 1202, and one quarter below 968.
- Average composite
- 1050
- Acceptance rate
- 41.9%
- ACT range
- 18 to 22
- Test policy
- Test optional
- Location
- New Orleans, LA
- Undergraduates
- 1,063
Dillard SAT Scores and Admissions
Dillard SAT scores run from 968 to 1202 for the middle 50 percent of enrolled students, with an average of 1050. Land anywhere inside that range and your score looks like most of the students Dillard University already admits, so it neither drags your application down nor carries it. The school accepted 41.9% of applicants in the 2024-2025 cycle, which means fewer than half of the people who apply get an offer. Your SAT is one of the clearest ways to separate yourself in that pool, even though the school reports a test optional policy in the most recent federal data.
Dillard is a private nonprofit university in New Orleans, LA, and it is small: about 1,063 students total. That is a campus where a strong application file gets read, not skimmed. The section numbers tell you where the bar sits. Reading and Writing runs 480 to 640 for the middle 50 percent, while Math runs 488 to 562. The Reading and Writing ceiling is 78 points higher than the Math ceiling, so verbal scores do more of the work at the top of Dillard's admitted range. On the ACT, the middle 50 percent falls between 18 and 22.
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Dillard SAT Score Breakdown by Section
Here is the section by section SAT profile of enrolled students at Dillard, from the federal College Scorecard.
| Section | 25th percentile | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Reading and Writing | 480 | 640 |
| Math | 488 | 562 |
| CompositeTotal SAT | 968 | 1202 |
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
968 to 1202
Dillard Admissions Calculator: What Are Your Chances?
Enter your SAT score and unweighted GPA for an honest read on your chances of getting into Dillard, 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 Dillard'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 Dillard by SAT Score
Here is what specific scores mean at Dillard, based on its reported 968 to 1202 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 820 | Well below the 25th percentile | A 820 is well below the 968 to 1202 range at Dillard. On testing alone this score does not keep the application in contention, so raising it is the priority. |
| 920 | Just below the 25th percentile | A 920 falls just short of Dillard's 25th percentile of 968. Some students get in below the range, but they usually bring something exceptional elsewhere in the application. |
| 1090 | Inside the middle 50 percent | A 1090 sits inside the 968 to 1202 range, matching the profile of enrolled students. This is a competitive score here. |
| 1200 | Inside the middle 50 percent | A 1200 sits inside the 968 to 1202 range, matching the profile of enrolled students. This is a competitive score here. |
| 1230 | Above the 75th percentile | A 1230 beats the 75th percentile at Dillard. The score is doing all it can; nothing more is gained by retaking. |
How to Raise Your SAT Score to Dillard's Range
The two targets that matter here are 968, the score that puts you inside the admitted range, and 1202, 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 968 | To reach 1202 | The plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1000 | Already there | +202 points | 1000 to 1300 plan |
| 1100 | Already there | +102 points | 1100 to 1300 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 Dillard?
Here is how to read your own score against Dillard's numbers. Below 968, you are under the 25th percentile, meaning at least 3 out of 4 enrolled students scored higher than you. You can still get in at a school admitting 41.9% of applicants, but your score is now a weakness the rest of your application has to cover. Between 968 and 1202, you are in the middle 50 percent: a normal, unremarkable score at Dillard, which is fine. Above 1202, you outscore at least 3 out of 4 enrolled students, and your SAT becomes an active argument for admitting you.
The section splits matter too. Reading and Writing spans 480 to 640 while Math spans 488 to 562, a much tighter range. To reach the top quarter, you need roughly 640 in Reading and Writing but only about 562 in Math. Verbal sets the higher bar here, and Math scores bunch together, so a modest Math gain moves you further up the pool.
Dillard GPA Requirements
Admitted students at Dillard typically show up with an unweighted GPA somewhere around 3.6 to 3.9. That band tracks with a school admitting 41.9% of its applicants: mostly A and B plus students, with room for a strong B student who brings something else to the file. The number on your transcript is only half the story, though. A 3.7 earned in honors and AP courses reads very differently than a 3.7 built on the easiest schedule your school offers. Rigor counts as much as the digits.
If your GPA sits at the lower edge of that band, the fastest offset is a strong SAT. Grades take years to move. A test score can move in months. A result above 1202, the top of Dillard's middle 50 percent, tells the admissions office you can handle college level work even if a rough semester dented your transcript. That is the trade every applicant with an uneven GPA should be thinking about.
Typical admitted GPA
Admitted students at Dillard 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.
Dillard SAT Testing Policy
Dillard 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 1085, the middle of Dillard's range. If you are below 968, 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 Dillard?
Dillard 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.
1090+
Submit
At or above the middle of the admitted range, submitting clearly helps. A real data point beats an open question.
968 to 1090
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 968
Usually hold it
Below the 25th percentile the score rarely helps at Dillard. 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 Dillard's own site, where any mid cycle change would appear first.
Dillard ACT Scores: Should You Take the SAT or ACT?
The middle 50 percent of enrolled students at Dillard scored between 18 and 22 on the ACT, alongside the 968 to 1202 SAT range. Like nearly every US college, Dillard 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 |
|---|---|
| 22 | 1100 to 1120 |
| 21 | 1060 to 1090 |
| 20 | 1030 to 1050 |
| 19 | 990 to 1020 |
| 18 | 960 to 980 |
| 17 | 920 to 950 |
SAT equivalents from the official College Board and ACT concordance tables. Highlighted rows fall inside Dillard's ACT middle 50 percent.
How to Get Into Dillard
Set two concrete targets. First, 968: at or above the 25th percentile keeps you inside Dillard's normal range, and the average of 1050 is a comfortable checkpoint past that. Second, 1202: at or above the 75th percentile puts you in the top quarter of enrolled students, which is where your score starts pulling weight against a 41.9% acceptance rate. By section, that means pushing Reading and Writing toward 640 and Math toward 562.
Work backwards from there. Take a diagnostic to find out where you stand right now, section by section, then compare that result to the 968 and 1202 marks. The gap between your current score and your target tells you how many weeks of prep you actually need, and score plans map that gap into a week by week schedule. Your next step is simple: sit the diagnostic this week, write down your Reading and Writing and Math numbers, and pick the target, 968 or 1202, that your timeline supports.
How Hard Is It to Get Into Dillard?
Dillard admits about 419 of every 1,000 applicants, and enrolls an undergraduate class of about 1,063. That ratio, not any single cutoff, is what makes the admitted profile look the way it does: when a school turns away 581 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: Dillard's 25th percentile score of 968 already beats roughly 34% of all SAT takers nationally, and its 75th percentile of 1202 sits around the 74th 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 Dillard: Reach, Match, and Safety Options
Real reported ranges from schools students often consider alongside Dillard, 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 Dillard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dillard | 968 to 1202 | 41.9% | This page |
| Louisiana State University Shreveport | 1000 to 1195 | 50.5% | Similar oddssimilar SAT range |
| Friends | 960 to 1090 | 55.2% | Similar oddsSAT about 60 lower |
| LSU | 1180 to 1340 | 73.3% | Better odds than DillardSAT about 175 higher |
| McNeese State | 940 to 1198 | 78.3% | Better odds than DillardSAT about 16 lower |
| Southern University at New Orleans | 820 to 1050 | 78.9% | Better odds than DillardSAT about 150 lower |
| Louisiana at Monroe | 1160 to 1360 | 84.8% | Better odds than DillardSAT about 175 higher |
How Recent Are These Dillard 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 Dillard 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 Dillard's own admissions site, where any change would appear first.
Dillard SAT Scores and GPA: Frequently Asked Questions
What SAT score do you need to get into Dillard?
Dillard's middle 50 percent SAT range is 968 to 1202. Aim for at least 968 to be competitive, and 1202 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 968 a good SAT score for Dillard?
A 968 sits at Dillard's 25th percentile, the lower edge of its middle 50 percent range of 968 to 1202. It keeps you in range, but a score closer to 1202 makes your application stronger.
What is the average SAT score at Dillard?
The average composite SAT score at Dillard is 1050. The middle 50 percent of enrolled students scored between 968 and 1202.
Does Dillard require SAT scores?
No. Dillard 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 Dillard test optional for 2026-2027?
Dillard 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 Dillard?
Dillard's middle 50 percent ACT range is 18 to 22. Aim for at least 18 to be competitive and 22 or higher to be a strong applicant. A strong ACT can stand in for the SAT at Dillard.
What GPA do you need to get into Dillard?
Admitted students at Dillard 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 Dillard's acceptance rate?
Dillard admits about 41.9% 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 Dillard?
Dillard admits about 41.9% of applicants, so your chances depend on where you sit against the admitted pool. The middle 50 percent of enrolled students scored 968 to 1202 on the SAT and admitted students typically carry an unweighted GPA around 3.6 to 3.9. A score above 1202 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 Dillard's real numbers.
How can I raise my SAT score for Dillard?
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 Dillard superscore the SAT?
Superscore policies vary by school and change year to year, and Dillard 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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