Fayetteville State SAT Scores, GPA, and ACT (2026)
By the Cheetah Prep team · Reviewed July 15, 2026
SAT middle 50 percent
890 to 1090
Half of enrolled students at Fayetteville State scored in this range on the SAT. One quarter scored above 1090, and one quarter below 890.
- Average composite
- 959
- Acceptance rate
- 82.2%
- ACT range
- 15 to 19
- Test policy
- Test optional
- Location
- Fayetteville, NC
- Undergraduates
- 5,762
Fayetteville State SAT Scores and Admissions
The middle 50 percent of enrolled students split their sections at 460 to 550 in Reading and Writing and 430 to 540 in Math, and anyone researching Fayetteville State SAT scores should start with those two ranges. Put together, the composite middle 50 runs 890 to 1090, and the average SAT sits at 959. Fayetteville State admits 82.2% of applicants, so a little more than 4 out of 5 students who apply get in. That makes the score picture different from what you see at selective schools: the SAT here is one piece of a file that most applicants pass, not a gate that most fail.
Fayetteville State University is a public university in Fayetteville, NC, with 5,762 students, small enough that the campus does not swallow you and large enough to run a full slate of programs. In the most recent federal data the school is test optional, so you choose whether your score goes in the file. On the ACT side, the middle 50 runs 15 to 19. These figures come from the 2024-2025 cycle. If your SAT lands at 1090 or higher, you are above 3 out of 4 enrolled students, and sending it is an easy call.
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Fayetteville State SAT Score Breakdown by Section
Here is the section by section SAT profile of enrolled students at Fayetteville State, from the federal College Scorecard.
| Section | 25th percentile | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Reading and Writing | 460 | 550 |
| Math | 430 | 540 |
| CompositeTotal SAT | 890 | 1090 |
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
890 to 1090
Fayetteville State Admissions Calculator: What Are Your Chances?
Enter your SAT score and unweighted GPA for an honest read on your chances of getting into Fayetteville 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 Fayetteville 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 Fayetteville State by SAT Score
Here is what specific scores mean at Fayetteville State, based on its reported 890 to 1090 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 740 | Well below the 25th percentile | A 740 is well below the 890 to 1090 range at Fayetteville State. On testing alone this score does not keep the application in contention, so raising it is the priority. |
| 840 | Just below the 25th percentile | A 840 falls just short of Fayetteville State's 25th percentile of 890. Some students get in below the range, but they usually bring something exceptional elsewhere in the application. |
| 990 | Inside the middle 50 percent | A 990 sits inside the 890 to 1090 range, matching the profile of enrolled students. This is a competitive score here. |
| 1090 | At the 75th percentile | A 1090 matches the 75th percentile at Fayetteville State, stronger than about 3 out of 4 enrolled students. Testing is a clear strength at this level. |
| 1120 | Above the 75th percentile | A 1120 beats the 75th percentile at Fayetteville State. The score is doing all it can; nothing more is gained by retaking. |
How to Raise Your SAT Score to Fayetteville State's Range
The two targets that matter here are 890, the score that puts you inside the admitted range, and 1090, 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 890 | To reach 1090 | The plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1000 | Already there | +90 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 Fayetteville State?
Read the 890 to 1090 range in 3 zones. Below 890, you are under the 25th percentile, meaning at least 3 out of 4 enrolled students scored higher. With an 82.2% admit rate you can still get in, but since Fayetteville State is test optional in the most recent federal data, a score down there is usually one to withhold rather than submit. Inside 890 to 1090, you match the middle half of the class, and a score in the upper part of that band, near or past the 959 average, adds real support to your file. Above 1090, you beat 75% of enrolled students, which strengthens your case for admission and for any decision where scores get weighed.
The sections do not set the same bar. Reading and Writing runs 460 to 550 while Math runs 430 to 540, so the verbal side sits about 10 to 30 points higher at each percentile. If your Math score trails your Reading and Writing score by a bit, that gap mirrors the enrolled class rather than working against you.
Fayetteville State GPA Requirements
Admitted students at Fayetteville State typically present an unweighted GPA around 3.0 to 3.5. That band is wide on purpose: the school admits 82.2% of applicants, so it works with students across a real spread of transcripts rather than skimming only the top of the class.
What matters as much as the number is where the grades came from. A 3.2 earned in honors and college level courses reads stronger than a 3.4 built on the lightest schedule available, because rigorous courses show you can handle college work before you arrive. If your GPA sits at the lower edge of that band, a strong SAT is the fastest offset. Grades took 4 years to build and cannot be redone; a test score can move in a few months of focused practice. Landing above the 959 average, or better yet above the 1090 mark that tops the middle 50, gives an admissions reader a concrete reason to look past a thinner transcript.
Typical admitted GPA
Admitted students at Fayetteville State typically present a GPA in the 3.0 to 3.5 range on an unweighted 4.0 scale. Steady grades in a reasonable course load are usually enough on the GPA side of the application.
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.
Fayetteville State SAT Testing Policy
Fayetteville 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 990, the middle of Fayetteville State's range. If you are below 890, 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 Fayetteville State?
Fayetteville 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.
990+
Submit
At or above the middle of the admitted range, submitting clearly helps. A real data point beats an open question.
890 to 990
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 890
Usually hold it
Below the 25th percentile the score rarely helps at Fayetteville 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 Fayetteville State's own site, where any mid cycle change would appear first.
Fayetteville State ACT Scores: Should You Take the SAT or ACT?
The middle 50 percent of enrolled students at Fayetteville State scored between 15 and 19 on the ACT, alongside the 890 to 1090 SAT range. Like nearly every US college, Fayetteville 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 Fayetteville State's ACT middle 50 percent.
How to Get Into Fayetteville State
Set 2 concrete targets. First, clear 890: at or above the 25th percentile keeps you squarely in range for Fayetteville State. Second, push for 1090 or better, which puts you in the top quarter of enrolled students and turns your score from neutral into an asset. By section, that means roughly 460 or more in Reading and Writing and 430 or more in Math to stay in range, with 550 and 540 as the top quarter marks.
Because the school is test optional, the working rule is simple: submit at 959 or above, think hard below it, and skip it below 890. To figure out where you stand right now, take a short diagnostic and get a section by section read on your current score. Then map the gap with one of our score plans, which break a target like 1090 into weekly practice blocks. Your next step: sit the diagnostic this week, so every hour of prep after that is aimed at the sections that actually need it.
How Hard Is It to Get Into Fayetteville State?
Fayetteville State admits about 822 of every 1,000 applicants, and enrolls an undergraduate class of about 5,762. That ratio, not any single cutoff, is what makes the admitted profile look the way it does: when a school turns away 178 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: Fayetteville State's 25th percentile score of 890 already beats roughly 20% of all SAT takers nationally, and its 75th percentile of 1090 sits around the 56th 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 Fayetteville State: Reach, Match, and Safety Options
Real reported ranges from schools students often consider alongside Fayetteville 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 Fayetteville State |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fayetteville State | 890 to 1090 | 82.2% | This page |
| Texas A&M International | 890 to 1090 | 44.4% | Harder to get into than Fayetteville Statesimilar SAT range |
| North Carolina A & T State | 1020 to 1190 | 49.9% | Harder to get into than Fayetteville StateSAT about 115 higher |
| Alabama A&M | 810 to 1040 | 58.0% | Harder to get into than Fayetteville StateSAT about 65 lower |
| Elizabeth City State | 920 to 1080 | 64.2% | Similar oddssimilar SAT range |
| Belmont Abbey | 960 to 1200 | 74.7% | Similar oddsSAT about 90 higher |
| Gardner Webb | 975 to 1198 | 77.2% | Similar oddsSAT about 97 higher |
How Recent Are These Fayetteville 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 Fayetteville 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 Fayetteville State's own admissions site, where any change would appear first.
Fayetteville State SAT Scores and GPA: Frequently Asked Questions
What SAT score do you need to get into Fayetteville State?
Fayetteville State's middle 50 percent SAT range is 890 to 1090. Aim for at least 890 to be competitive, and 1090 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 890 a good SAT score for Fayetteville State?
A 890 sits at Fayetteville State's 25th percentile, the lower edge of its middle 50 percent range of 890 to 1090. It keeps you in range, but a score closer to 1090 makes your application stronger.
What is the average SAT score at Fayetteville State?
The average composite SAT score at Fayetteville State is 959. The middle 50 percent of enrolled students scored between 890 and 1090.
Does Fayetteville State require SAT scores?
No. Fayetteville 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 Fayetteville State test optional for 2026-2027?
Fayetteville 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 Fayetteville State?
Fayetteville 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 Fayetteville State.
What GPA do you need to get into Fayetteville State?
Admitted students at Fayetteville State typically present an unweighted GPA in the 3.0 to 3.5 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 Fayetteville State's acceptance rate?
Fayetteville State admits about 82.2% of applicants, which makes it less 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 Fayetteville State?
Fayetteville State admits about 82.2% of applicants, so your chances depend on where you sit against the admitted pool. The middle 50 percent of enrolled students scored 890 to 1090 on the SAT and admitted students typically carry an unweighted GPA around 3.0 to 3.5. A score above 1090 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 Fayetteville State's real numbers.
How can I raise my SAT score for Fayetteville 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 Fayetteville State superscore the SAT?
Superscore policies vary by school and change year to year, and Fayetteville 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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