Kenyon SAT Scores, GPA, and ACT (2026)
By the Cheetah Prep team · Reviewed July 15, 2026
SAT middle 50 percent
1358 to 1503
Half of enrolled students at Kenyon scored in this range on the SAT. One quarter scored above 1503, and one quarter below 1358.
- Average composite
- 1429
- Acceptance rate
- 31.0%
- ACT range
- 31 to 33
- Test policy
- Test optional
- Location
- Gambier, OH
- Undergraduates
- 1,732
Kenyon SAT Scores and Admissions
Kenyon College is a private nonprofit school in Gambier, Ohio, with just 1,732 students, and Kenyon SAT scores reflect the selectivity that comes with a campus that small. The middle 50 percent of enrolled students scored between 1358 and 1503 in the 2024-2025 cycle, with an average of 1429. The acceptance rate sits at 31.0%, so roughly 3 out of 10 applicants get an offer. That is selective, but it is not a lottery. A strong application with a score inside the range has a real path in.
The scale matters here. With fewer than 1,800 undergraduates, Kenyon admits a small class each year, and every credential in the file carries weight. The section numbers tell their own story: Reading and Writing runs 680 to 743 in the middle 50, while Math runs 678 to 760. The Math ceiling reaches 17 points higher, which means the strongest admits at Kenyon tend to separate themselves on the Math section. Kenyon is test optional in the most recent federal data, so you choose whether your score goes in the file. If your number lands at 1429 or above, sending it puts you at or past the typical enrolled student.
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Kenyon SAT Score Breakdown by Section
Here is the section by section SAT profile of enrolled students at Kenyon, from the federal College Scorecard.
| Section | 25th percentile | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Reading and Writing | 680 | 743 |
| Math | 678 | 760 |
| CompositeTotal SAT | 1358 | 1503 |
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
1358 to 1503
Kenyon Admissions Calculator: What Are Your Chances?
Enter your SAT score and unweighted GPA for an honest read on your chances of getting into Kenyon, 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 Kenyon'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 Kenyon by SAT Score
Here is what specific scores mean at Kenyon, based on its reported 1358 to 1503 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 1210 | Well below the 25th percentile | A 1210 is well below the 1358 to 1503 range at Kenyon. On testing alone this score does not keep the application in contention, so raising it is the priority. |
| 1310 | Just below the 25th percentile | A 1310 falls just short of Kenyon's 25th percentile of 1358. Some students get in below the range, but they usually bring something exceptional elsewhere in the application. |
| 1430 | Inside the middle 50 percent | A 1430 sits inside the 1358 to 1503 range, matching the profile of enrolled students. This is a competitive score here. |
| 1500 | Inside the middle 50 percent | A 1500 sits inside the 1358 to 1503 range, matching the profile of enrolled students. This is a competitive score here. |
| 1530 | Above the 75th percentile | A 1530 beats the 75th percentile at Kenyon. The score is doing all it can; nothing more is gained by retaking. |
How to Raise Your SAT Score to Kenyon's Range
The two targets that matter here are 1358, the score that puts you inside the admitted range, and 1503, 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 1358 | To reach 1503 | The plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1000 | +358 points | +503 points | All score plans |
| 1100 | +258 points | +403 points | All score plans |
| 1200 | +158 points | +303 points | All score plans |
| 1300 | +58 points | +203 points | 1300 to 1600 plan |
| 1400 | Already there | +103 points | 1400 to 1600 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 Kenyon?
The middle 50 splits Kenyon applicants into 3 groups. Below 1358, you are in the bottom quarter of enrolled students, and since Kenyon is test optional, a score down there probably should not go in your application at all. Between 1358 and 1503, you match half of the students who enrolled, and your score neither helps nor hurts much on its own. Above 1503, you sit in the top quarter, and your score becomes an active argument for admission.
The sections are not symmetric. Reading and Writing runs 680 to 743, a 63 point spread. Math runs 678 to 760, an 82 point spread. The floors are nearly identical, but Math sets the higher bar at the top: a 760 Math score only reaches the 75th percentile, while 743 does the same in Reading and Writing. If you are choosing where to invest study hours, Math offers more room to stand out at Kenyon, and it is where top admits pull ahead.
Kenyon GPA Requirements
Admitted students at Kenyon typically present an unweighted GPA around 3.6 to 3.9. That band lines up with a 31.0% acceptance rate: mostly A grades with some B pluses mixed in, not a flawless record. If your transcript sits in that range, your grades will not be the thing that keeps you out.
The number alone is not the whole read, though. Admissions officers weigh what you took as much as what you earned. A 3.7 built on honors and AP coursework says more than a 3.9 built on the lightest schedule your school offers. And if your GPA sits near the bottom of the band or just under it, the fastest offset is a strong SAT. Grades take 4 years to build. A score can move in months. Pushing your SAT toward 1503, the 75th percentile at Kenyon, gives an admissions reader a concrete reason to look past a transcript that started slow.
Typical admitted GPA
Admitted students at Kenyon 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.
Kenyon SAT Testing Policy
Kenyon 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 1431, the middle of Kenyon's range. If you are below 1358, 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 Kenyon?
Kenyon 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.
1430+
Submit
At or above the middle of the admitted range, submitting clearly helps. A real data point beats an open question.
1358 to 1430
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 1358
Usually hold it
Below the 25th percentile the score rarely helps at Kenyon. 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 Kenyon's own site, where any mid cycle change would appear first.
Kenyon ACT Scores: Should You Take the SAT or ACT?
The middle 50 percent of enrolled students at Kenyon scored between 31 and 33 on the ACT, alongside the 1358 to 1503 SAT range. Like nearly every US college, Kenyon 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 |
|---|---|
| 33 | 1450 to 1480 |
| 32 | 1420 to 1440 |
| 31 | 1390 to 1410 |
| 30 | 1360 to 1380 |
SAT equivalents from the official College Board and ACT concordance tables. Highlighted rows fall inside Kenyon's ACT middle 50 percent.
How to Get Into Kenyon
Set 2 targets. First, 1358: scoring at or above the 25th percentile keeps you in range, meaning your score is at least neutral. Second, 1503: at or above the 75th percentile puts you in the top quarter of enrolled students, which matters at a school admitting 31.0% of applicants. If you are between the two, the average of 1429 is a useful midpoint to clear.
By section, aim for 743 or better in Reading and Writing and 760 or better in Math to reach the top quarter on each. Most students find the Math target harder, so budget more prep time there. Our score plans break a gap like 1358 to 1503 into weekly targets so you know what pace gets you there by your test date. But targets only help once you know your starting number, so take a diagnostic first and see your section splits. Do that this week, then build your plan around the gap it shows.
How Hard Is It to Get Into Kenyon?
Kenyon admits about 310 of every 1,000 applicants, and enrolls an undergraduate class of about 1,732. That ratio, not any single cutoff, is what makes the admitted profile look the way it does: when a school turns away 690 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: Kenyon's 25th percentile score of 1358 already beats roughly 92% of all SAT takers nationally, and its 75th percentile of 1503 sits around the 98th 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 Kenyon: Reach, Match, and Safety Options
Real reported ranges from schools students often consider alongside Kenyon, 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 Kenyon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenyon | 1358 to 1503 | 31.0% | This page |
| USC | 1450 to 1550 | 9.8% | Harder to get into than KenyonSAT about 70 higher |
| Middlebury | 1445 to 1550 | 10.8% | Harder to get into than KenyonSAT about 67 higher |
| Hamilton | 1450 to 1550 | 13.6% | Harder to get into than KenyonSAT about 70 higher |
| Denison | 1320 to 1490 | 17.4% | Harder to get into than KenyonSAT about 25 lower |
| Vassar | 1450 to 1550 | 18.6% | Harder to get into than KenyonSAT about 70 higher |
| Oberlin | 1360 to 1520 | 34.2% | Similar oddssimilar SAT range |
How Recent Are These Kenyon 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 Kenyon 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 Kenyon's own admissions site, where any change would appear first.
Kenyon SAT Scores and GPA: Frequently Asked Questions
What SAT score do you need to get into Kenyon?
Kenyon's middle 50 percent SAT range is 1358 to 1503. Aim for at least 1358 to be competitive, and 1503 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 1358 a good SAT score for Kenyon?
A 1358 sits at Kenyon's 25th percentile, the lower edge of its middle 50 percent range of 1358 to 1503. It keeps you in range, but a score closer to 1503 makes your application stronger.
What is the average SAT score at Kenyon?
The average composite SAT score at Kenyon is 1429. The middle 50 percent of enrolled students scored between 1358 and 1503.
Does Kenyon require SAT scores?
No. Kenyon 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 Kenyon test optional for 2026-2027?
Kenyon 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 Kenyon?
Kenyon's middle 50 percent ACT range is 31 to 33. Aim for at least 31 to be competitive and 33 or higher to be a strong applicant. A strong ACT can stand in for the SAT at Kenyon.
What GPA do you need to get into Kenyon?
Admitted students at Kenyon 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 Kenyon's acceptance rate?
Kenyon admits about 31.0% 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 Kenyon?
Kenyon admits about 31.0% of applicants, so your chances depend on where you sit against the admitted pool. The middle 50 percent of enrolled students scored 1358 to 1503 on the SAT and admitted students typically carry an unweighted GPA around 3.6 to 3.9. A score above 1503 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 Kenyon's real numbers.
How can I raise my SAT score for Kenyon?
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 Kenyon superscore the SAT?
Superscore policies vary by school and change year to year, and Kenyon 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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