Northwest Missouri State SAT Scores, GPA, and ACT (2026)
By the Cheetah Prep team · Reviewed July 15, 2026
SAT middle 50 percent
976 to 1193
Half of enrolled students at Northwest Missouri State scored in this range on the SAT. One quarter scored above 1193, and one quarter below 976.
- Average composite
- 1119
- Acceptance rate
- 86.1%
- ACT range
- 19 to 24
- Test policy
- Test optional
- Location
- Maryville, MO
- Undergraduates
- 4,378
Northwest Missouri State SAT Scores and Admissions
Northwest Missouri State University is a public university in Maryville, Missouri, with 4,378 students, small enough that the campus feels like a community rather than a crowd. If you are checking Northwest Missouri State SAT scores, the middle 50 percent of admitted students landed between 976 and 1193 in the 2024-2025 cycle, with an average SAT of 1119. That range tells you where most of the incoming class sits, and it is a realistic target for students with solid but not perfect test days.
Admission here is far from a lottery. Northwest Missouri State admits 86.1% of applicants, so roughly 6 out of 7 students who apply get in. That changes what your score needs to do. It does not need to beat out thousands of rivals for a scarce seat. It needs to show you can handle college coursework, and at the higher end, it can help your case for scholarships and program placement. Testing is optional in the most recent federal data, so submitting a score is a choice, not a requirement. A score inside or above the 976 to 1193 band is worth sending. One below it may be worth holding back while you retest.
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Northwest Missouri State SAT Score Breakdown by Section
Here is the section by section SAT profile of enrolled students at Northwest Missouri State, from the federal College Scorecard.
| Section | 25th percentile | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Reading and Writing | 478 | 593 |
| Math | 498 | 600 |
| CompositeTotal SAT | 976 | 1193 |
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
976 to 1193
Northwest Missouri State Admissions Calculator: What Are Your Chances?
Enter your SAT score and unweighted GPA for an honest read on your chances of getting into Northwest Missouri 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 Northwest Missouri 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 Northwest Missouri State by SAT Score
Here is what specific scores mean at Northwest Missouri State, based on its reported 976 to 1193 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 830 | Well below the 25th percentile | A 830 is well below the 976 to 1193 range at Northwest Missouri State. On testing alone this score does not keep the application in contention, so raising it is the priority. |
| 930 | Just below the 25th percentile | A 930 falls just short of Northwest Missouri State's 25th percentile of 976. Some students get in below the range, but they usually bring something exceptional elsewhere in the application. |
| 1080 | Inside the middle 50 percent | A 1080 sits inside the 976 to 1193 range, matching the profile of enrolled students. This is a competitive score here. |
| 1190 | Inside the middle 50 percent | A 1190 sits inside the 976 to 1193 range, matching the profile of enrolled students. This is a competitive score here. |
| 1220 | Above the 75th percentile | A 1220 beats the 75th percentile at Northwest Missouri State. The score is doing all it can; nothing more is gained by retaking. |
How to Raise Your SAT Score to Northwest Missouri State's Range
The two targets that matter here are 976, the score that puts you inside the admitted range, and 1193, 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 976 | To reach 1193 | The plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1000 | Already there | +193 points | 1000 to 1200 plan |
| 1100 | Already there | +93 points | 1100 to 1200 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 Northwest Missouri State?
Here is how to read your score against the 976 to 1193 range. Below 976, you are in the bottom quarter of admitted students. With an 86.1% admission rate, you can still get in, but you would be entering with less academic cushion and fewer scholarship options. Since testing is optional in the most recent federal data, a score down there is usually better left unsubmitted. Inside the range, you look like a typical admitted student, and the closer you sit to the 1119 average, the more comfortable your position. Above 1193, you are in the top quarter of the class, which is where test scores start doing real work for merit aid.
The section splits matter too. The math middle 50 runs 498 to 600, while Reading and Writing runs 478 to 593. Math sets the slightly higher bar at both ends, 20 points higher at the 25th percentile and 7 points higher at the 75th. If your practice tests show a big gap between sections, closing the math side pays off more here.
Northwest Missouri State GPA Requirements
Admitted students at Northwest Missouri State typically present an unweighted GPA somewhere around 3.0 to 3.5. That is a wide band, and it reflects a school that takes students from many different high school backgrounds. You do not need a spotless transcript to get in here, but a GPA near the top of that band gives you more room on everything else, including scholarship consideration.
The number on your transcript is only half the story. Grades earned in rigorous courses count as much as the number itself. A 3.2 built on honors and advanced classes reads stronger than a 3.4 built on the lightest schedule available. And if your GPA sits at the lower edge of that band, a strong SAT is the fastest offset. Your GPA took 3 years to build and cannot move much now. A test score can jump 100 points in a few months of focused work, and at a school with an 86.1% admit rate, that jump can also separate you in merit aid decisions.
Typical admitted GPA
Admitted students at Northwest Missouri 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.
Northwest Missouri State SAT Testing Policy
Northwest Missouri 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 1085, the middle of Northwest Missouri State's range. If you are below 976, 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 Northwest Missouri State?
Northwest Missouri 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.
1080+
Submit
At or above the middle of the admitted range, submitting clearly helps. A real data point beats an open question.
976 to 1080
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 976
Usually hold it
Below the 25th percentile the score rarely helps at Northwest Missouri 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 Northwest Missouri State's own site, where any mid cycle change would appear first.
Northwest Missouri State ACT Scores: Should You Take the SAT or ACT?
The middle 50 percent of enrolled students at Northwest Missouri State scored between 19 and 24 on the ACT, alongside the 976 to 1193 SAT range. Like nearly every US college, Northwest Missouri 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 |
| 18 | 960 to 980 |
SAT equivalents from the official College Board and ACT concordance tables. Highlighted rows fall inside Northwest Missouri State's ACT middle 50 percent.
How to Get Into Northwest Missouri State
Set 2 concrete targets. Scoring at or above 976 keeps you inside the range of admitted students, and 1193 or higher puts you in the top quarter of the class. Given the 86.1% admit rate, the smarter goal for most students is the second one: aim past 1193, because that is where a score stops being a checkbox and starts earning money and options. Section by section, that means pushing math toward 600 and Reading and Writing toward 593.
Do not guess where you stand. Take a diagnostic to get a real baseline across both sections, then compare your section scores against the 498 to 600 math band and the 478 to 593 Reading and Writing band. From there, our score plans map out how many points you need and how many weeks of practice it takes to get them. Your next step: sit for a full timed practice test this week and write down your math and Reading and Writing scores next to Northwest Missouri State's bands.
How Hard Is It to Get Into Northwest Missouri State?
Northwest Missouri State admits about 861 of every 1,000 applicants, and enrolls an undergraduate class of about 4,378. That ratio, not any single cutoff, is what makes the admitted profile look the way it does: when a school turns away 139 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: Northwest Missouri State's 25th percentile score of 976 already beats roughly 36% of all SAT takers nationally, and its 75th percentile of 1193 sits around the 73th 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 Northwest Missouri State: Reach, Match, and Safety Options
Real reported ranges from schools students often consider alongside Northwest Missouri 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 Northwest Missouri State |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest Missouri State | 976 to 1193 | 86.1% | This page |
| Central Methodist University College of Liberal Arts and Sciences | 960 to 1045 | 56.9% | Harder to get into than Northwest Missouri StateSAT about 82 lower |
| Drury | 1130 to 1290 | 57.6% | Harder to get into than Northwest Missouri StateSAT about 126 higher |
| Missouri St Louis | 1060 to 1290 | 62.7% | Harder to get into than Northwest Missouri StateSAT about 91 higher |
| Missouri Valley | 895 to 1115 | 69.2% | Similar oddsSAT about 79 lower |
| Lewis | 960 to 1210 | 71.3% | Similar oddssimilar SAT range |
| Evangel | 1040 to 1260 | 71.6% | Similar oddsSAT about 66 higher |
How Recent Are These Northwest Missouri 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 Northwest Missouri 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 Northwest Missouri State's own admissions site, where any change would appear first.
Northwest Missouri State SAT Scores and GPA: Frequently Asked Questions
What SAT score do you need to get into Northwest Missouri State?
Northwest Missouri State's middle 50 percent SAT range is 976 to 1193. Aim for at least 976 to be competitive, and 1193 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 976 a good SAT score for Northwest Missouri State?
A 976 sits at Northwest Missouri State's 25th percentile, the lower edge of its middle 50 percent range of 976 to 1193. It keeps you in range, but a score closer to 1193 makes your application stronger.
What is the average SAT score at Northwest Missouri State?
The average composite SAT score at Northwest Missouri State is 1119. The middle 50 percent of enrolled students scored between 976 and 1193.
Does Northwest Missouri State require SAT scores?
No. Northwest Missouri 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 Northwest Missouri State test optional for 2026-2027?
Northwest Missouri 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 Northwest Missouri State?
Northwest Missouri State's middle 50 percent ACT range is 19 to 24. Aim for at least 19 to be competitive and 24 or higher to be a strong applicant. A strong ACT can stand in for the SAT at Northwest Missouri State.
What GPA do you need to get into Northwest Missouri State?
Admitted students at Northwest Missouri 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 Northwest Missouri State's acceptance rate?
Northwest Missouri State admits about 86.1% 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 Northwest Missouri State?
Northwest Missouri State admits about 86.1% of applicants, so your chances depend on where you sit against the admitted pool. The middle 50 percent of enrolled students scored 976 to 1193 on the SAT and admitted students typically carry an unweighted GPA around 3.0 to 3.5. A score above 1193 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 Northwest Missouri State's real numbers.
How can I raise my SAT score for Northwest Missouri 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 Northwest Missouri State superscore the SAT?
Superscore policies vary by school and change year to year, and Northwest Missouri 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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