Point Loma Nazarene SAT Scores, GPA, and ACT (2026)

About 84 of every 100 applicants get into Point Loma Nazarene University, so when you look up Point Loma Nazarene SAT scores, read them as a guide rather than a wall. The admission rate sits at 83.7%, which means most students who apply are admitted. The middle 50 percent of enrolled students scored between 1175 and 1365 on the SAT, and the average landed at 1287. A score inside that band puts you right where the school expects its applicants to be.

Point Loma Nazarene is a private nonprofit university in San Diego, California, with roughly 3,188 students, so classes and campus life run at a smaller scale than a large state school. That size shapes who applies and who ends up enrolling. The section numbers show where the pressure sits: Reading and Writing runs 610 to 695, and Math runs 565 to 670. If you took the ACT instead, the middle 50 percent scored 25 to 32. In the most recent federal data, testing was optional here, so you can decide whether a score helps your case. When your numbers land near or above the middle of these ranges, sending them tends to work in your favor.

Here is how to read your score against the Point Loma Nazarene ranges. The 25th percentile sits at 1175 and the 75th sits at 1365, with an average of 1287. A score below 1175 puts you under the middle 50 percent, which does not rule you out at a school admitting 83.7% of applicants, but it does mean the rest of your file needs to carry more weight. Land between 1175 and 1365 and you are inside the range where most enrolled students sit. Clear 1365 and you are in the top quarter, which strengthens your standing.

The section splits show where the higher bar lives. Reading and Writing runs 610 to 695, while Math runs 565 to 670. Reading and Writing sets the higher target at both ends, so points there move you up the range faster. If you are stronger in Math, aim to pull your Reading and Writing score toward the upper half to match what enrolled students show.

Admitted students at Point Loma Nazarene typically present an unweighted GPA in the range of 3.0 to 3.5. That band reflects the kind of academic record the school tends to see from students who enroll, not a hard cutoff you must clear to the decimal. Treat it as the center of gravity, and remember that admissions readers look at the whole transcript, not one number in isolation.

Grades earned in rigorous courses carry as much weight as the GPA itself. A 3.3 built on honors and demanding classes reads stronger than a higher number from an easier schedule. If your GPA sits at the lower edge of that 3.0 to 3.5 band, a strong SAT is the fastest way to offset it. A score at or above the average of 1287 gives the reader clear evidence that you can handle college level work, and it can balance a transcript that started slow. Keep taking challenging classes, and let a solid test score do some of the lifting where your grades leave a gap.

Set your targets against the actual numbers. Scoring at or above 1175, the 25th percentile, keeps you inside the range Point Loma Nazarene students typically show. Reaching the average of 1287 puts you squarely in the middle of admitted applicants. Hitting 1365 or higher lands you in the top quarter, which is where you want to be if you are also asking for merit aid or a competitive program. On the sections, aim for 610 or better in Reading and Writing and 565 or better in Math to stay on pace with the middle 50 percent.

Start by finding your current standing with a short diagnostic, then map the point gain you need into weekly targets using our score plans. If Reading and Writing is your weaker section, put more of your study hours there, since it sets the higher bar. Your next step: take a full practice test this week and compare your section scores against 610 and 565.