Texas State SAT Scores, GPA, and ACT (2026)

Texas State University is a public university in San Marcos, TX, with 36,177 students, and Texas State SAT scores sit in a middle 50 range of 980 to 1200. The average SAT here is 1103, which lands close to the national average, so most solid test takers can put themselves in contention. San Marcos sits between Austin and San Antonio, and the campus draws heavily from across the state.

The admit rate is 89.3%, so roughly 9 out of 10 applicants get in. In practical terms, out of every 100 files the admissions office reads, about 89 get a yes. That does not make scores irrelevant. In the most recent federal data, Texas State requires test scores, which means your SAT is part of every file, not an optional extra. There is no test optional escape hatch here: you cannot hide a weak number the way you could at many schools, so the question shifts from whether to send a score to how strong a score you can build. The section splits for the 2024 to 2025 cycle run 500 to 610 in Reading and Writing and 480 to 590 in Math, a gap worth knowing before you build a study plan. For students weighing the ACT instead, the middle 50 runs 19 to 25.

Read the middle 50 as three zones. Below 980, you are behind half of enrolled students on the one number Texas State requires from everyone, so the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Inside 980 to 1200, your score matches the typical admit and stops being a question. The average of 1103 sits near the center of that band, so a score in the 1100s puts you right alongside the typical enrolled student. Above 1200, you outscore 3 out of 4 enrolled students, which strengthens a bid for competitive majors and merit consideration.

The sections are not symmetric. Reading and Writing runs 500 to 610 while Math runs 480 to 590, so the verbal side sets the higher bar by about 20 points at both ends. A 590 in Math clears the 75th percentile for that section. A 590 in Reading and Writing does not; you need to push past 610 to reach the same standing there. Plan your prep hours accordingly. If your practice scores show a strong verbal side and a weaker Math side, you match the shape of the enrolled class. If the reverse is true, your Math strength stands out more here than it would at most schools.

Admitted students at Texas State typically carry an unweighted GPA somewhere around 3.0 to 3.5. That band leaves room for a rough semester, but the transcript still gets read closely. A 3.2 built on AP and honors coursework reads better than a 3.4 built on the easiest schedule available, because rigor counts as much as the number itself. Readers look at the shape of the transcript too. An upward trend, harder classes each year, grades that recover after a dip, all of that tells a better story than a flat line at the same number.

If your GPA sits at the lower edge of that band, the fastest fix is not a fifth extracurricular. It is a stronger SAT. Grades take years to move. A score can move in months, and since Texas State requires scores, a result above its 1200 75th percentile does real work offsetting a transcript that is merely fine. A student at 3.0 with a 1220 gives the file a second strong data point. A student at 3.0 with a 990 leaves the transcript standing alone.

Set two concrete targets. First, 980: at or above the 25th percentile keeps you squarely in range, since only 1 in 4 enrolled students scored below that line. Second, 1200: at or above the 75th percentile puts you in the top quarter of enrolled students, useful leverage since scores are required here. Per section, that means aiming past 610 in Reading and Writing and past 590 in Math for top quarter standing. And because every applicant must send a score, each point above those marks is a point the admissions office actually sees.

Start by finding out where you actually stand. Take a diagnostic to get a baseline score, then pick from the score plans that map your current number to your target. If your baseline comes back near the 1103 average, you need roughly 100 points to reach the top quarter, a realistic gain over one focused prep cycle. If it comes back near 980, budget two cycles and start with the section where you lose the most points. Take the diagnostic this week and set your target from real data, not a guess.