Dallas SAT Scores, GPA, and ACT (2026)

Dallas SAT scores split into two parts, and the gap between them tells you where to aim. The middle 50 for Reading and Writing at University of Dallas runs from 580 to 700, while Math sits a little lower at 540 to 670. Put together, the SAT middle 50 lands between 1120 and 1370, with an average composite of 1227. That means 1 in 4 admitted students scored below 1120, and 1 in 4 scored above 1370. The rest fell inside that 250 point band.

University of Dallas is a private nonprofit university in Irving, TX, and it runs small. Total enrollment sits near 1,403 students, so classes and admissions both work on a smaller scale than a big state campus. The acceptance rate is 53.4%, so a little more than half of applicants get in. That is selective without being a long shot. On the ACT side, the middle 50 runs from 22 to 29. In the most recent federal data, testing is optional here, so you can decide whether a score helps your case. If your numbers land near or above these ranges, sending them usually works in your favor.

Here is how to read the ranges. A total below 1120 puts you under the 25th percentile, so you would be applying from behind on scores and would need the rest of your file to carry more. A total between 1120 and 1370 places you inside the middle 50, right where most admitted students sit. Anything above 1370 puts you in the top 1 in 4, which is a real edge.

The two sections set different bars. Reading and Writing runs from 580 to 700, while Math runs from 540 to 670. So Reading and Writing asks for more. A 640 in Reading and Writing is only mid pack, while that same 640 in Math would clear the 75th percentile. If your strengths lean verbal, you are aiming higher on the section that already suits you. If Math is your stronger area, you have room to push it toward 670 and lift your total without fighting your weaker skills.

Admitted students at University of Dallas typically present an unweighted GPA in the range of 3.3 to 3.7. That band covers most of the class, though it is not a hard cutoff. Grades matter, but so does the course load behind them. An A earned in a harder class carries more weight than an A in an easy one, and readers look at both.

If your GPA sits at the lower edge of that band, a strong SAT is the fastest way to offset it. A score near the top of the 1120 to 1370 range shows readiness in a way a single semester of grades cannot. It also gives an admissions reader a clear, recent data point. Since testing is optional here, a GPA around 3.3 paired with a 1300 or higher lets you choose to submit and strengthen the file. Keep your grades steady in senior year, take the rigorous classes your school offers, and treat the SAT as the lever you fully control.

Set your targets against the actual percentiles. Hitting 1120 or above keeps you inside the range for University of Dallas. Reaching 1370 or above puts you in the top 1 in 4 and can help offset a GPA near 3.3. A practical goal for most applicants is the average, 1227, and then a stretch toward the upper end.

Break it down by section. Aim for 580 or higher in Reading and Writing and 540 or higher in Math to clear the 25th percentile on both. If you want the top quarter, push Reading and Writing toward 700 and Math toward 670. Start with a diagnostic to see where your current section scores land against these bands. From there, our score plans map the point gains you need into weekly practice. Your next step is simple: take a full timed section this week, then set your first section target from the result.