Denver SAT Scores, GPA, and ACT (2026)

The University of Denver SAT scores land in a middle 50 range of 1240 to 1410, and knowing where you sit inside that band tells you a lot about your chances. A score of 1240 puts you at the 25th percentile of admitted students, while 1410 puts you at the 75th. Land anywhere between those two numbers and your score reads as normal for this campus, not a red flag and not a standout. The reported average sits at 1355, right in the upper middle of that range.

Denver admits about 77.8% of applicants, so this is not a school where a single test number decides your fate. Most people who apply get in. That changes how you should read the SAT band: it is less a gate and more a signal of how you compare to the class already enrolled. Denver is a private nonprofit university in Denver, Colorado, with roughly 6,025 undergraduates, a mid sized campus where your file gets read as a whole. In the most recent federal data the testing policy is listed as optional, so you can apply without a score. Sending one that sits inside or above 1240 to 1410 still works in your favor.

Here is how the numbers translate at Denver. Score below 1240 and you sit under the 25th percentile, meaning most admitted students outscored you. That does not end your application, given the 77.8% admission rate, but it puts more weight on your GPA and the rest of your file. Land between 1240 and 1410 and you are inside the middle 50, squarely in range with the enrolled class. Clear 1410 and you are in the top 1 out of 4 scorers, which strengthens everything else you send.

The section splits show where the higher bar sits. Reading and Writing runs 640 to 710, while Math runs 600 to 700. Both the low and high ends of Reading and Writing come in higher than Math, so verbal work carries a bit more expectation here. If you have room to grow in one area, gains on Reading and Writing move you toward the stronger end of Denver's profile faster.

Admitted students at the University of Denver typically present an unweighted GPA somewhere around 3.0 to 3.5. That band reflects the school's 77.8% admission rate, and it describes the middle of the admitted pool rather than a hard floor you must clear. Plenty of students land above it, and some land below.

The number on your transcript is only part of the read. Grades earned in rigorous courses, honors classes, AP sections, and demanding electives, count as much as the raw average. A 3.4 built from harder classes reads stronger than a 3.6 from a lighter load. 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 1355 average, or pushing toward the 1410 upper mark, gives an admissions reader a clear reason to look past a softer transcript. The two numbers work together, so treat the test as the lever you can still move.

Set your targets against Denver's actual percentiles. A composite at or above 1240 keeps you inside the admitted range. Aim for 1410 or higher and you land in the top 1 out of 4 scorers, which gives your file real momentum. By section, target 640 or better on Reading and Writing and 600 or better on Math to match the 25th percentile marks, then push toward 710 and 700 to reach the 75th. The 1355 average is a sensible middle goal if you want one number to chase.

Start by taking a diagnostic to see which section is holding your composite back, since the Reading and Writing bar here runs higher than Math. From there, our score plans map the week by week work to move from your current score toward 1410. Your next step is simple: sit for a full timed practice test this week and mark the gap between what you scored and 1240.