New Orleans SAT Scores, GPA, and ACT (2026)
By the Cheetah Prep team · Reviewed July 15, 2026
SAT middle 50 percent
935 to 1241
Half of enrolled students at New Orleans scored in this range on the SAT. One quarter scored above 1241, and one quarter below 935.
- Average composite
- 1052
- Acceptance rate
- 74.3%
- ACT range
- 17 to 23
- Test policy
- Test optional
- Location
- New Orleans, LA
- Undergraduates
- 4,638
New Orleans SAT Scores and Admissions
The University of New Orleans sits in New Orleans, Louisiana, a public university that enrolls about 4,638 students. If you are checking New Orleans SAT scores before you apply, the middle 50 percent of admitted students lands between 935 and 1241. That range is wide, which tells you the school reads applications with room for different profiles rather than one fixed cutoff. The average score comes in at 1052, so a total near there puts you close to the center of the admitted group.
Admission here is not a long shot. About 74.3% of applicants get in, so this is a school where a solid application has a real path forward. Testing is optional in the most recent federal data, which means you can send scores when they help you and hold them back when they do not. The section splits are worth a look. Reading and Writing runs from 480 to 616, while Math runs from 455 to 625. Math has the higher ceiling of the two, so a strong Math result can lift your total toward the top of that band. The ACT middle 50 sits at 17 to 23 for students who take that test instead.
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New Orleans SAT Score Breakdown by Section
Here is the section by section SAT profile of enrolled students at New Orleans, from the federal College Scorecard.
| Section | 25th percentile | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Reading and Writing | 480 | 616 |
| Math | 455 | 625 |
| CompositeTotal SAT | 935 | 1241 |
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
935 to 1241
New Orleans Admissions Calculator: What Are Your Chances?
Enter your SAT score and unweighted GPA for an honest read on your chances of getting into New Orleans, 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 New Orleans'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 New Orleans by SAT Score
Here is what specific scores mean at New Orleans, based on its reported 935 to 1241 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 790 | Well below the 25th percentile | A 790 is well below the 935 to 1241 range at New Orleans. On testing alone this score does not keep the application in contention, so raising it is the priority. |
| 890 | Just below the 25th percentile | A 890 falls just short of New Orleans's 25th percentile of 935. Some students get in below the range, but they usually bring something exceptional elsewhere in the application. |
| 1090 | Inside the middle 50 percent | A 1090 sits inside the 935 to 1241 range, matching the profile of enrolled students. This is a competitive score here. |
| 1240 | Inside the middle 50 percent | A 1240 sits inside the 935 to 1241 range, matching the profile of enrolled students. This is a competitive score here. |
| 1270 | Above the 75th percentile | A 1270 beats the 75th percentile at New Orleans. The score is doing all it can; nothing more is gained by retaking. |
How to Raise Your SAT Score to New Orleans's Range
The two targets that matter here are 935, the score that puts you inside the admitted range, and 1241, 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 935 | To reach 1241 | The plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1000 | Already there | +241 points | 1000 to 1300 plan |
| 1100 | Already there | +141 points | 1100 to 1300 plan |
| 1200 | Already there | +41 points | 1200 to 1300 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 New Orleans?
Here is how to read your total against the 935 to 1241 range. A score below 935 puts you under the middle 50 percent, so you are below where most admitted students land. It does not close the door, since 74.3% of applicants get in, but it means the rest of your file has to carry more weight. A total between 935 and 1241 sits inside the pack, right where the typical admitted student falls, with the 1052 average near the middle. Land above 1241 and you are in the top 1 out of 4 for this school.
The section numbers set the finer targets. Reading and Writing spans 480 to 616, and Math spans 455 to 625. Math has both the lower floor and the higher ceiling, so it is the section with the most swing. A Math result near 625 pulls your total up fast, while a weaker Math score is what drags many applicants below the middle. Treat Math as the section that decides where you land.
New Orleans GPA Requirements
Admitted students at the University of New Orleans typically present an unweighted GPA in the range of 3.3 to 3.7. That band reflects an admission rate near 74.3%, so the grade bar is reachable for most students who stay steady through high school. A number inside that range keeps you in normal company for this applicant pool.
Grades earned in harder courses carry as much weight as the number itself. A 3.4 built on honors or advanced classes reads stronger than a higher average from lighter coursework, so keep challenging yourself where you can. If your GPA sits at the lower edge of that 3.3 to 3.7 band, a strong SAT is the fastest way to offset it. A total that reaches the upper half of the 935 to 1241 range gives the reader a clear reason to look past a softer transcript. Since testing is optional here, you control whether those scores enter the file, so aim for a number that adds to your case rather than one that just fills a box.
Typical admitted GPA
Admitted students at New Orleans typically present a GPA in the 3.3 to 3.7 range on an unweighted 4.0 scale. Solid grades with a clear upward trend read well, especially paired with a strong test score.
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.
New Orleans SAT Testing Policy
New Orleans 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 1088, the middle of New Orleans's range. If you are below 935, 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 New Orleans?
New Orleans 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.
1090+
Submit
At or above the middle of the admitted range, submitting clearly helps. A real data point beats an open question.
935 to 1090
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 935
Usually hold it
Below the 25th percentile the score rarely helps at New Orleans. 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 New Orleans's own site, where any mid cycle change would appear first.
New Orleans ACT Scores: Should You Take the SAT or ACT?
The middle 50 percent of enrolled students at New Orleans scored between 17 and 23 on the ACT, alongside the 935 to 1241 SAT range. Like nearly every US college, New Orleans 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 |
|---|---|
| 23 | 1130 to 1150 |
| 22 | 1100 to 1120 |
| 21 | 1060 to 1090 |
| 20 | 1030 to 1050 |
| 19 | 990 to 1020 |
| 18 | 960 to 980 |
| 17 | 920 to 950 |
| 16 | 880 to 910 |
SAT equivalents from the official College Board and ACT concordance tables. Highlighted rows fall inside New Orleans's ACT middle 50 percent.
How to Get Into New Orleans
Set your targets against the percentiles. Scoring at or above the 25th, which is 935 here, keeps you inside the range where most admitted students sit. Reaching the 75th, which is 1241, puts you in the top 1 out of 4 of the pool. A practical middle goal is the 1052 average, since a total there reads as solidly in line with admitted students. By section, aim for Reading and Writing above 548 and Math above 540 to stay balanced, then push Math higher since it carries the wider swing.
To get from where you are to those numbers, build a route with our score plans so each study block targets the sections that move your total most. Before you start, take a diagnostic to see your current Reading and Writing and Math splits against the 480 to 616 and 455 to 625 bands. Your next step is simple: sit the diagnostic this week, then set your target at or above 1052 and work backward from there.
How Hard Is It to Get Into New Orleans?
New Orleans admits about 743 of every 1,000 applicants, and enrolls an undergraduate class of about 4,638. That ratio, not any single cutoff, is what makes the admitted profile look the way it does: when a school turns away 257 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: New Orleans's 25th percentile score of 935 already beats roughly 29% of all SAT takers nationally, and its 75th percentile of 1241 sits around the 80th 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 New Orleans: Reach, Match, and Safety Options
Real reported ranges from schools students often consider alongside New Orleans, 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 New Orleans |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans | 935 to 1241 | 74.3% | This page |
| Southern University and A&M | 790 to 1020 | 35.1% | Harder to get into than New OrleansSAT about 183 lower |
| Dillard | 968 to 1202 | 41.9% | Harder to get into than New Orleanssimilar SAT range |
| Grambling State | 920 to 1080 | 44.9% | Harder to get into than New OrleansSAT about 88 lower |
| Louisiana State University Shreveport | 1000 to 1195 | 50.5% | Harder to get into than New Orleanssimilar SAT range |
| LSU | 1180 to 1340 | 73.3% | Similar oddsSAT about 172 higher |
| McNeese State | 940 to 1198 | 78.3% | Similar oddsSAT about 19 lower |
How Recent Are These New Orleans 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 New Orleans 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 New Orleans's own admissions site, where any change would appear first.
New Orleans SAT Scores and GPA: Frequently Asked Questions
What SAT score do you need to get into New Orleans?
New Orleans's middle 50 percent SAT range is 935 to 1241. Aim for at least 935 to be competitive, and 1241 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 935 a good SAT score for New Orleans?
A 935 sits at New Orleans's 25th percentile, the lower edge of its middle 50 percent range of 935 to 1241. It keeps you in range, but a score closer to 1241 makes your application stronger.
What is the average SAT score at New Orleans?
The average composite SAT score at New Orleans is 1052. The middle 50 percent of enrolled students scored between 935 and 1241.
Does New Orleans require SAT scores?
No. New Orleans 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 New Orleans test optional for 2026-2027?
New Orleans 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 New Orleans?
New Orleans's middle 50 percent ACT range is 17 to 23. Aim for at least 17 to be competitive and 23 or higher to be a strong applicant. A strong ACT can stand in for the SAT at New Orleans.
What GPA do you need to get into New Orleans?
Admitted students at New Orleans typically present an unweighted GPA in the 3.3 to 3.7 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 New Orleans's acceptance rate?
New Orleans admits about 74.3% of applicants, which makes it moderately 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 New Orleans?
New Orleans admits about 74.3% of applicants, so your chances depend on where you sit against the admitted pool. The middle 50 percent of enrolled students scored 935 to 1241 on the SAT and admitted students typically carry an unweighted GPA around 3.3 to 3.7. A score above 1241 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 New Orleans's real numbers.
How can I raise my SAT score for New Orleans?
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 New Orleans superscore the SAT?
Superscore policies vary by school and change year to year, and New Orleans 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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