North Texas SAT Scores, GPA, and ACT (2026)
By the Cheetah Prep team · Reviewed July 14, 2026
SAT middle 50 percent
980 to 1230
Half of enrolled students at North Texas scored in this range on the SAT. One quarter scored above 1230, and one quarter below 980.
- Average composite
- 1109
- Acceptance rate
- 72.2%
- ACT range
- 19 to 27
- Test policy
- Test optional
- Location
- Denton, TX
- Undergraduates
- 34,341
North Texas SAT Scores and Admissions
Admitted students split their sections unevenly: the middle 50 for North Texas SAT scores runs 500 to 630 in Reading and Writing but only 480 to 600 in Math, based on 2024-2025 federal data. Put together, the composite middle 50 sits at 980 to 1230, with an average around 1109. So if you are checking whether your score fits, look at the section balance, not just the total. The verbal side is where UNT students tend to be a bit stronger, and a total built mostly on Math will read differently than the same total built on Reading and Writing.
The University of North Texas is a public university in Denton, TX, with 34,341 students, and it admits 72.2% of applicants. In plain terms, out of every 10 people who apply, about 7 get in. That acceptance rate changes the math for test takers. A 1230 does not just keep you in range here, it puts you at or above 3 out of 4 admitted students. On the ACT, the middle 50 is 19 to 27, so a 27 does the same work a 1230 does. Testing is optional under the 2024-2025 policy, which turns your score into a choice rather than a requirement. Submit one that helps. Hold back one that does not.
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North Texas SAT Score Breakdown by Section
Here is the section by section SAT profile of enrolled students at North Texas, from the federal College Scorecard.
| Section | 25th percentile | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Reading and Writing | 500 | 630 |
| Math | 480 | 600 |
| CompositeTotal SAT | 980 | 1230 |
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
980 to 1230
North Texas Admissions Calculator: What Are Your Chances?
Enter your SAT score and unweighted GPA for an honest read on your chances of getting into North Texas, 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 North Texas'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 North Texas by SAT Score
Here is what specific scores mean at North Texas, based on its reported 980 to 1230 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 830 | Well below the 25th percentile | A 830 is well below the 980 to 1230 range at North Texas. On testing alone this score does not keep the application in contention, so raising it is the priority. |
| 930 | Just below the 25th percentile | A 930 falls just short of North Texas's 25th percentile of 980. Some students get in below the range, but they usually bring something exceptional elsewhere in the application. |
| 1110 | Inside the middle 50 percent | A 1110 sits inside the 980 to 1230 range, matching the profile of enrolled students. This is a competitive score here. |
| 1230 | At the 75th percentile | A 1230 matches the 75th percentile at North Texas, stronger than about 3 out of 4 enrolled students. Testing is a clear strength at this level. |
| 1260 | Above the 75th percentile | A 1260 beats the 75th percentile at North Texas. The score is doing all it can; nothing more is gained by retaking. |
How to Raise Your SAT Score to North Texas's Range
The two targets that matter here are 980, the score that puts you inside the admitted range, and 1230, 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 980 | To reach 1230 | The plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1000 | Already there | +230 points | 1000 to 1300 plan |
| 1100 | Already there | +130 points | 1100 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 North Texas?
Below 980, you are under the 25th percentile, meaning at least 3 out of 4 admitted students scored higher. With a 72.2% acceptance rate you can still get in, but your score is doing nothing for you, and since testing is optional you do not have to let it. Inside 980 to 1230, you look like a typical admit, and the rest of your application carries the decision. Above 1230, you outscore most of the incoming class, which can matter for more than admission. At a campus of 34,341 students, a score in the top quarter is one of the few things that makes a file stand out on the first read.
The section splits tell you where the bar sits. Reading and Writing runs 500 to 630 while Math runs 480 to 600, so the verbal section sets the higher standard by 20 to 30 points at both ends. A 590 in Math clears the 75th percentile territory; the same 590 in Reading and Writing does not. If your practice tests lean toward Math, keep in mind that UNT admits lean the other way.
North Texas GPA Requirements
Admitted students at the University of North Texas typically present an unweighted GPA around 3.3 to 3.7. That band is wide on purpose. UNT admits nearly 3 out of 4 applicants, so there is real room for students whose transcripts are solid rather than spotless. A 3.5 with a normal course load sits comfortably inside it.
What matters as much as the number is where the grades came from. A 3.4 built on honors and AP coursework reads stronger than a 3.6 in the easiest available schedule, because it shows you took the harder path and held up. Trend counts too. Grades that climb after a shaky freshman year tell a better story than grades that slide across four years, even if both land at the same average.
And if your GPA sits near the bottom of that band, the fastest offset is a strong SAT. A score at or above 1230, the 75th percentile here, gives an admissions reader hard evidence that outweighs a rough semester. Since testing is optional, whether to put that evidence on the table is entirely your call.
Typical admitted GPA
Admitted students at North Texas 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.
North Texas SAT Testing Policy
North Texas 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 1105, the middle of North Texas's range. If you are below 980, the 25th percentile, consider holding your score and letting your grades, essays, and activities carry the application.
Last verified July 14, 2026
Should You Submit Your SAT Score to North Texas?
North Texas 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.
1110+
Submit
At or above the middle of the admitted range, submitting clearly helps. A real data point beats an open question.
980 to 1110
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 980
Usually hold it
Below the 25th percentile the score rarely helps at North Texas. 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 North Texas's own site, where any mid cycle change would appear first.
North Texas ACT Scores: Should You Take the SAT or ACT?
The middle 50 percent of enrolled students at North Texas scored between 19 and 27 on the ACT, alongside the 980 to 1230 SAT range. Like nearly every US college, North Texas 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 |
|---|---|
| 27 | 1260 to 1290 |
| 26 | 1230 to 1250 |
| 25 | 1200 to 1220 |
| 24 | 1160 to 1190 |
| 23 | 1130 to 1150 |
| 22 | 1100 to 1120 |
| 21 | 1060 to 1090 |
| 20 | 1030 to 1050 |
| 19 | 990 to 1020 |
| 18 | 960 to 980 |
SAT equivalents from the official College Board and ACT concordance tables. Highlighted rows fall inside North Texas's ACT middle 50 percent.
How to Get Into North Texas
Set two numbers. First, 980: at or above the 25th percentile keeps you in range, and with testing optional, anything below it probably should not be submitted. Second, 1230: at or above the 75th percentile puts you in the top quarter of UNT admits, which is a genuinely useful place to be at a school of 34,341 students. If you are between them, decide by distance. Sitting at 1150 means a modest climb; sitting at 1000 means a longer one that needs a real schedule behind it. Either way, score plans can map how many points separate you from 1230 and how long that climb usually takes.
Section targets matter too. Aim for 630 in Reading and Writing and 600 in Math to clear both 75th percentiles. If you can only move one section before test day, move Reading and Writing, since that is where admitted students set the higher bar. Not sure where you stand right now? Take a 20 question diagnostic and get a scored baseline. Do that this week, then build your prep plan around the gap it shows you.
How Hard Is It to Get Into North Texas?
North Texas admits about 722 of every 1,000 applicants, and enrolls an undergraduate class of about 34,341. That ratio, not any single cutoff, is what makes the admitted profile look the way it does: when a school turns away 278 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: North Texas's 25th percentile score of 980 already beats roughly 36% of all SAT takers nationally, and its 75th percentile of 1230 sits around the 78th 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 North Texas: Reach, Match, and Safety Options
Real reported ranges from schools students often consider alongside North Texas, 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 North Texas |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Texas | 980 to 1230 | 72.2% | This page |
| Texas Christian | 1140 to 1350 | 44.5% | Harder to get into than North TexasSAT about 140 higher |
| Texas A&M University College Station | 1150 to 1400 | 57.4% | Similar oddsSAT about 170 higher |
| Texas Tech | 1090 to 1280 | 72.7% | Similar oddsSAT about 80 higher |
| Houston | 1160 to 1340 | 73.9% | Similar oddsSAT about 145 higher |
| UT Arlington | 1010 to 1240 | 79.9% | Similar oddsSAT about 20 higher |
| Lamar | 930 to 1140 | 86.4% | Similar oddsSAT about 70 lower |
How Recent Are These North Texas 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 14, 2026.
Score ranges quoted around the web for North Texas 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 North Texas's own admissions site, where any change would appear first.
North Texas SAT Scores and GPA: Frequently Asked Questions
What SAT score do you need to get into North Texas?
North Texas's middle 50 percent SAT range is 980 to 1230. Aim for at least 980 to be competitive, and 1230 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 980 a good SAT score for North Texas?
A 980 sits at North Texas's 25th percentile, the lower edge of its middle 50 percent range of 980 to 1230. It keeps you in range, but a score closer to 1230 makes your application stronger.
What is the average SAT score at North Texas?
The average composite SAT score at North Texas is 1109. The middle 50 percent of enrolled students scored between 980 and 1230.
Does North Texas require SAT scores?
No. North Texas 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 North Texas test optional for 2026-2027?
North Texas 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 North Texas?
North Texas's middle 50 percent ACT range is 19 to 27. Aim for at least 19 to be competitive and 27 or higher to be a strong applicant. A strong ACT can stand in for the SAT at North Texas.
What GPA do you need to get into North Texas?
Admitted students at North Texas 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 North Texas's acceptance rate?
North Texas admits about 72.2% 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 North Texas?
North Texas admits about 72.2% of applicants, so your chances depend on where you sit against the admitted pool. The middle 50 percent of enrolled students scored 980 to 1230 on the SAT and admitted students typically carry an unweighted GPA around 3.3 to 3.7. A score above 1230 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 North Texas's real numbers.
How can I raise my SAT score for North Texas?
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 North Texas superscore the SAT?
Superscore policies vary by school and change year to year, and North Texas 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 14, 2026.
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