Puget Sound SAT Scores, GPA, and ACT (2026)

The University of Puget Sound is a private nonprofit university in Tacoma, Washington, with a small student body of about 1,594. Puget Sound SAT scores for admitted students land in a middle 50 percent band of 1170 to 1380, and the average comes in near 1296. The school admits roughly 72.3% of applicants, so the door is open wider than at many private colleges its size. Still, that middle range tells you where accepted students actually sit, and it is the number worth planning around.

The section splits fill in the picture. Reading and Writing runs from 610 to 710 for the middle half, while Math runs from 560 to 670. On the ACT, the comparable band is 27 to 31. With fewer than 1,600 students on campus, classes stay small and the applicant pool is modest, which means your numbers carry real weight in a smaller stack of files. A score inside or above the 1170 to 1380 range keeps you squarely in the conversation. One closer to 1380 puts you ahead of most people you are competing with, and a result near the 1296 average lands you right in the typical admit group.

Here is how to read the numbers. The 25th percentile sits at 1170 and the 75th at 1380. Below 1170 you are under the middle half, which does not rule you out at a school admitting 72.3% of applicants, but it means the rest of your file has to carry more of the load. Inside 1170 to 1380 you look like a typical admit. Above 1380 you sit in the top quarter of scorers.

The section splits set different bars. Reading and Writing runs 610 to 710, while Math runs 560 to 670. At both the 25th and 75th marks, Reading and Writing asks for more points than Math. If you are stronger in one area, know that the verbal side is where the higher bar sits here. A big Math number will not fully cover a soft Reading and Writing result, so treat the two sections as separate targets rather than one blended score.

Admitted students at Puget Sound typically present an unweighted GPA somewhere around 3.3 to 3.7. That is a working band, not a hard cutoff. Plenty of accepted students land inside it, and the exact figure matters less than what sits behind it.

Grades earned in rigorous courses count as much as the number itself. A 3.5 built from honors and demanding classes reads stronger than a higher figure pulled from an easy schedule. If your GPA sits near the lower edge of that band, a strong SAT is the fastest way to offset it. A score in the upper half of the 1170 to 1380 range gives an admissions reader a clear reason to look past a transcript that started slow. Since Puget Sound is test optional in the most recent federal data, sending a score is your choice, so send one only when it clearly helps your case. When your number sits above the 25th percentile of 1170, it usually does.

Set concrete targets. Hitting 1170, the 25th percentile, keeps you in range. Reaching 1380, the 75th percentile, puts you in the top quarter of admitted students. Aim for the section marks too: 610 or better on Reading and Writing and 560 or better on Math clears the 25th percentile, while 710 and 670 reach the top quarter.

Since Reading and Writing sets the higher bar, spend more of your prep minutes there once your Math is steady. Our score plans map point gains to specific question types so you are not guessing what to study. Start with a diagnostic to see where your current Reading and Writing and Math sit against the 1170 to 1380 band, then build a schedule around the gap. Your next step: take that diagnostic this week and write down the two topics costing you the most points.