Richmond SAT Scores, GPA, and ACT (2026)
By the Cheetah Prep team · Reviewed July 15, 2026
SAT middle 50 percent
1410 to 1530
Half of enrolled students at Richmond scored in this range on the SAT. One quarter scored above 1530, and one quarter below 1410.
- Average composite
- 1497
- Acceptance rate
- 22.2%
- ACT range
- 33 to 35
- Test policy
- Test optional
- Location
- University of Richmond, VA
- Undergraduates
- 2,980
Richmond SAT Scores and Admissions
Richmond SAT scores land in a middle 50 range of 1410 to 1530, and admitted students who score anywhere inside that band are sitting right where the class already sits. The middle 50 is the score spread of the middle half of enrolled students, so a 1410 puts you at the lower edge and a 1530 puts you near the top. Land inside it and your score reads as normal for Richmond rather than a reason to pause. The average SAT here is 1497, which sits in the upper part of that band and tells you where the weight of the class clusters.
Richmond admits about 22.2% of applicants, so a little more than 1 in 5 get an offer. That rate rewards students who present a strong test score alongside strong grades. The University of Richmond enrolls roughly 2,980 students, a small private nonprofit university in University of Richmond, Virginia, so classes stay tight and the applicant pool is read closely. In the most recent federal data the school is test optional, which means you can apply without an SAT or ACT. Still, a score inside the 1410 to 1530 band is a clear signal that helps at a school admitting close to 22.2% of the students who apply.
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Richmond SAT Score Breakdown by Section
Here is the section by section SAT profile of enrolled students at Richmond, from the federal College Scorecard.
| Section | 25th percentile | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Reading and Writing | 700 | 750 |
| Math | 710 | 780 |
| CompositeTotal SAT | 1410 | 1530 |
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
1410 to 1530
Richmond Admissions Calculator: What Are Your Chances?
Enter your SAT score and unweighted GPA for an honest read on your chances of getting into Richmond, 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 Richmond'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 Richmond by SAT Score
Here is what specific scores mean at Richmond, based on its reported 1410 to 1530 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 1260 | Well below the 25th percentile | A 1260 is well below the 1410 to 1530 range at Richmond. On testing alone this score does not keep the application in contention, so raising it is the priority. |
| 1360 | Just below the 25th percentile | A 1360 falls just short of Richmond's 25th percentile of 1410. Some students get in below the range, but they usually bring something exceptional elsewhere in the application. |
| 1470 | Inside the middle 50 percent | A 1470 sits inside the 1410 to 1530 range, matching the profile of enrolled students. This is a competitive score here. |
| 1530 | At the 75th percentile | A 1530 matches the 75th percentile at Richmond, stronger than about 3 out of 4 enrolled students. Testing is a clear strength at this level. |
| 1560 | Above the 75th percentile | A 1560 beats the 75th percentile at Richmond. The score is doing all it can; nothing more is gained by retaking. |
How to Raise Your SAT Score to Richmond's Range
The two targets that matter here are 1410, the score that puts you inside the admitted range, and 1530, 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 1410 | To reach 1530 | The plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1000 | +410 points | +530 points | All score plans |
| 1100 | +310 points | +430 points | All score plans |
| 1200 | +210 points | +330 points | All score plans |
| 1300 | +110 points | +230 points | 1300 to 1600 plan |
| 1400 | +10 points | +130 points | 1400 to 1600 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 Richmond?
Here is how to read your score against Richmond's numbers. Below 1410 puts you under the 25th percentile, so more than 3 out of 4 enrolled students scored higher, and you would want the rest of your application to be strong. Inside the 1410 to 1530 band puts you in the normal range for admitted students, which is where you want to be. Above 1530 puts you in the top quarter of the class and turns your score into a clear strength.
The section splits show where the harder bar sits. Math runs 710 to 780 in the middle 50, while Reading and Writing runs 700 to 750. The Math range reaches higher at the top and starts higher at the bottom, so Math is the section that sets the tougher standard at Richmond. If you have room to push one score, Math gives you the most ground to gain. For the ACT, the middle 50 is 33 to 35, another sign of how strong this pool is.
Richmond GPA Requirements
Admitted students at Richmond typically present an unweighted GPA in the range of 3.8 to 4.0. That band reflects how selective a 22.2% acceptance rate is: most students who get in have earned mostly A grades across four years of high school. Treat the low end of 3.8 as the point where you want to be at minimum, and understand that a 4.0 is common in this pool rather than rare.
The number is only part of the read. Grades earned in rigorous courses count as much as the GPA itself, so an honors or AP schedule with strong marks carries more weight than a higher average built on easier classes. If your GPA sits at the lower edge of the 3.8 to 4.0 band, a strong SAT is the fastest way to offset it. A score up near the 1530 top of the range gives the admissions office a concrete reason to look past a transcript that is a few tenths short.
Typical admitted GPA
Admitted students at Richmond typically present a GPA in the 3.8 to 4.0 range on an unweighted 4.0 scale. A mostly A record across a demanding schedule is the baseline that keeps an application in the running.
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.
Richmond SAT Testing Policy
Richmond 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 1470, the middle of Richmond's range. If you are below 1410, 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 Richmond?
Richmond 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.
1470+
Submit
At or above the middle of the admitted range, submitting clearly helps. A real data point beats an open question.
1410 to 1470
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 1410
Usually hold it
Below the 25th percentile the score rarely helps at Richmond. 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 Richmond's own site, where any mid cycle change would appear first.
Richmond ACT Scores: Should You Take the SAT or ACT?
The middle 50 percent of enrolled students at Richmond scored between 33 and 35 on the ACT, alongside the 1410 to 1530 SAT range. Like nearly every US college, Richmond 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 |
|---|---|
| 35 | 1530 to 1560 |
| 34 | 1490 to 1520 |
| 33 | 1450 to 1480 |
| 32 | 1420 to 1440 |
SAT equivalents from the official College Board and ACT concordance tables. Highlighted rows fall inside Richmond's ACT middle 50 percent.
How to Get Into Richmond
Set your first target at the 25th percentile: a 1410 keeps you inside Richmond's middle 50 and reads as in range. Aim higher for a 1530 or above, which lands you in the top quarter of enrolled students and gives your file real weight. Because Math carries the higher bar at 710 to 780, put your first hours there, then hold Reading and Writing at or above 700 so neither section drags the total.
Start by mapping where you stand now against these numbers with a diagnostic so you know your real starting point rather than a guess. From there, build backward from a 1410 floor and a 1530 reach using the score plans to set weekly section targets. The concrete next step is simple: get a baseline score this week, subtract it from 1410 and from 1530, and turn those two gaps into your Math and Reading and Writing goals for the months before you apply.
How Hard Is It to Get Into Richmond?
Richmond admits about 222 of every 1,000 applicants, and enrolls an undergraduate class of about 2,980. That ratio, not any single cutoff, is what makes the admitted profile look the way it does: when a school turns away 778 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: Richmond's 25th percentile score of 1410 already beats roughly 94% of all SAT takers nationally, and its 75th percentile of 1530 sits around the 99th 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 Richmond: Reach, Match, and Safety Options
Real reported ranges from schools students often consider alongside Richmond, 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 Richmond |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond | 1410 to 1530 | 22.2% | This page |
| Vanderbilt | 1500 to 1570 | 5.9% | Harder to get into than RichmondSAT about 65 higher |
| Amherst | 1490 to 1580 | 9.0% | Harder to get into than RichmondSAT about 65 higher |
| Carnegie Mellon | 1500 to 1570 | 11.7% | Harder to get into than RichmondSAT about 65 higher |
| Washington University in St Louis | 1500 to 1570 | 12.1% | Harder to get into than RichmondSAT about 65 higher |
| Georgetown (DC) | 1390 to 1550 | 12.9% | Harder to get into than Richmondsimilar SAT range |
| Washington and Lee | 1430 to 1540 | 14.0% | Harder to get into than RichmondSAT about 15 higher |
How Recent Are These Richmond 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 Richmond 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 Richmond's own admissions site, where any change would appear first.
Richmond SAT Scores and GPA: Frequently Asked Questions
What SAT score do you need to get into Richmond?
Richmond's middle 50 percent SAT range is 1410 to 1530. Aim for at least 1410 to be competitive, and 1530 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 1410 a good SAT score for Richmond?
A 1410 sits at Richmond's 25th percentile, the lower edge of its middle 50 percent range of 1410 to 1530. It keeps you in range, but a score closer to 1530 makes your application stronger.
What is the average SAT score at Richmond?
The average composite SAT score at Richmond is 1497. The middle 50 percent of enrolled students scored between 1410 and 1530.
Does Richmond require SAT scores?
No. Richmond 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 Richmond test optional for 2026-2027?
Richmond 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 Richmond?
Richmond's middle 50 percent ACT range is 33 to 35. Aim for at least 33 to be competitive and 35 or higher to be a strong applicant. A strong ACT can stand in for the SAT at Richmond.
What GPA do you need to get into Richmond?
Admitted students at Richmond typically present an unweighted GPA in the 3.8 to 4.0 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 Richmond's acceptance rate?
Richmond admits about 22.2% of applicants, which makes it highly selective. A strong SAT score helps your application stand out in a pool this competitive.
What are my chances of getting into Richmond?
Richmond admits about 22.2% of applicants, so your chances depend on where you sit against the admitted pool. The middle 50 percent of enrolled students scored 1410 to 1530 on the SAT and admitted students typically carry an unweighted GPA around 3.8 to 4.0. A score above 1530 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 Richmond's real numbers.
How can I raise my SAT score for Richmond?
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 Richmond superscore the SAT?
Superscore policies vary by school and change year to year, and Richmond 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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