William Carey SAT Scores, GPA, and ACT (2026)

William Carey SAT scores split unevenly across the two sections, and that gap is the first thing to read. The Reading and Writing middle 50 runs from 540 to 690, while Math sits lower at 500 to 600. Put together, the full SAT middle 50 spans 1040 to 1290, and the average score lands at 1122. Half of admitted students scored inside that band, with 1 in 4 above 1290 and 1 in 4 below 1040.

William Carey University is a private nonprofit university in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, with about 2,201 students, so it stays small and keeps admissions personal. The acceptance rate is 60.3%, which puts it in reach for most applicants who prepare. It is not a lottery school. In the most recent federal data the school lists SAT or ACT as required, so a score is part of every file, not an optional extra. If you test with the ACT instead, the middle 50 there runs 19 to 25. The takeaway is simple. A score near 1122 keeps you squarely in the middle of the admitted pool, and pushing toward the high end of that Reading and Writing range does more for you than any other single move.

Here is how to read your score against these numbers. Below 1040 puts you under the 25th percentile, which means you are behind most admitted students and need other parts of the file to carry weight. Land anywhere from 1040 to 1290 and you are inside the middle 50, right where the typical admit sits. Clear 1290 and you are in the top 1 in 4, which strengthens any application and can help with merit aid.

The two sections do not ask the same of you. Reading and Writing sets the higher bar at William Carey, with a middle 50 of 540 to 690. Math runs lower, 500 to 600. So a balanced 1122 usually leans on the verbal side. If your Math is soft, the good news is that the target there is gentler. Reaching 600 in Math already hits the 75th percentile for that section, while the same top quarter mark in Reading and Writing asks for 690.

Admitted students at William Carey typically present an unweighted GPA around the 3.3 to 3.7 band. That range fits a school that admits about 60.3% of applicants. You do not need a perfect transcript, but you want steady grades across your core subjects.

Grades earned in rigorous courses count as much as the number itself. A 3.5 built from honors and harder classes reads stronger than a higher average from lighter ones. Admissions officers look at what you took, not just the final line. If your GPA sits at the lower edge of that band, a strong SAT is the fastest way to offset it. Your grades are mostly set by junior year, but your test score is still movable in the months before you apply. A score at or above 1122 tells the reader that the classroom number does not tell the whole story. That is the lever you still control, so it is the one worth pulling.

Set your targets against the actual percentiles. Scoring at or above the 25th, which is 1040 here, keeps you in range with the admitted pool. Aim for at or above the 75th, which is 1290, to sit in the top 1 in 4 and give yourself room for merit money. A practical middle goal is the 1122 average, which places you dead center.

Break it down by section. In Reading and Writing, moving from 540 toward 690 lifts your composite fast. In Math, going from 500 to 600 covers the entire middle 50 in one push. Pick the section where you have the most room and start there. The cleanest way to plan the work is to map your current level with a diagnostic, then build backward from your target with structured score plans. Do this now, in the months before you apply, while the score is still yours to raise. Your next step: take the diagnostic and set a section by section goal this week.