What is SAT & ACT Superscoring, and Which Colleges Use It?
December 5, 2025
It is human nature to selectively showcase only our best moments while simultaneously sweeping those that are less flattering out of sight. When serious high school athletes put together highlight reels for recruitment videos, they cherry-pick touchdowns, dunks, or home runs, not fumbles, air balls, and strikeouts. On social media, people can’t wait to post pictures of engagement rings, new material acquisitions, and flattering selfies. Yet, marital disputes, money troubles, and uncomplimentary photos rarely grace one’s newsfeed. College applicants feel much the same way as they present themselves to prospective schools. Now, thanks to the practice of superscoring, they get just that opportunity when submitting standardized test scores. Let’s dig into the concepts of the ACT superscore and SAT superscore in more detail.
What is an SAT Superscore?
An SAT superscore is the sum of your best combined Reading & Writing and Math scores across multiple test administrations. Essentially, instead of looking at each test you’ve taken as a separate entity, colleges that superscore will add your highest subject scores together and then use that new score when evaluating your academic achievement.
Let’s look at an example…
Johnny takes the SAT for the first time in the spring of his junior year, scoring a 610 on the Reading & Writing section and a 550 on the Math section for a total score of 1160. He takes the test again in the fall of his senior year, scoring a 570 in Reading & Writing and a 590 in Math for an identical total score of 1160. Johnny scored no better the second time around, which would qualify as a pretty big disappointment, right?
Wrong. If Johnny is applying to a college that superscores, it will take his best combined Reading & Writing and Math score. This means that Johnny’s highest score of 610 in Reading & Writing and his 590 in Math will be added together to create a superscore of 1200, forty points better than his previous score. This new, higher score will make Johnny a more competitive candidate for admission/merit aid at his target schools.
What is an ACT Superscore?
Same concept as the SAT superscore. To create your ACT superscore, colleges add together your highest English, Math, Reading, and Science scores from all administrations of the exam. Remember, the ACT will round up a composite score of 26.5 to a 27. Accordingly, you don’t have to improve very much on any one section in order to receive a 1-point boost to your ACT superscore.
Why does my SAT or ACT superscore matter?
In addition to boosting your admissions prospects, a strong SAT or ACT superscore can also influence the amount of merit aid you receive. This is because the intention of merit aid is to offer enough of a discount to attract talented students.
There are two metrics that will clue you in on your chances of scoring merit aid at a given university. Firstly, look at the percentage of students who receive merit aid, readily accessible in our Dataverse. Secondly, look at the 75th percentile of SAT/ACT scores for enrolled students, also available in our Dataverse or college guidebook. If your score falls at or above that number and a given school is known for being relatively generous with merit aid, chances are you will get a substantial offer.
Why are colleges so…nice?
They’re not. Colleges are actively engaged in prestige/rankings wars with one another. Returning to our friend Johnny, admitting an applicant with a 1200 is better for a school’s perceived selectivity than admitting an applicant with an 1160. It’s no wonder 99% of schools are eager to make their applicants’ test scores look as strong as possible.
As you can see below, the list of big-name colleges that do not superscore either exam is fairly short but does include some prominent state institutions such as Penn State, the University of Wisconsin, and Arizona State.
Which colleges superscore the SAT and ACT?
Most schools superscore the SAT. Although the higher education community was a bit late to the ACT superscore party, most schools now superscore the ACT, too. That said, it’s not uncommon for universities to have different superscore policies for the ACT and SAT, so be sure to check your prospective institutions’ policies carefully.
Since so many colleges superscore both tests, it’s easier to tell you which ones do not superscore:
Colleges that Do Not Superscore the SAT
- Arizona State University
- Boise State University
- Brigham Young University–Provo
- Emmanuel College
- Hillsdale College
- Michigan State University
- Michigan Technological University
- Montana State University
- Penn State University
- Pratt Institute
- St. Louis University
- Sarah Lawrence College
- Soka University
- Texas A&M
- The New School
- UT Austin
- Thomas Aquinas College
- University of Alabama at Birmingham
- University of Arizona
- University of Cincinnati
- University of Houston
- University of Idaho
- University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign
- University of Illinois at Chicago
- University of Iowa
- University of Louisville
- University of Minnesota – Duluth & Twin Cities
- University of Nebraska–Lincoln
- University of Utah
- University of Washington – Bothell
- University of Wisconsin-Madison
Colleges that Do Not Superscore the ACT
- Arizona State University
- Boise State University
- Brigham Young University–Provo
- Carnegie Mellon University
- Chapman University
- Colorado College
- Drew University
- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
- Emerson College
- Emmanuel College
- Fairfield University
- Georgetown University
- Harvard University
- Hillsdale College
- Howard University
- Michigan State University
- Michigan Technological University
- Montana State University
- Morehouse College
- Ohio University
- Oregon State University
- Penn State University
- Pratt Institute
- Princeton University
- Providence College
- Quinnipiac University
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
- Rollins College
- Rowan University
- Rutgers University – Camden & New Brunswick
- St. Louis University
- Sarah Lawrence College
- Siena College
- Soka University
- Texas A&M
- The New School
- UT Austin
- UT Dallas
- Thomas Aquinas College
- University of Alabama at Birmingham
- University of Arizona
- University of Cincinnati
- University of Delaware
- University of Houston
- University of Idaho
- University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign
- University of Illinois at Chicago
- University of Iowa
- University of Louisville
- University of Mary Washington
- University of Massachusetts Lowell
- University of Minnesota – Duluth & Twin Cities
- University of Nebraska–Lincoln
- University of Portland
- University of Utah
- University of Washington – Bothell
- University of Wisconsin-Madison
- West Chester University of Pennsylvania
- Worcester Polytechnic Institute
For a comprehensive list of testing policies, check out our sortable collection of ACT and SAT Testing Policies for 300+ colleges. In addition to superscoring policies, you’ll be able to see whether a given institution is test-optional, accepts self-reported scores, and allows score choice.
Do I have to tell colleges to superscore my SAT or ACT?
Nope! If a college superscores, all you need to do is report your scores from every test sitting. Colleges will then calculate your superscore on their end. Easy peasy!
What is my best shot at superscoring?
You can maximize your chance of a needle-moving SAT or ACT superscore by taking the test at least two or three times.
Let’s break that down. Students typically take the SAT or ACT for the first time in the fall or spring of their junior year. Those who elect to retake the SAT the following fall improve their overall score by an average of 40 points. It makes sense that students would receive a natural boost for two reasons: 1) it’s not their first rodeo, they know the routine, the timing of the test, the format, etc.; and 2) since the last sitting, they’ve been exposed to more relevant academic material in the classroom. And these advantages don’t even account for the biggest difference of all—you have an entire summer to learn the secrets of the SAT/ACT backward and forward.
Remember, you only have to improve one section of either exam to improve your standing as an applicant. Furthermore, even if you already sport scores that put you in good shape to be granted acceptance at the schools to which you will be applying, you may still want to sit for the ACT/SAT one more time—earning an even higher score could increase your chances of earning merit aid at certain institutions.
College Transitions’ Bottom Line – SAT Superscore and ACT Superscore
The superscore is your friend, and an overwhelming number of schools utilize this tool for the SAT. Additionally, a growing number will do so for the ACT as well. Understanding how superscoring works should provide inspiration to take whichever test you choose two to three times. Doing so can make you more competitive from an admissions and merit aid standpoint.
After all, the more selfies you snap, the better chance you’ll stumble upon that “perfect” profile pic.
Looking for additional standardized test resources? Consider checking out the following:
