Johns Hopkins ACT: Average Scores, Ranges, and What You Need to Know

With an average composite score of 35 and a middle 50% range spanning from 34 to 36, Johns Hopkins University stands as one of the most selective institutions in the country. The vast majority of admitted students score at or above the 34 mark, and earning admission with a score significantly below this benchmark would be an uphill battle. The school maintains an acceptance rate around 6 percent, meaning the competition is among the fiercest you will encounter in American higher education. Simply meeting the average is not enough to guarantee admission at Johns Hopkins, as these numbers represent just the academic testing component of an enormously competitive applicant pool.

A good ACT score for Johns Hopkins typically means scoring in the range of 34 to 36, with 35 being the target that positions you in the middle of admitted students. However, it is crucial to understand that a high ACT score does not guarantee your admission to Johns Hopkins. Many applicants with scores of 35 and 36 are rejected each year because the university evaluates you as a complete person, not just a test score. Your grades, course rigor, extracurricular activities, letters of recommendation, personal essays, and how you have challenged yourself academically all matter significantly in the decision.

While Johns Hopkins does not publish an official minimum ACT score requirement, you should aim for at least a 34 to have a realistic chance of being considered for admission. Scoring below 34 would place you well below the 25th percentile, and an ACT score of 33 or lower would make acceptance extremely unlikely unless you have truly exceptional qualities elsewhere in your application. That said, Johns Hopkins explicitly states it conducts a comprehensive holistic review process and considers multiple factors beyond test scores, so if your ACT falls short but you have other significant strengths, you should not rule out applying. Just be realistic about your odds if your score is notably below their typical range.

Johns Hopkins is test-optional for applicants seeking enrollment in fall 2025, meaning you are not required to submit an ACT or SAT score for the current application cycle. However, the university has announced that standardized testing will become required beginning with applicants seeking entry for fall 2026 and beyond. This means if you are applying for future enrollment years after 2025, you will need to submit either an ACT or SAT score. Since the policy is rapidly changing, make sure you verify the current requirements for your specific application timeline.

Johns Hopkins employs a superscoring method for the ACT, which works strongly in your favor. If you take the ACT more than once, the school considers your highest individual section scores across all test dates and combines them to calculate your strongest composite score. This means you can take the test multiple times, improve a weak Reading score on one attempt and a weak Math score on another, and Johns Hopkins will piece together your best composite from all your test sittings. This flexibility gives you the opportunity to showcase your absolute best performance across multiple attempts.

Understanding how Johns Hopkins evaluates your ACT score requires recognizing that standardized testing is just one component of a holistic admissions review process. Johns Hopkins admissions officers examine your coursework rigor, grades, essays, recommendations, leadership experience, and personal qualities alongside your test score. Even applicants with a 36 ACT can be rejected because admissions officers are looking for students who will thrive intellectually and contribute meaningfully to campus life. Your test score helps confirm that you have the academic foundation to handle Johns Hopkins' rigorous curriculum, but it does not make the case for admission on its own.

At a school as highly selective as Johns Hopkins, having a strong test score actually narrows down the applicant pool from thousands to a smaller group but does not separate you from other high-scoring applicants. Instead, admissions officers focus on what makes you unique as a person and student. They want to understand how you think, what drives your passions, what challenges you have overcome, and how you will make the Johns Hopkins community better. Your ACT score signals that you have the intellectual capability to succeed at Johns Hopkins, but the rest of your application demonstrates whether you deserve one of the roughly 1,200 spots they offer each year to first-year students. This is why students with 34 ACT scores sometimes get accepted while students with 36 ACT scores are denied.

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