What Is a Good ACT Score? Percentiles, College Fit & Benchmarks

Whether a particular ACT score is "good" depends entirely on what you are trying to accomplish with it. A 24 might be an excellent score for a student targeting regional public universities, but it would be below the median at most highly selective colleges. A 33 opens doors almost everywhere, but even that number has limits at the very top of the admissions ladder. This guide breaks down ACT scoring across the full range — what the national average is, where common scores fall in percentile terms, which colleges match different score bands, how the ACT compares to the SAT, and what to do if you want to aim higher.

The national average and what it means

The ACT is scored on a scale from 1 to 36, and the national average composite score typically falls around 19.5 to 20.5, depending on the testing year. This number represents the midpoint of all students who take the ACT nationally — a broad and diverse group that includes students at every level of academic preparation.

If you scored above a 20, you are above average nationally. But "above average" and "competitive for your target schools" are different things. The national average includes many students who are not applying to selective colleges, so comparing yourself to the overall pool can be misleading. A more useful benchmark is the middle-50-percent ACT range published by each college on your list. That tells you how your score compares to the students who were actually admitted to that specific school.

To verify how your section scores produce your composite, plug them into our ACT Score Calculator for a quick check.

ACT score percentile breakdown

Percentiles tell you the percentage of test takers who scored below you. The table below uses approximate nationally representative percentiles, which shift slightly each year:

Several patterns are worth noting. The jump from 20 to 24 covers about 23 percentile points — a large gain for a relatively modest score increase. From 28 to 32, the same four-point gain covers only about 8 percentile points. Like the SAT, the ACT distribution compresses at the top, which means each additional point above 30 gets progressively harder to earn and represents a smaller percentile gain. Understanding this compression helps you set realistic goals and evaluate whether a retake is worth the effort.

What different score ranges mean for college admissions

ACT 30–36: Highly competitive

A score of 30 or above places you in approximately the top 7 percent of all test takers. This range is competitive at the vast majority of colleges in the country, including many highly selective institutions. Scores of 33 to 36 are competitive at the most elite universities — Ivy League schools, Stanford, MIT, and their peers — where the middle-50-percent ACT range typically falls between 33 and 36.

At this level, your ACT score is a clear strength in your application. The transcript and the rest of your profile still need to be strong, but your test score is doing its job and then some. If you scored 30 or above, further test prep is usually not the best use of your time unless your target schools have medians above your score.

ACT 26–29: Strong and versatile

Scores in the 26 to 29 range place you roughly in the 82nd to 90th percentile. This band is competitive at many strong state flagship universities and selective private colleges. It often falls within or above the middle-50-percent range at schools ranked roughly 30th through 80th nationally. A 27 or 28, for example, is a genuinely strong score that many students and families underestimate because they are comparing it to the highest numbers they have heard from classmates or online forums.

At the most selective schools, a score in this range is below the median but not disqualifying. A 28 paired with a 3.9 GPA and outstanding extracurriculars can still result in admission. A 28 paired with a 3.2 GPA would face an uphill battle.

ACT 22–25: Solid with room to grow

A score in this range is above the national average and competitive at many regional public universities, less selective private colleges, and open-admission institutions. It is below the median at more competitive schools, but these students often have the most to gain from targeted preparation — moving from a 23 to a 27, for example, covers a large percentile jump and opens significantly more doors.

If your ACT score is in this range and your GPA is strong, your application can still be very competitive at a wide variety of schools. The transcript typically carries more weight than the test score in holistic admissions. Track your cumulative GPA with our GPA Calculator to make sure both numbers are working together.

ACT 18–21: Average range

Scores in this range cluster around the national average. They are competitive at open-admission and less selective institutions, and many students with scores in this band go on to earn degrees and launch successful careers. If your goals include more selective schools, focused study targeting your weakest sections can produce meaningful gains. The ACT is a learnable test, and students in this range often have clear, fixable gaps that yield substantial score improvements with the right preparation.

How ACT scores compare to SAT scores

Since virtually every college accepts both the ACT and SAT equally, knowing how the two scores compare is useful for deciding which test to take and for evaluating your competitiveness across different data sets. The College Board and ACT publish concordance tables that map scores across the two tests. Here are some common benchmarks:

If you have taken both tests, compare your concorded scores to see which one gives you a higher equivalent. Some students naturally perform better on the ACT's faster, more straightforward format, while others prefer the SAT's slower pace and trickier questions. Our detailed comparison in SAT vs ACT: Which Test Should You Take? breaks down the structural differences that drive these performance gaps.

You can estimate your performance on either test using our ACT Score Calculator and SAT Score Calculator to compare directly.

Your section scores matter too

Your ACT composite is the average of four section scores: English, Math, Reading, and Science. Each section is scored from 1 to 36, and they are averaged (not totaled) to produce your composite. Because it is an average, a very strong section can pull up a weaker one, but a very weak section can also drag down an otherwise excellent composite.

Many admissions officers look at section scores in addition to the composite, particularly for programs with specific academic demands. A student applying to an engineering program with a 34 in Math and a 25 in English tells a different story than a student with a 30 across the board. Knowing your section split helps you understand both your admissions profile and your most efficient path to a higher composite if you decide to retake.

ACT superscoring

A growing number of colleges superscore the ACT, meaning they take your highest score on each of the four sections from different test dates and average them into a new composite. This makes retaking the ACT a low-risk strategy — if one section improves, your superscore rises, and a weaker section on a later attempt does not hurt you.

Not all colleges superscore the ACT (the practice is more universally accepted for the SAT), so check each school's specific policy. If your target schools superscore, focusing your study time on your weakest one or two sections and retaking the test is often the most efficient path to a higher composite.

How to raise your ACT score

The principles of effective ACT preparation are similar to those for the SAT: find your baseline, identify your weakest sections, practice under timed conditions, and review every mistake until you understand the underlying concept. The ACT's faster pace makes timing practice especially important — many students know the material but cannot finish sections in time, which is a pacing problem rather than a knowledge problem.

For the English section, learning the core grammar rules the ACT tests (comma usage, apostrophes, subject-verb agreement, pronoun reference) produces fast gains because the same rules appear on every test. For Math, make sure your algebra and geometry fundamentals are solid before attempting harder problems. For Reading, practice active reading under strict time limits. For Science, focus on interpreting graphs and data tables quickly rather than memorizing scientific facts.

Our guide on how to raise your SAT score covers study strategy principles that apply equally well to the ACT — the structure of the study plan, the importance of reviewing mistakes, and the value of full-length timed practice tests all translate directly.

The bigger admissions picture

Your ACT score is one piece of a holistic admissions process. Your GPA and the rigor of your course load typically carry at least as much weight, and at many schools they carry more. A strong ACT score paired with strong grades creates the most compelling academic profile. If your ACT is above your target schools' median but your GPA is below it — or vice versa — the weaker number will draw attention and need support from the rest of your application.

If you are curious how specific SAT benchmarks compare to your ACT score, our guides on whether 1100, 1250, 1300, or 1400 is a good SAT score provide detailed context on percentiles, college fit, and scholarships at each level. And if an application asks for your GPA as a percentage, the GPA to Percentage Calculator handles the conversion instantly.

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