What Is a Good ACT Score?
A good ACT score is one that gets you into the colleges you want and, if you are aiming for it, earns scholarship money. Here is how to set that number.
The national average
In recent years the average ACT composite has been around 19 to 20 out of 36. A score near 20 is about average among students who test. Percentiles shift a little every year, so treat the ranges below as approximate and check act.org for the latest norms.
Rough score ranges
- About 20 or below: near or under the national average.
- 21 to 24: above average. 24 or 25 is roughly the top quarter of test takers.
- 25 to 29: strong. Competitive for many public universities and a common scholarship range.
- 30 and up: roughly the top 5–8%. Competitive at selective universities.
- 34 and up: roughly the top 1–2%. In range for the most selective schools, though no score guarantees admission.
Set a target from your colleges
Look up each school's middle 50% ACT range, which is the span between its 25th and 75th percentile admitted students. A score at or above the 75th percentile makes your application stronger on that measure, and a score below the 25th percentile makes it harder. Many schools also publish automatic scholarship cutoffs, which can make a few points worth real money.
A good score is also a score you can improve
Most of the gain between two attempts comes from fixing specific, repeated mistakes, not from studying everything again. If you already have a score, the quickest next step is to find which question types you miss most.
Use the ACT score calculator to find your composite, or read how to raise your score from 28 to 34.
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