A good ACT score is one at or above the average for students admitted to the colleges on your list. The national average ACT Composite for the class of 2025 was 19.4. On ACT's current national ranks, a 24 beats 80% of recent test takers, a 28 beats 91%, and a 30 beats 94%.
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So "good" depends on your colleges. A 21 can be strong for one list and low for another. For how the ACT compares with the SAT, see our ACT vs SAT guide. Every number below comes from ACT's own pages and reports, read on October 13, 2026.
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Start 1-day free trial →What is a good ACT score?
ACT's answer: "A good ACT score is one that meets or exceeds the average score of students admitted to the colleges you're applying to." ACT then gives rough bands on its Understanding Your ACT Scores page.
| ACT Composite | ACT's label | What ACT says |
|---|---|---|
| 18 to 20 | Many colleges | Widely accepted at regional and open-admission colleges |
| 20 to 23 | Mid-tier colleges | Competitive at many mid-tier colleges |
| 24 to 28 | Selective colleges | Strong score for more selective colleges and universities |
| 30 to 36 | Top-tier schools | ACT lists this band for top-tier schools |
ACT also says there is no universal minimum, and many colleges accept students with ACT scores between 18 and 20. Your grades, courses, essays and activities count too.
What percentile is my ACT score?
Your national rank is the percent of recent test takers who scored at or below you. ACT's current table covers tests taken from September 2026 through August 2027. It is based on ACT-tested high school graduates from 2024 to 2026.
| ACT Composite | National rank (2026-27) | SAT equivalent (2018 concordance) |
|---|---|---|
| 36 | 100 | 1590 |
| 34 | 99 | 1500 |
| 32 | 97 | 1430 |
| 30 | 94 | 1370 |
| 28 | 91 | 1310 |
| 26 | 86 | 1240 |
| 24 | 80 | 1180 |
| 22 | 72 | 1110 |
| 20 | 63 | 1040 |
| 18 | 52 | 970 |
| 16 | 41 | 890 |
Sources: ACT's national ranks table and ACT's official concordance tables. The mean Composite in the ranks group is 19.1. For any single score, our 24 ACT to SAT page and the pages next to it give the SAT match and range.
What is the average ACT score?
The average ACT Composite for the 2025 graduating class was 19.4, across 1,380,130 students. ACT's 2025 National Profile Report shows these section averages: English 18.4, Math 18.9, Reading 20.0 and Science 19.6.
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That average mixes two groups with different averages. ACT's 2025 graduating class notes split them by how students last tested:
- Students who last took the ACT on a school day made up 69% of the class and averaged 17.8.
- Students who last took it on a weekend made up 31% and averaged 23.0.
If you test on a weekend, the weekend group is the closer comparison. A 21 sits below that group's 23.0, even though it is above the national 19.4.
What ACT score do colleges want?
Look up each college's middle 50% range. A score in the upper half of that range helps you. A score below it may not.
ACT's benchmarks give a second yardstick. A benchmark is the score linked to a 50% chance of a B or higher, or about a 75% chance of a C or higher, in a matching first-year college course.
| ACT test | College course | Benchmark score |
|---|---|---|
| English | English Composition | 18 |
| Math | Algebra | 22 |
| Reading | Social Sciences | 22 |
| Science | Biology | 23 |
| STEM | STEM | 26 |
Source: the 2025 National Profile Report. Our free College Finder takes your SAT or ACT score and GPA and lists colleges that match. You can also browse SAT ranges for 265 colleges on our college profiles page and convert them with the table above.
How is the ACT Composite scored now?
Your Composite is the average of English, math and reading, rounded to the nearest whole number. Science no longer counts toward it.
- ACT began dropping Science from the Composite for national online testing in April 2025. Since September 2025, every ACT uses the new calculation.
- Science is now an optional test. If you take it, you also get a STEM score, the average of math and science.
- Writing is optional and scored 2 to 12. It does not change your Composite.
- There is no penalty for wrong answers, so answer every question.
Does ACT superscore?
Yes. ACT defines your Superscore as the average of your highest section scores across all your ACT test dates. If you tested more than once since September 2016, ACT builds a Superscore for you, using English, math and reading from 2025 on. You can send that Superscore or a single test date. ACT says many colleges accept Superscores, so check each college's admissions page for its rule.
Is a good ACT score better than an SAT score?
Neither test counts more. ACT says colleges use the concordance tables to compare students who send different tests, and that both exams are accepted equally. The tables are from 2018 and show comparable scores, not exact conversions.
If your ACT is short of your goal, a practice SAT tells you whether the other test suits you better. Use the ACT to SAT conversion chart to set an SAT target, or go the other way with the SAT to ACT conversion chart. The SAT to ACT calculator compares two scores side by side. Then create a free account and take one full-length adaptive SAT section free to get a real SAT number.
How do you raise your ACT score?
- Pick a target. Take the highest middle-50% ACT number among your colleges, or the 75th percentile at your reach school.
- Find your weakest section on your score report. The reporting categories show the percent you got right in each area.
- Practice that section under time. The Test Advantage has 66 active ACT practice items, including 20 Enhanced ACT English tests such as Enhanced ACT English Test 8 and the Enhanced ACT Reading J08 test. They are paid, but you can try 5 sample questions from any test with no account in our practice test catalog.
- Retake and let the Superscore work. If your colleges superscore, each retest is another chance to lift one section.
For a full ACT study plan, start with our ACT exam strategy hub. If you are weighing the SAT instead, the SAT Question Bank has real-format Digital SAT practice by month.
How we built this page
Verified 2026-10-13. ACT pages and reports fetched that day: ACT Test Score Percentiles and National Ranks (2026-27 table), ACT Score National Ranks 2025-2026 PDF, Understanding Your ACT Scores, the 2025 ACT Profile Report (National), Interpreting Graduating Class Data 2025, and ACT's official ACT and SAT concordance tables. The count of ACT practice items comes from The Test Advantage's own database, read the same day. The Test Advantage is not affiliated with ACT, Inc.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good ACT score?
ACT says a good score is one that meets or exceeds the average score of students admitted to the colleges you apply to. Nationally the class of 2025 averaged 19.4. On ACT's 2026-27 national ranks, a 24 is at the 80th percentile and a 30 is at the 94th.
What percentile is my ACT score?
On ACT's national ranks for tests taken September 2026 through August 2027, a 20 is at the 63rd percentile, a 24 at the 80th, a 28 at the 91st, a 30 at the 94th and a 34 at the 99th. The rank is the percent of recent graduates who scored at or below you.
What is the average ACT score?
The average ACT Composite for the 2025 graduating class was 19.4, across 1,380,130 students. Students who last tested on a school day averaged 17.8, and students who last tested on a weekend averaged 23.0.
What ACT score do colleges want?
Each college has its own range, so compare your score to its middle 50%. ACT says many colleges accept scores between 18 and 20, while 24 to 28 is strong for more selective colleges and 30 to 36 fits top-tier schools.
How is the ACT Composite scored now?
The Composite is the average of English, math and reading, rounded to the nearest whole number. ACT began removing Science from the Composite for national online tests in April 2025, and every ACT used the new calculation by September 2025. Science is now optional.
Is a good ACT score better than an SAT score?
No. ACT says colleges accept both exams equally and use the 2018 concordance tables to compare them. A 24 ACT matches an SAT of 1180, a 28 matches 1310 and a 30 matches 1370.