What Is a Good ACT Score?

Meet the ACT — another standardized test score that helps colleges assess your application and evaluate your knowledge and skills learned in high school. 

You might be curious about what a good ACT score looks like. Is 30 on the ACT good? Or is 25 on the ACT good? 

In this article, we’ll show you an ACT score chart and ACT percentile chart. We’ll also discuss what the ACT percentiles mean to help you set a goal for achieving a decent ACT score.  

National averages for ACT scores range between 20–23 among all test takers. Obviously, scoring above the average score gives you a better chance at admission into top universities. 

But is a barely above-average score enough? Or do you need a higher score to have a chance at getting accepted into the best colleges in the country? 

We’ll also explore the average ACT scores for a wide range of colleges and universities to help you find out where you stand.

Read More:  What is the Highest ACT Score You Can Get?

What is the ACT?

ACT stands for American College Testing, which is a standardized test that calculates a student’s ability, talents, and knowledge by considering five subject areas:  English, math, science, reading, and writing. The writing section, which is an essay, is optional. 

Colleges consider ACT scores when evaluating students’ college admission applications. 

This ACT test comprises four multiple-choice sections in the above-mentioned subject areas, minus the essay writing section. The total time allotted for the entire test is 2 hours and 55 minutes. 

The essay writing section is optional; the candidate may or may not take this section. 

However, if a student does write the essay portion of the test, they’ll receive an extra 40 minutes of time to complete the ACT. Thus, the new total would be 3 hours and 35 minutes.

After you take the test, you have to wait up to two weeks to receive your results in an official ACT score report.

Learn more about how long the ACT takes. 

Despite the stress that comes with preparing for an exam, one aspect of the ACT should bring you relief. You won’t receive any negative marks on the ACT for incorrect answers. So, you have nothing to lose by at least attempting to answer the questions you aren’t sure about. 

The ACT format

The table below displays the ACT breakdown of each section and their corresponding time limits and content coverage. 

 

Section	Time Limit Per Section	Content Covered
English	45 minutes for 75 questions.	Grammar, spelling, sentence structure, organization, and style
Math	60 minutes for 60 questions.	Pre-algebra, elementary algebra, intermediate algebra,  trigonometry, geometry
Science	35 minutes for 40 questions.	Problem-solving, interpretation and analysis, evaluation, and reasoning.
Reading	35 minutes for 40 questions	Reading and comprehension
Writing(optional)	40 minutes for 1 essay.	Writing skills

How is the ACT scored?

After reviewing the ACT format, you might be wondering how the ACT is scored. 

Understanding how the ACT is scored gives you a strong advantage in the ability to set clear goals. This will help you in your preparation for the exam, and it will help you make the most of any mock tests that you take. 

Your raw scores for each section are simply the sum of correct answers in each section. Your scaled score takes those raw scores and scales them down into a number between 1–36. 

Then, the average of each scaled section score creates your composite score, which also ranges between 1–36.

For example, if a student scores 25 in English, 24 in math, 26 in science, and 25 in reading, their composite is the sum of their scaled section scores (100), divided by four to find the average. Thus, in this example, the composite score is 25. 

Standardized tests like the ACT, SAT, GMAT, and more use scaled scores to ensure that their scores are consistent throughout multiple test dates.

ACT section raw scores

The English section comprises three subsections: 

• Production of Writing (POW)
• Knowledge of Language (LKA) 
• Conventions of Standard English 

Each subsection is worth 23, 12, and 40 raw points, respectively. 

The math section comprises two categories:

• Preparing for Higher Math (PHM) 
• Integrating Essential Skills (IES) 
• Modeling (MDL)

PHM and IES are worth 35 and 25 raw score points, respectively. MDL isn’t scored with raw points. 

The reading section comprises three categories:

• Key Ideas and Details(KID)
• Craft and Structure (CS)
• Integration of Knowledge and Ideas (IKI)

KID, CS, and IKI are worth 25, 11, and 4 raw points, respectively. 

Finally, the science section comprises three categories:

• Interpretation of Data (IOD)
•  Scientific Investigation(SIN)
• Evaluation of Models, Interferences & Experimental Results (EMI)

IOD, SIN, and EMI are worth 18, 12, and 10 raw points, respectively. 

The ACT score chart below displays subsection raw scores and their corresponding scaled scores.

    Source: act.org/ACT test guide.

ACT score percentiles (2020-2021)

ACT percentiles compare your score to the scores of other students who took the test. Specifically, percentiles show you how many people scored higher or lower than you.

Percentile sounds eerily similar to percent — but don’t let that confuse you. 

Scoring in the 50th percentile isn’t the same as scoring 50% on the exam. If you scored in the 50th percentile, it means you scored equal to or higher than 50% of the students that took that same test. 

The ACT percentiles chart below shows subject area test scores and composite scores, as well as their corresponding score percentiles. For example, the national rank (percentile) for a score of 22 is 64. If you scored a 22 on the ACT, you scored equal to or better than 64% of the people who took the test.

National Norms for ACT Test Scores Reported During the 2020-2021 Reporting Year
Score	English	Math	Reading	Science	Composite	STEM	Score
36	100	100	100	100	100	100	36
35	99	99	98	99	99	99	35
34	96	99	96	98	99	99	34
33	94	98	94	97	98	98	33
32	92	97	91	96	96	97	32
31	91	96	89	95	95	96	31
30	89	94	86	93	93	94	30
29	88	93	84	92	90	92	29
28	86	91	82	90	88	90	28
27	84	88	80	88	85	87	27
26	82	84	77	85	82	84	26
25	79	79	74	82	78	80	25
24	75	74	71	77	74	75	24
23	71	70	66	71	70	70	23
22	65	65	61	64	64	65	22
21	60	61	55	58	59	60	21
20	55	58	50	51	53	54	20
19	49	54	44	45	47	48	19
18	45	49	39	39	41	41	18
17	41	42	34	32	35	33	17
16	37	33	29	26	28	26	16
15	32	21	24	19	22	18	15
14	25	11	19	14	16	11	14
13	19	4	14	10	10	5	13
12	15	1	10	7	5	2	12
11	11	1	5	4	2	1	11
10	7	1	3	3	1	1	10
9	3	1	1	1	1	1	9
8	2	1	1	1	1	1	8
7	1	1	1	1	1	1	7
6	1	1	1	1	1	1	6
5	1	1	1	1	1	1	5
4	1	1	1	1	1	1	4
3	1	1	1	1	1	1	3
2	1	1	1	1	1	1	2
1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1
Mean	20.1	20.4	21.2	20.6	20.7	20.7
SD:	7.1	5.6	6.9	5.8	5.9	5.5

 

Source: ACT norms

What is a good ACT score?

A good ACT score can vary depending on the college you choose. Here is a comprehensive analysis of good ACT scores for the 2020-2021 academic year.

ACT score	Category of the test-takers
35 and above (Best)	Top 1%
31 and above (Excellent)	Top 5%
29 and above	Top 10%
24 and above (good)	Top 25%
21 and above  (average)	Middle section
16 and below (Poor)	Bottom 25%

Is 25 a good ACT score?

Getting a 25 on your ACT score can be both good and bad, depending on which college or university you want to go to.

For example, in some of the most prestigious universities in the U.S., like Stanford, the lower 25th percentile has an average ACT score of 33 or higher. 

If attending Stanford is your goal, then 25 isn’t a good score at all. A special athletic scholarship or another special program may be your key to acceptance with that score.

But if you’re aiming to attend a good local university, 25 could be more than enough. For example, the 75th percentile score for San Francisco State University applicants in 2020 was 24. That means that an ACT score of 25 would make you a competitive applicant.

What a good score is to you depends on where you want to go and what you want to study.

What is the average ACT score?

The average act score among U.S. undergraduate applicants in 2020 was 20.8, according to the 2020 release of the ACT Research Publication.

This score is virtually identical to the median, which is 21. So if your score is above 21, that means your ACT score is above average.

But that doesn’t automatically guarantee that you’ll get into a great college. Some colleges require high scores within specific subjects in the ACT score itself. 

For example, they might require a high ACT writing score from prospective students.

What is a good ACT writing score?

If you want to get into a top college, you’ll likely need a score of eight or higher on the writing section of the ACT. 

The ACT writing section is an optional part of the test, and it does not count toward your composite score.

However, many of the top colleges use it separately to estimate the writing skill of an applicant.

What Is a Good ACT Writing Score?

If you want to get into a top college, you’ll likely need a score of 8 or higher on the writing section of the ACT. 

Percentile	Score
100  (Best)	12
99  (Outstanding)	11
99	10
96  (Excellent)	9
90 (Good)	8
66	7
50  (Average)	6
27  (Poor)	5
14 (bottom 14%)	4
5 (bottom 5%)	3
2 (bottom 2%)	2

Number of Attempts Allowed for the ACT

Did you totally bomb the ACT on your first attempt? That’s OK — you’re not the only one. Luckily, you can take the ACT  test a maximum of 12 times,  without any time or test date limitations. 

The ACT is administered about seven times a year during the months of September, October, December, February, April, June, and July.

While you’re permitted 12 attempts on the ACT, we don’t recommend you use that fact to take the ACT test lightly. The ACT test fee is $60.00 without the writing section, and $85.00 with the writing section. Even if you choose the option without the writing section, writing the ACT 12 times will cost you $720. We don’t recommend wasting time and money on so many tests. 

You can use your first ACT test attempt as a trial, so you can get a feel for the types of questions on the test, and the amount of time you need to get through them. Then, if you take the ACT a second time, you might manage your time more efficiently than you did during your first attempt. 

How to Score High on the ACT?

The maximum score that you can achieve on the ACT is 36. If perfection is your goal, you’re ambitious. Only 2% of students score above 33. And, each year, only a few thousand students out of millions achieve top scores. But, dream big! With dedicated, hard work, practice, and planning, you too can score the highest marks.

The ACT score and percentiles chart below displays the number of students achieving each respective ACT score in 2020. 

 

Source: ACT.org

Tips to Help You Score Well on the ACT 

 

1. Aim for the Stars

If you’re a teenager and this is your first time taking the ACT test, aim high. Try to score at least at the 50th percentile, which is equal to or better than what all other test-takers scored. 

2. Practice Makes Perfect

Before starting your ACT prep, work on your weaknesses. If math isn’t your strong suit, spend extra time working on practice math subsections of the ACT. The same goes if writing isn’t your strong suit, and so on. Tackling your mistakes head on will help you learn from them. 

3. Get on Top of Your Grammar

English might be your first language, but don’t let that encourage you to take this section lightly.Don’t go easy on English, thinking that it is the easiest part, sometimes grammar can do the trick of lowering your scores, revise the grammar portions, be clear with the punctuations, and practice reading more and more.

4. Adopt an Answering Strategy

Use a test strategy for optimal success on the ACT. You can try one or more of these strategies:

• Go through the ACT slowly and thoroughly, answering questions one after the other. 
• Go through the ACT quickly, answering the questions you’re certain about first, skipping over questions you’re unsure about, and coming back to those questions later. 
• Use the process of elimination by removing the most unsuitable answers first

Remember — you can’t get any negative marks for wrong answers. Attempt every question (with thought), as you have nothing to lose. 

5. Have a Game Plan

Take mock-up ACT tests before your official ACT test. Practice and come up with a strategy before you take the official test. Plan your study, and study your plan. 

6. Seek Professional Help

Thousands of students take the ACT every year. Many mentoring and tutoring services exist specifically for the ACT test. Consider signing up for one of these services if you feel unprepared for the exam.

To learn more about the ACT test preparation visit: ACT test prep guide.

ACT Scores (2020-2021) for Colleges and Universities

Different universities have different expectations for ACT scores on student college applications. If you know which colleges and universities you are applying to, you can use their required or expected ACT test scores to help you plan your study. 

For example, if you’re aiming for a score of 28, you’ll be in good shape to apply to Arizona State University. However, a score of 28 won’t be all too impressive to the admissions team at Yale University. For Yale, you might need a score of 32 or higher. 

Here is the list of colleges and universities based on ACT scores and the acceptance rate for those schools.

Universities accepting ACT scores above 30

These are the cream of the crop among American universities and colleges, and they expect the same from their applicants.

You need a score above 30 to even get into the lowest percentile of successful enrollees at the universities in the table below.

Rank	College Name	ACT 25th Percentile	ACT 75th Percentile	Acceptance Rate
1	Stanford University	31	35	5
2	University of Southern California	30	33	17
3	Harvard University	32	35	5
4	Northeastern University	31	34	29
5	University of Pennsylvania	32	35	9
6	Cornell University	31	34	14
7	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	33	35	8
8	Rice University	32	35	15
9	Columbia University	32	35	7
10	Duke University	31	34	11
11	Brown University	31	34	9
12	University of California-Berkeley	31	34	17
13	Yale University	32	35	6
14	Boston College	30	33	31
15	Washington University in St.Louis	32	34	17

You need a truly top-level ACT or SAT score to get into one of these universities. Depending on your current ACT score, you could set a new goal and aim to retake the test to improve your score.

In many cases, to have a high chance of successful enrollment, you need a near-perfect score.

While these universities are prestigious, you can still get a great education and have a successful professional future by attending other colleges.

 

Universities accepting ACT scores between  25-29

These universities have a slightly lower required score range, but they are still high above the average ACT score of 20.8.

Rank	College Name	Act 25th Percentile	ACT 75th Percentile	Acceptance Rate
1	New York University	29	33	32
2	University of California-Los Angeles	28	33	18
3	University of Michigan-Ann Arbour	29	33	29
4	University of Texas-Austin	26	32	40
5	Penn State	25	29	56
6	Boston University	28	32	29
7	University of Florida	27	31	46
8	The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	28	33	27
9	University of Virginia	29	33	30
10	University of Georgia	26	31	54
11	Tulane University	29	32	26
12	Purdue University	25	31	56
13	University of Washington	26	32	45
14	Syracuse University	25	29	52
15	University of Miami	28	32	38

Universities accepting  ACT score between 20-24

These 15 reputable universities have a lower ACT score requirement, with the 25th percentile of some being around average or as low as 20.

Rank	College Name	ACT 25th Percentile	ACT 75th Percentile	Acceptance Rate
1	Texas A&M University	24	30	67
2	James Madison University	22	27	72
3	Temple University	22	28	52
4	Michigan State University	24	29	66
5	San Diego State University	23	28	35
6	University of California-Irvine	24	30	41
7	Arizona State University	22	29	70
8	University of Delaware	22	29	70
9	California State University-Long Beach	20	26	32
10	Indiana University-Bloomington	24	30	79
11	University of San Francisco	23	28	71
12	The University of Alabama	23	31	53
13	High Point University	21	26	79
14	University of Central Florida	24	28	50
15	Liberty University	21	28	24

Universities accepting ACT score between 16-19

Below you can find colleges that accept applicants with scores ranging between 16–19.

Rank	College Name	ACT 25th Percentile	ACT 75th Percentile	Acceptance Rate
1	San Francisco State University	18	24	68
2	California State University-Fullerton	19	24	48
3	California State University-Chico	19	24	65
4	North Carolina A&T State University	18	23	48
5	California State University-Northridge	16	23	48
6	Old Dominion	18	25	85
7	California Baptist University	19	24	64
8	Florida A&M University	19	24	31
9	Stockton University	19	24	77
10	California State University-Sacramento	17	22	72
11	Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania	18	23	78
12	Western Michigan University	19	25	82
13	La Salle University	19	25	77
14	Portland State University	19	25	89
15	Clark Atlanta University	18	21	72

Universities accepting ACT score below 16

Finally, here are a few colleges where an ACT score below 16 can still help you get accepted.

Rank	College Name	ACT 25th Percentile	ACT 75th Percentile	Acceptance Rate
1	California State University-Los Angeles	15	20	64
2	Prairie View A&M University	15	19	85
3	Virginia State University	15	19	94
4	California State University-Dominguez Hills	15	19	48
5	Texas Southern University	15	19	51
6	Bowie State University	15	19	41
7	Alabama State University	15	19	46
8	Bethune-Cookman University	15	18	64
9	New Jersey City University	15	17	85
10	Dean College	15	17	85
11	Lincoln University of Pennsylvania	15	19	87
12	Coppin State University	15	18	40
13	South Carolina State University	14	17	86
14	Fort Valley State University	10	19	26
15	Central State University	15	18	42

Being able to retake the test for certain subjects and sections takes pressure off — you don’t need to repeat your great performance in your best sections.

What this means for you is that it’s easier than ever to improve your score by taking the ACT another time if you get a result you’re unhappy with.

Even if your dream college has a required score that is a lot higher than your current one, you can work at it, one subject at a time.

So if you don’t get a score you’re happy with on your first try, don’t give up.

Takeaway

There isn’t a universal, good ACT score for every university. A good ACT score for one university might not be a sufficient score for another university. 

If you score over a 22, that’s generally a decent score, but don’t set that as your goal. Practice well in advance, enlist the support of a coaching service, and study, study, study!

And with the new guidelines, don’t be afraid of taking the test more than once. With the new ACT superscoring and individual section retesting, it’s easier than ever to build up a better ACT score for your application.

Visit The College Monk to learn more about the college acceptance process.