What Is a Good ACT Score? (2026)
Updated: 15th October, 2026
TL;DR
A good ACT score depends on your college list, but a 24 is a solid starting point because it beats about 79 percent of test takers. The national average composite for the class of 2025 was 19.4, while selective colleges often expect 30 or higher. This guide gives you score bands, middle 50 percent ranges, and a look at the shorter ACT. If you want to stand out beyond test scores, look at the Lumiere Research Scholar Program. It pairs you 1:1 with a PhD mentor for an independent research project.
What are the key ACT score numbers?
The ACT composite runs from 1 to 36, and the national average for the class of 2025 was 19.4. The table below shows where common scores land, with the official source for each number.
Figure | Year or class | Source |
ACT composite scale: 1 to 36 | Current | |
National average composite: 19.4 | Class of 2025 | |
Composite of 24: 79th percentile | 2022 to 2024 grads | |
Composite of 25: 83rd percentile | 2022 to 2024 grads | |
Composite of 30: 94th percentile | 2022 to 2024 grads | |
Composite of 33: 98th percentile | 2022 to 2024 grads |
What is a good ACT score?
A good ACT score is one at or above the middle 50 percent range of the colleges you apply to. In plain terms, a 24 or higher puts you ahead of most test takers nationally. A 24 sits at the 79th percentile, based on ACT's national ranks.
For most selective colleges, a composite of 30 or above keeps you competitive. Context decides the rest. The same 29 can look excellent at one school and only average at another.
What's the average ACT score?
The national average ACT composite for the class of 2025 was 19.4. By section, students averaged 18.4 in English, 18.9 in math, 20.0 in reading, and 19.6 in science, per ACT's 2025 data.
A score above 20 already places you above the national average. That average covers every tested student, including those who sit the test with little prep. Students aiming at selective schools usually score well above it.
What ACT score do top colleges expect?
Top colleges expect scores near the top of the 1 to 36 scale, often 32 and up. The clearest guide is each school's middle 50 percent range, the band where the middle half of enrolled first-year students landed. At the most selective schools, the 25th percentile alone can sit at 34. Here is a sample from official Common Data Sets.
College | ACT middle 50% (composite) | Source |
Harvard | 34 to 36 | |
Georgia Tech | 31 to 35 | |
University of Michigan | 32 to 34 | |
University of Alabama | 22 to 30 |
These ranges shift a little each year, so check the newest Common Data Set for any school you target. A score inside or above the range puts you in a strong spot at that school. Test policies vary, and some schools, like Georgia Tech, require first-year applicants to send an SAT or ACT score. If liberal arts colleges are on your list, see our guide to the Little Ivies.
Is a 25 a good ACT score?
A 25 is a good ACT score for many students. It sits at the 83rd percentile, which beats about four out of five test takers, per ACT's national ranks. It fits well at many state universities and falls short at the most selective ones. Where a score lands matters more than the number itself. Here is how the common bands read:
20: near the national average, around the 61st percentile. Works for many less selective and open admission schools.
25: the 83rd percentile. Competitive across a wide range of state schools.
28: the 91st percentile. Strong, and in range for many selective public universities.
30: the 94th percentile. Very strong, and it opens most selective schools.
33 and up: the 98th percentile or higher. In range for the most selective colleges in the country.
How does the newer ACT format change scoring?
The newer ACT keeps the 1 to 36 composite but changes what feeds into it. Science is now optional for national test takers, and the composite comes from English, math, and reading only, per ACT. Your composite still means the same thing on a 1 to 36 scale, so a 30 is still a 30. The test is also shorter, with a college reportable composite after about 125 minutes instead of up to 195. The online version changed in April 2025, and paper tests followed in September 2025. If you take science, it shows as its own score, and math plus science give a STEM score.
Should you take the ACT or the SAT?
Take the test where your practice scores come out higher, because colleges accept both. The ACT uses a 1 to 36 scale, and the SAT uses 400 to 1600. Neither test gives you an edge in admissions on its own. Try a timed practice section of each, then commit to the one that scores better and feels better. You can prep for the SAT at no cost with our list of free SAT prep courses. Many students take one test twice rather than splitting effort across both.
What strengthens an application beyond test scores?
A strong application pairs good scores with course rigor, grades, essays, and work you do outside class. Selective colleges read your whole file, not one number. Harvard says its admissions committee has no testing cutoffs and treats testing as one academic factor among many, per its admissions FAQ. Rigor carries weight, which is why it helps to know how AP classes affect your GPA and your transcript. Pick a few activities you care about and go deep, whether that's a research question, a club you lead, or a project you build. No single item guarantees admission, but a clear story across your file gives readers something specific to remember.
Frequently asked questions: what is a good ACT score
Is 30 a good ACT score?
Yes, a 30 is a very good ACT score. It sits at the 94th percentile, which beats about 94 percent of test takers, per ACT's national ranks. A 30 keeps you competitive at most selective colleges. The most selective schools still enroll many students at 33 and up.
Is a 27 a good ACT score?
Yes, a 27 is a good ACT score. It sits at the 88th percentile, so you beat about 88 percent of test takers, per ACT's national ranks. It is in range at many state flagships and below the middle range at schools like Georgia Tech, where the 25th percentile is 31. Check your target schools' ranges before you decide to retest.
What ACT score do you need for Harvard?
Harvard has no minimum ACT score. Its fall 2024 enrolled first-year students scored 34 to 36 on the composite middle 50 percent, per its Common Data Set. A score below 34 can still support a strong application, but it sits under that middle band. Harvard's own admissions FAQ confirms there are no testing cutoffs.
Should you retake the ACT?
Retake the ACT if your score sits below your target colleges' middle 50 percent range and your practice tests show room to grow. Most students improve with focused prep and a second sitting. If you are already inside your target ranges, your time is better spent on essays, your transcript, and projects you care about. Your best section scores also count toward a superscore, so a second attempt carries little risk.
Do colleges superscore the ACT?
Many colleges superscore the ACT, but not all of them do. A superscore averages your best English, math, and reading section scores across test dates. ACT now calculates it for you automatically once you have taken the test more than once, per ACT. Check each college's testing policy, since the schools that superscore are growing but still a subset.
Already took the ACT and can't raise your score much more, or want something besides a number to show colleges? Look at the Lumiere Research Scholar Program. It pairs you 1:1 with a PhD mentor for an independent research project that ends in a paper you can point to. Apply here. If cost is the main barrier, also look at the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation, a non-profit research program for talented, low-income students.
Stephen Turban is the co-founder of Lumiere Education and a graduate of Harvard College, where he earned an A.B. in Statistics before beginning a PhD at Harvard Business School. A former McKinsey & Company consultant and former researcher, his research has been covered by the Harvard Business Review, The Economist, BBC News, Freakonomics Radio, and the Washington Post. In his articles for Forbes, he writes on what students and professionals can learn from high school research, high school passion projects, critical thinking, and mentorship. At Lumiere, he leads a selective research program where students work one-on-one with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper. Connect with him on LinkedIn.