Guides / Good ACT Score
What is a good ACT score?
What each composite means nationally, and how to pick a target worth training toward.
The short answer: around 20 is the national average. About 25 puts you ahead of roughly three quarters of test takers. 29 is strong for public flagships. 34 and up is in range for the most selective universities in the country.
As with any admissions number, "good" is relative to where you are applying. The figure that matters is the middle 50 percent range each college on your list publishes.
How the composite works now
This changed recently and trips people up. Since the 2025 redesign, your ACT composite is the average of three sections: English, Math, and Reading, each scored 1 to 36. Science is optional and is not part of the composite. If you take it, it is reported separately.
That means the composite now rests on three scores instead of four, so a single weak section moves your composite more than it used to. One section eight points below your others drags the average noticeably.
It costs extra time and does not affect your composite. Take it if a target program or scholarship asks for it, particularly in STEM fields. Otherwise, the time is usually better spent making sure the three scored sections are solid.
ACT score percentiles
Percentile means the share of test takers you scored at or above. A 77th percentile composite beats roughly three quarters of everyone who tested.
This trips people up, so it is worth stating plainly: a 99th percentile composite is the top 1 percent, the best possible outcome. A 1st percentile score is the opposite, near the bottom. Percentile counts how many people scored below you, not your rank counting down from the top.
| ACT composite | Percentile (approx.) | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 35 to 36 | 99+ | Top fraction of a percent nationally |
| 34 | 99th | In range for the most selective universities |
| 33 | 98th | Competitive at highly selective schools |
| 31 | 95th | Strong nearly everywhere |
| 29 | 90th | Strong for public flagship universities |
| 27 | 85th | Above average at most four-year schools |
| 25 | 77th | Competitive at many four-year universities |
| 24 | 73rd | Ahead of about three quarters of test takers |
| 22 | 62nd | Above the national middle |
| 20 | 50th | Right around the national average |
| 18 | 38th | Below the middle, with real room to move |
| 16 | 25th | Fundamentals first, before pacing work |
Set your target from your college list
Colleges publish the middle 50 percent composite range of admitted students. That range beats any national benchmark, because it describes the students that school actually admits.
- At or above the 75th percentile for a school makes your score a strength in that application.
- Inside the middle 50 percent makes it unremarkable there, neither helping nor hurting much.
- Below the 25th percentile means the rest of your application needs to carry more weight.
Take the highest 75th percentile among the schools you care most about and train toward that single number.
Realistic improvement, and where it comes from
Composite gains of 2 to 4 points are common with consistent practice over a few months. Because the composite is an average of three sections, the arithmetic here is worth understanding: raising one weak section by 6 points lifts your composite by 2, while spreading the same effort thinly across three sections you are already decent at often moves it by less.
| Starting near | What is usually limiting you | Where to spend time |
|---|---|---|
| 16 to 20 | Content gaps plus running out of time | Untimed accuracy first, then add the clock |
| 21 to 25 | One clearly weakest section | Almost all of it on that section |
| 26 to 30 | Pacing on English and Reading | Full timed sections, strict per-passage limits |
| 31+ | A handful of careless errors per section | Error logging, hardest-tier questions only |
The ACT gives you about 57 seconds per question, and roughly 42 seconds per question on English. A large share of scores below the low twenties are limited by not finishing rather than by not knowing. If you are leaving questions blank at the end, timed practice will move your composite faster than any amount of content review.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average ACT score?
Around 19 to 20 composite, which sits near the 50th percentile.
Is 24 a good ACT score?
Yes. It is near the 73rd percentile, ahead of roughly three quarters of test takers, and competitive at a broad range of four-year universities.
Is 30 a good ACT score?
Yes, it is strong, around the 93rd percentile, and inside or above the published range at many selective schools.
Does the Science section count?
Not toward your composite. Since 2025 the composite averages English, Math, and Reading only. Science is optional and reported separately if you take it.
What is my ACT score on the SAT scale?
Use the score converter for an instant equivalent, or read the SAT vs ACT comparison if you are still choosing between the two exams.
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