What is a good ACT score?
ACT’s own definition is practical: a good score meets or beats the average score of students admitted to the colleges you’re applying to. So the number depends on your list.
ACT also notes that more selective colleges tend to admit students with higher scores, while other colleges accept a wider range as part of a holistic review. National ranks tell you how your score compares with other recent test takers. College score ranges tell you what to aim for. You need both.
How is the enhanced ACT scored?
Each ACT section is scored from 1 to 36. Your Composite score is the average of your English, math and reading scores, rounded to the nearest whole number. A fraction of one-half or more rounds up, and anything less rounds down.
ACT started using this three-section Composite for online national tests in April 2025. Since September 2025, every ACT uses it. ACT does not recalculate Composite scores from earlier tests, so an older score report still shows a Composite that included science.
| Score | Scale | How it’s built |
|---|---|---|
| Composite | 1–36 | Average of English, math and reading |
| English, math, reading | 1–36 each | Section scores |
| Science (optional) | 1–36 | Reported on its own, not in the Composite |
| STEM | 1–36 | Average of math and science from the same test date |
| Writing (optional) | 2–12 | Essay score, not in the Composite |
| ELA | 1–36 | Based on English, reading and writing from the same test date |
How are ACT science and STEM scores reported?
If you add science, you get a science score on the same 1–36 scale and a STEM score, which averages your math and science scores from that test date. Neither one changes your Composite.
Whether a college wants science is up to the college. ACT says the decision is institution-specific and advises students to review each school’s requirements. Our guide on whether to take ACT science walks through that choice.
What percentile is my ACT score?
ACT calls its percentiles national ranks. A rank is the percentage of recent high school graduates who took the ACT and scored at or below a given score.
The current national ranks are based on ACT-tested high school graduates of 2024, 2025 and 2026. ACT uses them as the “US Rank” on score reports for tests taken from September 2026 through August 2027.
| Composite score | National rank (2026–2027) |
|---|---|
| 36 | 100 |
| 35 | 99 |
| 34 | 99 |
| 33 | 98 |
| 32 | 97 |
| 31 | 96 |
| 30 | 94 |
| 29 | 93 |
| 28 | 91 |
| 27 | 89 |
| 26 | 86 |
| 25 | 83 |
| 24 | 80 |
| 23 | 77 |
| 22 | 72 |
| 21 | 68 |
| 20 | 63 |
| 19 | 58 |
| 18 | 52 |
| 17 | 47 |
| 16 | 41 |
| 15 | 34 |
In this norm group, the mean Composite is 19.1. The group includes graduates who tested both before and after the September 2025 change. ACT says its research found Composite scores with and without science to be comparable.
Section ranks don’t match Composite ranks. A 30 in math is at the 95th rank, while a 30 in reading is at the 89th. ACT’s page lists ranks for every section, plus STEM. For example, a STEM score of 26 is at the 88th rank.
The mean isn’t the same as the middle. A Composite of 19, close to the mean, is at the 58th rank. An 18 is at the 52nd, and a 17 is at the 47th.
How do I set a target ACT score?
- List the colleges you’re considering. Include a range of selectivity.
- Find each college’s ACT Composite range for enrolled first-year students. Look on the college’s admissions site or first-year class profile. Many colleges also post a Common Data Set on their institutional research pages.
- Note the 25th and 75th percentile scores. Half of enrolled students scored between those two numbers, often called the middle 50%.
- Pick a target. The middle of the range at the colleges you care about most is a practical goal. A score near the top of the range gives you more room.
- Check each testing policy. Find out whether the college requires scores, makes them optional, superscores, or wants science.
If you’re still choosing between tests, compare an ACT result with an SAT result using our SAT to ACT score converter.
What if my ACT score is below my target?
You can retest. ACT builds a superscore from your best English, math and reading scores across test dates, and colleges decide how to use multiple scores. Our superscoring and retake guide covers how that works and when a retake makes sense.
Where does Hourly Prep fit?
Hourly Prep’s free plan includes one SAT practice test, one ACT practice test and short daily practice sets for both exams. Practice runs on a test-style screen, and every question has an explanation, so you can work on the sections furthest from your target.
Premium adds an adaptive study plan, an AI tutor, 30+ ACT practice tests, 10,000+ practice problems, score estimates, no ads, and study on the web. See ACT prep for details.
Use ACT’s free official practice test, timed, as your baseline before you set a final target.
Common ACT score questions
Is 24 a good ACT score?
On ACT’s 2026–2027 national ranks, a 24 Composite is at the 80th rank, so 80% of recent ACT-tested graduates scored 24 or lower. Whether it’s a good score for you depends on the score ranges at the colleges on your list.
Does science count toward my ACT Composite?
No. For every ACT taken since September 2025, the Composite is the average of English, math and reading. If you take science, it gets its own 1–36 score and feeds your STEM score.
What is the highest possible ACT score?
36. That is the maximum for the Composite and for each section.