What’s a Good ACT Score for College Admissions
Applicants can use ACT score ranges of target colleges to gauge what scores they’ll need for admission.
By Anayat Durrani | Aug. 13, 2025, at 5:37 p.m.
Before stressing over your ACT score, it’s important to consider whether it’s strong enough for the schools on your list. A good score depends less on the number and more on the colleges you’re aiming for, experts say.
“A good ACT score isn’t merely a number,” says Jason Robinovitz, CEO at Score Academy, a private K-12 school, and a college test prep consultant. “It’s one that empowers a student to gain admission to a college that aligns with their academic potential, personal ambitions and overall fit.”
About 1.4 million high school seniors took the ACT in 2024. The national average composite score was 19.4 for the class of 2024, per the most recent data from the ACT organization, compared to 19.5 the previous year. The composite score on the ACT ranges from 1 to 36.
Here’s what students should know about the ACT.
What Is a “Good” ACT Score?
Since admission standards vary by college, a good ACT score for one school may be too low for another.
For top-tier universities, a good ACT score could mean a 34 or higher, while a 30 might be the right score if it fits with the median at the schools on your college list, says Grace Lee, managing director at Command Education, a college consulting firm.
“The mistake families make is chasing perfection instead of strategy,” she says. “Admissions isn’t about scoring the highest, it’s about knowing what matters for your goals and making sure each part of the application supports them.”
Experts say lower scores also get some students admitted into schools, since colleges may also weigh GPA, essays, recommendations and more.
“There’s no magic number,” Lee says. “A good ACT score is one that reinforces your academic profile and clears the bar at your target schools.”
How Colleges Use ACT Scores: Ranges and Selectivity
Students can use the 50th percentile ACT score of a college’s most recent freshman class as a benchmark. ACT score ranges vary by school, with each college sharing a mid-50% range, where half of admitted students scored within the range, 25% scored lower, and 25% scored higher.
“For practical purposes, students aiming to be competitive should strive to score above the midpoint of this mid-50% range or even higher,” Robinovitz says.
Scoring above it is a positive sign, but scoring under it may mean the school is a reach, experts say. Students scoring below the median may decide against submitting their scores at test-optional colleges, since it may not strengthen their application.
A good ACT score isn’t about reaching a universally fixed benchmark, Robinovitz says, “but rather achieving the score necessary to help the student secure a spot at the best-fit institution.”
Here’s a look at the 25th and 75th ACT score percentiles for newly enrolled students in fall 2023 at the top National Universities, as ranked by U.S. News.
| School | 25th Percentile ACT Composite Score | 75th Percentile ACT Composite Score | Average ACT Composite Score | Fall 2023 Acceptance Rate | U.S. News Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Princeton University (NJ) | 34 | 35 | 34 | 4% | 1 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 34 | 36 | 35 | 5% | 2 |
| Harvard University (MA) | 34 | 36 | 35 | 3% | 3 |
| Stanford University (CA) | 34 | 35 | 34 | 4% | 4 |
| Yale University (CT) | 33 | 35 | 34 | 5% | 5 |
| California Institute of Technology | N/A | N/A | N/A | 3% | 6 (tie) |
| Duke University (NC) | 34 | 35 | N/A | 7% | 6 (tie) |
| Johns Hopkins University (MD) | 34 | 35 | N/A | 8% | 6 (tie) |
| Northwestern University (IL) | 33 | 35 | 33 | 7% | 6 (tie) |
| University of Pennsylvania | 34 | 35 | 34 | 6% | 10 |
ACT Scores by School Type: What’s Considered Competitive
ACT score expectations vary for Ivy League, highly selective, selective and less-selective schools.
“If a student is aiming for admission to an Ivy League university, a score of 35 or higher would be considered good enough to support a competitive application,” Robinovitz says. “For a student aspiring to attend a college such as Florida Gulf Coast University, a good ACT score might range between 21 and 26.”
Scores between 33 and 36 can typically be seen at the most competitive schools, Lee says.
“But that number alone won’t get you in, and a lower score won’t automatically keep you out. The key is whether the score complements the rest of the application,” Lee says.
For STEM applicants, math and science subscores “often matter just as much as the composite,” Lee says. She adds that some departments may have internal thresholds that aren’t publicly listed.
Above all, colleges seek motivated, capable students who demonstrate focus and the potential to succeed in a rigorous academic environment.
“A 34 on its own doesn’t mean much if the rest of the application lacks direction or depth,” Lee says.
The table below shows a breakdown of ACT composite scores by percentile based on 2022-2024 exam results, per the most recent ACT data.
| Score | ACT English Percentile | ACT Math Percentile | ACT Reading Percentile | ACT Science Percentile | Composite Percentile | STEM Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| 35 | 99 | 99 | 98 | 99 | 99 | 99 |
| 34 | 97 | 99 | 97 | 99 | 99 | 99 |
| 33 | 95 | 98 | 95 | 98 | 98 | 98 |
| 32 | 94 | 98 | 93 | 97 | 97 | 97 |
| 31 | 93 | 97 | 91 | 96 | 96 | 97 |
| 30 | 92 | 96 | 89 | 94 | 94 | 95 |
| 29 | 91 | 94 | 87 | 93 | 93 | 94 |
| 28 | 89 | 93 | 85 | 92 | 91 | 92 |
| 27 | 88 | 91 | 82 | 90 | 88 | 90 |
| 26 | 86 | 88 | 80 | 88 | 86 | 88 |
| 25 | 83 | 84 | 77 | 85 | 83 | 84 |
| 24 | 80 | 80 | 75 | 81 | 79 | 80 |
| 23 | 76 | 77 | 71 | 75 | 75 | 76 |
| 22 | 72 | 73 | 66 | 69 | 71 | 72 |
| 21 | 68 | 70 | 60 | 64 | 66 | 67 |
| 20 | 62 | 67 | 55 | 58 | 61 | 62 |
| 19 | 57 | 63 | 49 | 52 | 55 | 57 |
| 18 | 52 | 59 | 45 | 46 | 49 | 50 |
| 17 | 48 | 52 | 40 | 39 | 43 | 43 |
| 16 | 44 | 43 | 36 | 32 | 37 | 34 |
| 15 | 39 | 31 | 31 | 26 | 30 | 25 |
| 14 | 32 | 19 | 26 | 19 | 23 | 16 |
| 13 | 26 | 9 | 20 | 14 | 16 | 9 |
| 12 | 22 | 4 | 15 | 10 | 8 | 4 |
| 11 | 17 | 2 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 2 |
| 10 | 11 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 9 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 8 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 7 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Should You Submit Your ACT Score?
Many colleges are test-optional, but submitting a score could help you stand out by giving the admissions committee another way to evaluate you.
“Test-optional doesn’t mean test-irrelevant,” Lee says. “Strong ACT scores still move the needle.”
This can be especially true at highly selective schools, for competitive majors or for students coming from schools where the context for their GPA is more difficult to evaluate, Lee says.
“What’s changed is this: the bar to submit is higher. If you’re going to send scores, they need to help you,” Lee says.
Her team has consistently seen students with scores ranging from 34 to 36 outperform their test-optional peers in competitive pools, she says.
“In today’s landscape, a great score is still a strategic advantage. It just needs to be used wisely.”
Be strategic when deciding whether to submit ACT scores, experts advise. If your score is above the median, it’s usually a good idea to send it. If it’s below, it really depends on how strong the rest of your application is, Lee says.
“One of the most common mistakes is submitting a borderline score that undercuts an otherwise strong academic profile. Test-optional gives students more flexibility, but it also demands better judgment,” she says.
By contrast, test-blind schools don’t look at scores at all – even for scholarships, experts say. In those cases, even the best ACT score won’t help.
Tips to Improve Your ACT Score
Start prepping for the ACT by taking a practice test. That shows you what to expect and where you need to improve so you can focus your study plan. The ACT website offers a free practice test and other resources.
There is no limit to how many times you can retake the ACT. Prep experts recommend taking it at least twice to improve your scores. Reflect on your first test to identify any timing issues, question types that were difficult, or test anxiety and focus on areas of weakness to avoid repeating mistakes, experts say.
Remember that the ACT score is just one piece of the puzzle, since colleges look at the whole applicant, experts advise.
While a good ACT score can be helpful, Robinovitz says, “holistic admissions practices mean applicants outside of typical ranges can still find success — provided they offer unique, compelling contributions that address specific institutional needs.”
Originally published on U.S. News on Aug. 13, 2025
