What Is a Good ACT Score? 2026-2027 Percentiles & Goals

What is a good ACT score for you?

A good ACT score is one that supports your particular college and scholarship goals. Nationally, a 24 has an 80th-percentile Composite rank in ACT’s 2026-2027 reference table, while a 30 has a 94th-percentile rank. Those comparisons give context; they do not establish an admissions cutoff. Source: ACT national ranks.

Start with three questions: Will your colleges consider scores? What do their published ranges actually describe? How much improvement is realistic given your current skills and time? The answers are more useful than a universal label such as “anything above 30 is good.”

A student whose colleges do not consider ACT results has a different decision from a student applying for a scholarship with a stated test threshold. A student already meeting a useful target may benefit more from finishing applications than repeatedly pursuing a small test gain. Keep the decision connected to a concrete purpose.

Score range and Composite calculation

ACT multiple-choice subject scores run from 1 to 36. The current Composite averages English, Math, and Reading, then rounds to a whole number. Science and Writing do not enter that average. See ACT’s score explanation.

In this example, raising English from 22 to 24 changes the sum to 75 and the Composite to 25. Raising Science would not change this calculation, although Science may still be relevant to a program or personal goal. The example illustrates the arithmetic, not a prediction about how easily any score can be raised. Our ACT Composite score calculator runs the same calculation for your own scores, and the raw score converter uses ACT's official tables for its practice tests.

Do not convert a raw practice percentage directly into the 1-36 scale. Official practice forms have their own scoring instructions. ACT Test Now estimates are intended to support study decisions; they are not equated official scores. For a broader explanation of the test, see the current ACT format and scoring guide.

Official ACT percentiles for the 2026-2027 reporting year

The table below uses ACT’s reference for tests from September 2026 through August 2027, based on ACT-tested graduates from 2024-2026. The published Composite mean for that reference group is 19.1. It is a multi-year reference mean, not a claim that every student in the 2026 graduating class averaged 19.1. ACT: national ranks, 2026-2027 reference.

A percentile is not the percentage of questions answered correctly. It describes your position relative to the reference group. A rank of 80 means approximately 80% of that group scored at or below the given score. It does not mean an 80% chance of admission, and a rounded rank of 100 does not mean that no one tied the score.

Use the reference year attached to your actual score report. A chart labeled only “ACT percentiles” can mix older and newer figures. Small differences between tables may come from different reference groups rather than a scoring mistake. The source link above includes the full score range and separate subject ranks.

Read a college score range carefully

Find each college’s current admissions page or institutional Common Data Set. Record the publication year and whether the numbers describe applicants, admitted students, or enrolled students. A middle-50% range usually identifies the 25th and 75th percentile for the group reported. It is not a minimum and maximum for everyone who enters the college.

Here is a hypothetical example, not a real college statistic: a school reports a middle-50% range of 25-30 for enrolled students who submitted ACT scores. A 27 sits inside that range. A 31 is above its upper endpoint. Neither observation reveals a particular applicant’s admission odds, because the score table omits much of the information used in an application review.

Also check how many students submitted scores. At a test-optional college, the reported score group may be a selected subset rather than the entire entering class. Do not treat that range as a description of students who chose not to submit.

Look for program-specific and scholarship guidance separately. An honors program may publish a threshold that the general admissions page does not. Record the exact wording: required, recommended, typical, or considered. Those terms answer different questions, and replacing them with “you need this score” can mislead you.

Required, optional, and not considered are different policies

Two current examples show why a national rule is not enough. MIT requires the SAT or ACT and says ACT Science and Writing are not required. UC’s first-year application guidance says SAT and ACT scores are not considered for admissions decisions or scholarships. These pages were checked October 28, 2026; review the policy for your own application cycle.

If a college is test optional, there is no universal submit-or-withhold rule based on one percentile. Read the college’s guidance, compare the score with the reported group, and consider whether it adds useful evidence about your academic preparation. Your school counselor can help interpret your circumstances without pretending to predict an admissions decision.

Build a target-score worksheet

After researching your list, choose a working target with a reason. For example: “I want to reach the published scholarship threshold at a school I would seriously attend.” That is more actionable than choosing a number because it looks impressive online.

Next, compare the target with a clean baseline. If the gap is large, create an intermediate skill goal before a final score goal. You might aim to eliminate repeated errors with linear equations or finish a Reading section with fewer unsupported guesses. Those changes are under your control in a way that a promised Composite increase is not.

Keep a balanced college list even while preparing. A strong score cannot replace required coursework, and a disappointing practice result does not tell the whole story of your application. Do not organize your entire plan around one uncertain test outcome.

Choose the work most likely to help

Review your section results and error explanations. A lower subject score may offer a useful starting point, but only if you identify what is causing it. If Math errors cluster around equation setup, repeated mixed tests may be less useful than deliberate work on translating words into expressions.

Suppose a student misses six questions for three different reasons: two unknown concepts, two reading mistakes, and two unfinished items. The response should include learning, a checking routine, and pacing practice. Calling all six “careless mistakes” prevents that distinction and makes the next study session vague.

Use the practice-test review workflow to turn each result into a plan. Check improvement on fresh material. If you retake a familiar practice test, label it so recognition is not mistaken for a new level of performance.

If the ACT format consistently feels poorly matched to your strengths, use the ACT vs. SAT comparison to plan a fair diagnostic comparison. Switching tests should be a decision based on evidence and available time, not a reaction to one hard practice session.

When is a retake worthwhile?

A retake is easier to justify when you can name what will be different: you have learned missing material, improved pacing on unfamiliar sections, or corrected a test-day problem. Retaking without changing preparation may give you another result but little reason to expect a different one.

Check the college’s latest accepted date, reporting policy, and treatment of multiple attempts. Then compare the cost and preparation time with other unfinished work. Leave room for score processing; an initial release date is not a guarantee that your score will arrive at a college that day.

Set a stopping point. If you have met your useful target or preparation is displacing essential school and application work, another attempt may not be the best next step. A score is one piece of information used for a specific purpose, not a complete measure of your ability.

Questions about good ACT scores