Understanding Your Scores - The ACT Test

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What Your ACT Scores Mean

Understanding your ACT scores is an important step in planning for college and beyond. This page breaks down each part of your score report, explains how scores are calculated, and shows how to use your results to make informed decisions about your next steps.

What Is Considered a “Good” ACT Score?

A good ACT score is one that is at or above the average score of students admitted to the colleges you are applying to. Because colleges have different admissions standards, what counts as a “good” ACT score depends on your goals and the specific schools you’re considering.

During the college application process, your ACT score helps colleges understand your academic readiness. More selective colleges typically admit students with higher ACT scores, while other institutions may consider a wider range of scores as part of a holistic admissions review.

On a national level, a “good” ACT score generally falls at or above the national average, which was 19.4 in 2024. Scoring above this benchmark can improve your chances of admission at a wide range of colleges, though expectations vary significantly by institution.

For example, some universities look for ACT scores in the 30s, while others may consider scores in the mid-20s competitive. The average ACT score for admitted students at Harvard University is 34, compared to 23 at the University of Massachusetts Boston. These differences highlight why it’s important to research the average ACT scores of admitted students at the colleges you’re interested in when setting a target score.

In general, ACT score ranges are typically viewed as follows:

• 18–20: Accepted at many colleges, especially regional and open-admission institutions
• 20–23: Competitive at many mid-tier colleges
• 24–28: Strong score for more selective colleges and universities
• 30 and above: Highly competitive for top-tier and highly selective institutions

What's the Average ACT Score? 

On a national level, the average ACT Composite score for graduating high school students was 19.4 in 2024. This score represents the average performance of all ACT test-takers across the United States and can serve as a benchmark for interpreting individual results.

To explore how average ACT scores vary across the country, see Average ACT Test Scores by State.

How Are ACT Scores Calculated?

Your ACT scores are based on the number of questions you answer correctly. There is no penalty for incorrect answers.

Each test’s raw score (the number of correct answers) is converted to a scale score so results have the same meaning across all ACT test forms, regardless of test date.

Test scores for English, math, reading, and science range from 1 (low) to 36 (high). Your Composite score is the average of your English, math, and reading scores, rounded to the nearest whole number.* Fractions less than one-half are rounded down; fractions one-half or more are rounded up.

Students also receive:

• STEM scores (average of math and science)
• ELA scores (average of English, reading, and writing, if taken)

The ACT Composite is changing to be calculated based on performance in English, math, and reading. ACT research shows that section test scores and ACT Composite scores are interchangeable across the legacy and enhanced ACT, and scores from the enhanced ACT can be used for the same purposes as in the past.

Each reporting category includes the total number of questions in that category, the total number of questions in that category you answered correctly, and the percentage of questions correct. ACT reporting categories are aligned with ACT College and Career Readiness Standards and other standards that target college and career readiness.

View sample score reports:

• Sample Student Score Report (PDF)
• Sample High School Score Report (PDF)

For detailed explanations of your score report and how to use it for college planning, download this free eBook.

Scoring for the Writing Test

Taking the ACT with writing will provide additional scores to you and the schools to which you have ACT report scores. Find more information about how the writing test is scored.

How Questions Are Used in Reporting Categories

Score reports help students get the most from their test results.

Testers wishing to drill down further into what their scores mean can directly reference Reporting Category information found in their score reports. Reporting Category results are directly tied to ACT’s College and Career Readiness Standards.

Additional information regarding Reporting Categories can be found in the ACT Technical Manual (PDF).

Test	Number of Questions	Reporting Categories
English	40 Operational (plus 10 field test)	Production of Writing (28–43%) Knowledge of Language (18–23%) Conventions of Standard English (38–43%)
Mathematics	41 Operational (plus 4 field test)	Preparing for higher math (80%) Number & Quantity (10–12%) Algebra (17–20%) Functions (17–20%) Geometry (17–20%) Statistics & Probability (12–15%) Integrating essential skills (20%) Modeling
Reading	27 Operational (plus 9 field test)	Key ideas and details (44–52%) Craft and structure (26–33%) Integration of knowledge and ideas (19–26%)
Science	34 Operational (plus 6 field test)	Interpretation of data (38–50%) Scientific investigation (18–32%) Evaluation of models, inferences, and experimental results (24–38%)

What is the Lowest ACT Score Colleges Will Accept?

The lowest ACT score a college will accept depends on the institution. While there is no universal minimum, many colleges accept students with ACT scores between 18 and 20, particularly at less selective or open-admission schools.

That said, ACT scores are only one part of the admissions process. Colleges also consider GPA, coursework rigor, extracurricular activities, essays, and letters of recommendation when making decisions.

Do Colleges Accept Students Below the Average ACT Score?

While ACT scores are an important part of the admissions process, they are only one of many factors colleges consider. Admissions committees also review your high school transcript, course rigor, extracurricular involvement, essays, and other elements to better understand your overall potential as a student.

If your ACT score falls slightly below a college’s average, it doesn’t automatically disqualify you. A strong, well-rounded application can still open doors to a wide range of college opportunities.

What are National Ranks?

Your national ranks tell you how your scores compare to those earned by recent high school graduates who took the ACT. Your national ranks appear on your score report under “US Rank”. Learn more about Average Test Scores by State.

ACT College and Career Readiness Benchmarks

The Benchmarks are scores on the ACT subject-area tests that represent the level of achievement required for students to have a 50% chance of obtaining a B or higher or about a 75% chance of obtaining a C or higher in corresponding credit-bearing first-year college courses.

These college courses include English composition, college algebra, introductory social science courses, and biology. Based on a sample of 214 institutions and more than 230,000 students from across the United States, the Benchmarks are median course placement values for these institutions and as such represent a typical set of expectations.

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