What Is a Good ACT Score? Composite Ranges by College Tier

What Is a Good ACT Score?

A good ACT score is one that clears the middle-50% range at the colleges you are targeting. Nationally, the average Composite is about 19, so anything above roughly 24 (80th percentile) is solid, 30 or higher (94th percentile) is competitive at selective schools, and 34 to 36 is elite territory for the most selective universities.

• •Above average: a Composite of 24 clears the 80th percentile.
• •Competitive: a 30 reaches the 94th percentile and common merit-aid thresholds.
• •Elite: 34 to 36 sits at the 99th percentile for the most selective schools.

What Is a Good ACT Score by College Tier?

The most honest answer to what counts as a good ACT score is that it depends entirely on where you apply. A 26 is a strong score at a broadly accessible state school and a below-average one at an Ivy. Admissions offices read your Composite against the middle-50% range of the students they already admit, so the right target is the range - or better, the top of the range - for your specific list of colleges. The table below groups schools into five tiers and shows the typical admitted Composite range and a score to aim for in each.

Aim at or above the top of your tier's range rather than the middle. Sitting at the 25th percentile of admitted students means most classmates scored higher, and for test-required schools a stronger Composite widens your options for merit aid. Remember that these ranges describe admitted students, not a fixed cutoff. A lopsided Composite built on one very strong and one weak section reads differently to admissions than a balanced one, because colleges also see your section subscores.

• •Elite / Ivy Plus schools: target 35 or higher; the middle 50% sits around 34-36.
• •Highly selective / Top 50 schools: target about 32, within a 30-33 range.
• •Broadly accessible schools: a 24 (80th percentile) clears most admitted ranges of 20-25.

How Do ACT Percentiles and National Ranks Work?

ACT reports your Composite alongside a National Rank, which is the percentage of recent ACT-tested graduates who scored at or below your number. The current ranks are based on the graduating classes of 2023, 2024, and 2025, and they apply to tests taken from September 2025 through August 2026. A National Rank of 94 at a Composite of 30, for example, means you scored as well as or better than about 94 percent of recent test-takers.

The national average Composite is about 19, per ACT, which lands close to the middle of the distribution. That is why a 24 already sits at the 80th percentile and feels good to most readers, while the jump from 30 to 34 covers only about five percentile points but represents a large gap in raw performance, because the scale compresses at the top. The table maps common Composite scores to their official National Ranks and what each one signals for admissions.

• •National Rank means the percent of recent grads scoring at or below your Composite.
• •Current ranks cover the 2023-2025 grads, for tests taken September 2025 through August 2026.
• •The national average Composite is about 19, per ACT; a 30 sits at the 94th percentile.

What Counts as Above Average, Competitive, or Elite?

If you have no specific college in mind yet and just want to know where you stand, three plain benchmarks help. A Composite of 24 is above average and solid: it clears the 80th percentile and the admitted range at most broadly accessible schools. A 30 is competitive nationally, reaching the 94th percentile and the common threshold where merit scholarships start to open. A 34 or higher is elite, sitting at the 99th percentile and in play at the most selective universities in the country.

Merit money is worth calling out because it changes the math on what counts as a good score. Many institutional scholarships use a Composite of 30 or higher as a common cutoff, and the most competitive full-ride competitions often look for 33 and up. Those thresholds vary by school and change from year to year, so confirm the current criteria on each program's financial-aid page rather than assuming a number holds. A score that only clears admission may still leave aid on the table.

What Is ACT Superscoring and How Does It Affect a Good Score?

ACT calculates an official Superscore for you: the average of your best English, Math, and Reading section scores across every time you have tested since September 2016. If you scored higher in Math on one date and higher in English on another, the Superscore combines your best of each, which usually nudges your Composite up. Colleges can pull your Superscore through the MyACT dashboard, and you can mix best sections from older four-section forms with the newer three-section enhanced forms.

The catch is that ACT computes the Superscore, but each college decides whether to use it. Many superscore the ACT, some consider only your single best sitting, and a few recalculate their own way. Because the policy is set by the school and not by ACT, always check the specific college's testing or admissions page before you assume your Superscore is what they will read. If your target schools superscore, it can be worth retaking to lift one weaker section rather than the whole test.

• •ACT's official Superscore averages your best English, Math, and Reading sections across sittings since September 2016.
• •You can mix best sections from older four-section forms and newer three-section enhanced forms.
• •Each college decides whether to use your Superscore, so check the school's testing policy.

How Did the Enhanced ACT Change What Counts as a Good Score?

The enhanced ACT, a shorter version of the test, changed what a Composite is made of. Under the current format the Composite is the rounded average of English, Math, and Reading only. Science and the Writing essay are optional and do not count toward your Composite, though each is still scored on the 1-36 scale and some programs ask for them. The shorter test also trimmed the Math section to four answer choices instead of five.

ACT rolled the enhanced format out on national online tests in spring 2025 and on paper from September 2025, but exact per-form and per-administration dates have varied, so verify the current format on act.org before you register. One practical consequence: if you are superscoring across old and new dates, the Composite math now uses only the three core sections. As a rough cross-test guide, an ACT of 30 lands near an SAT total of about 1370 and an ACT of 34 near about 1500, but treat any ACT-to-SAT concordance as approximate rather than exact.

• •The enhanced-ACT Composite is the rounded average of English, Math, and Reading only.
• •Science and Writing are optional and do not affect your Composite, but are still scored 1-36.
• •Rollout dates vary by administration - confirm the current format on act.org before registering.

How Can You Reach Your Target ACT Score?

Reaching a good ACT score is mostly about picking a realistic target and closing the gap section by section. Start from the middle-50% range of your top colleges and set your goal at or above the top of that range. Take a full-length timed practice test to find your baseline, then convert the difference into a section-by-section plan. Most score gains come from fixing the one or two areas dragging your Composite down, not from broad, unfocused review.

Because the Composite is an average of your section scores, a single weak section caps your ceiling, so prioritise your lowest section first. If you are retaking, target the specific section that will move your Superscore most rather than resitting cold. And if a hard deadline is bearing down and the gap is real, Exam Assist supports ACT candidates on pay-after-pass terms - you pay only after you reach your target result. Message us with your target schools and current Composite and we will map the options. Exam Assist is independent and is not affiliated with ACT.