Key takeaways
- The ACT is scored between 1 and 36, with three mandatory sections: English, Mathematics, and Reading.
- For high school seniors graduating in 2023, 2024, and 2025, the average ACT Composite score was 19.2.
- To increase your ACT score, take practice tests, register for the official exam at least twice, and never leave a question blank.
Understanding the average ACT results, the average accepted students’ scores to your potential colleges, and where you fall on that spectrum can help you create goals, improve your overall score, and increase your chances of an acceptance letter. Here’s what you need to know about ACT scores.
How is the ACT graded?
Source: Flickr user cityyear.
The ACT includes three sections – English, Mathematics, and Reading – each of which is scored between 1 and 36. Your average of the three sections is your ACT Composite score, rounded to the closest whole number.
The Science section and Writing test are optional and don’t count towards your Composite score. The Science section is scored between 1 and 36. The writing test is graded from 2 to 12, based on your performance in four domain areas: Ideas and Analysis, Development and Support, Organization, and Language Use and Conventions.
Why does your ACT score matter?
The higher your ACT score, the more likely you’ll receive acceptance letters from colleges (though, a strong standardized test result alone doesn’t guarantee admission). You also increase your chances of winning merit scholarships from schools and outside sources that use ACT scores as part of their qualifying criteria.
What is the average ACT score?
The average ACT Composite score was 19.2, based on results from high school students graduating in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
For each of the individual sections, the average scores were:
| Average ACT score | |
| English | 18.6 |
| Math | 19 |
| Reading | 20.1 |
| Science (Optional) | 19.6 |
| Composite | 19.2 |
ACT Score National Ranks
The ACT Score National Ranks, or percentiles, from ACT.org are shown below. You can find your score to see how well you did compared to other students who took the exam. For example, 88% of students scored a 27 or below.
| Score | English | Math | Reading | Science | Composite |
| 36 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| 35 | 99 | 99 | 98 | 99 | 99 |
| 34 | 97 | 99 | 97 | 99 | 99 |
| 33 | 96 | 98 | 95 | 98 | 98 |
| 32 | 95 | 98 | 93 | 97 | 97 |
| 31 | 94 | 97 | 91 | 96 | 96 |
| 30 | 93 | 96 | 89 | 95 | 94 |
| 29 | 91 | 94 | 87 | 93 | 92 |
| 28 | 90 | 93 | 85 | 92 | 91 |
| 27 | 88 | 91 | 83 | 91 | 88 |
| 26 | 86 | 88 | 80 | 89 | 86 |
| 25 | 84 | 85 | 78 | 86 | 83 |
| 24 | 81 | 81 | 75 | 82 | 80 |
| 23 | 77 | 77 | 71 | 76 | 76 |
| 22 | 73 | 74 | 66 | 70 | 72 |
| 21 | 69 | 71 | 60 | 65 | 68 |
| 20 | 63 | 68 | 55 | 59 | 63 |
| 19 | 58 | 64 | 50 | 53 | 57 |
| 18 | 53 | 60 | 46 | 47 | 52 |
| 17 | 49 | 53 | 41 | 40 | 46 |
| 16 | 46 | 45 | 37 | 33 | 40 |
| 15 | 40 | 32 | 32 | 26 | 34 |
| 14 | 33 | 20 | 27 | 19 | 27 |
| 13 | 27 | 10 | 21 | 14 | 20 |
| 12 | 22 | 5 | 16 | 10 | 12 |
| 11 | 17 | 3 | 9 | 6 | 5 |
| 10 | 11 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| 9 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 8 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 7 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Standard Deviation | 7 | 5.6 | 7.1 | 5.8 | 6.1 |
The ACT.org also releases average ACT scores by state.
What is the average ACT score to get accepted to college?
The average ACT score for acceptance letters varies by college. For instance, more competitive schools tend to accept students who have higher ACT results.
Each College Profile on College Raptor highlights the 75th and 25th percentile scores for accepted students for the last reported admissions cycle. Here are three examples:
Harvard University – ACT Scores
Boston College – ACT Scores
Babson College – ACT Scores
Knowing your school’s average accepted ACT scores can help you set goals and improve your application.
Can you score a 36 on the ACT?
It’s not easy to get a 36 on the ACT, but it’s possible. 1,380,130 students in the 2025 graduating class took the ACT – and only 2,958 earned a 36 ACT Composite score.
Many students also received a 36 on the individual sections:
- English: 10,766 students
- Mathematics: 5,227 students
- Reading: 22,441 students
- Science: 8,431 students
Tips to get your highest ACT score
Whether you’re aiming for a 36 or another number, these tips can help you improve your score on the ACT:
- Take ACT practice tests. Practice tests allow you to get familiar with the exam, the format, the types of questions, and time restrictions. Pretend it’s the real deal. Remove distractions before you sit down for the test, taking breaks on schedule.
- Identify your strengths and weaknesses. After your first practice test, review your answers. Where did you do well, and what could use improvement?
- Create a study strategy. You’ll want to dedicate more time to your weaker areas when studying, but don’t ignore your best areas, either. You can study using official ACT materials, flash cards, study books, mobile apps, and other resources. As you take more practice tests and your results change, adjust your strategy.
- Consider working with a tutor or study group. Online or local tutors and study groups can help you tackle the exam, take practice tests, stay accountable, and provide more in-depth reasoning for the correct answers.
- Take the ACT more than once. You’re not likely going to score a 36 on your first ACT. Plan to take at least two official exams, starting with an early testing date so you have plenty of time to study between them. You may want to sign up for an additional ACT if you haven’t hit your goal after two tests.
- Never leave a question blank. You won’t lose points for wrong answers. Guess when you don’t know using the process of elimination first. If you know two answers are incorrect, you have a 50% chance of getting it right. If you’re running out of time, put anything – you still have a 25% chance of receiving points for the question when you guess and a 0% chance if you leave it blank.
ACT score FAQ
These are three frequently asked questions we hear about ACT scores.
Where can I find my ACT results?
You can view your ACT scores and Student Score Report on your My.ACT.org account. Some students see their results in just five days, and almost all students receive their scores within four weeks.
What does an ACT Student Score Report include?
Your ACT Student Report explains your test scores, how your scores meet college readiness benchmarks, where you rank nationally, where you rank statewide, how well you did on the tested subject matter within each section, and resources for college and career planning.
Will colleges accept me if I have a low ACT score?
Whether a college accepts you with a low ACT score depends on the school. It hurts your chances at competitive institutions, but some colleges don’t weigh ACT/SAT scores heavily in their admissions process or accept them at all.
What’s your ACT goal?
Whether you’re aiming for a 36, your dream school’s 50th percentile, the average, or another number, creating a goal for your ACT can help you stay on track and improve your results each time you sit for the exam.
If you’re not sure what number you should reach for or want to see how you compare to other students, we recommend using our College Match tool. You can view information on individual colleges, including acceptance rates, sticker prices, and average accepted ACT and SAT scores.
