With over 60 years of experience and pioneering research in the field of standardized testing, ACT prides itself on being a trusted leader in displaying a student’s college and career readiness.
A complete history and timeline of the ACT exam can be found on their website. Additionally, you can view a 2-minute video on “Who We Are Today” by visiting YouTube.
A “good” score on the ACT will depend on your goals and your college admissions requirements.
The highest possible score for the ACT is 36, though the average score is 21.
Scoring a result of 23 will set you above the national average and make you stand out among the many applicants at your potential college choices.
The following displays score ranges for various prospective colleges and their admittance:
| SCHOOL | ACT COMPOSITE SCORE(25TH–75TH PERCENTILE) | ACCEPTANCE RATE |
| Columbia University | 32–35 | 6% |
| Harvard College | 32–35 | 5% |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 33–35 | 8% |
| New York University | 29–33 | 32% |
| Princeton University | 32–35 | 7% |
| University of California—Berkeley | 29–34 | 15% |
| University of Pennsylvania | 31–34 | 10% |
| Yale University | 31–35 | 7% |
To see your peers scores, here is included the ACT score percentiles from the class of 2021, complete with various divisions of the ACT.
| Score | ACT English Percentile | ACT Math Percentile | ACT Reading Percentile | ACT Science Percentile | Composite Percentile |
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 10 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 13 | 19 | 4 | 14 | 10 | 10 |
| 16 | 37 | 33 | 29 | 26 | 28 |
| 18 | 45 | 49 | 39 | 39 | 41 |
| 20 | 55 | 58 | 50 | 51 | 53 |
| 22 | 65 | 65 | 61 | 64 | 64 |
| 24 | 75 | 74 | 71 | 77 | 74 |
| 26 | 82 | 84 | 77 | 85 | 82 |
| 28 | 86 | 91 | 82 | 90 | 88 |
| 30 | 89 | 94 | 86 | 93 | 93 |
| 34 | 96 | 99 | 96 | 98 | 99 |
| 36 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
While some students are content to keep the scores they’ve received on their first attempt, others choose to retake the exam to attempt a higher score.
According to the experts, even just a bump of a few points can make a big difference for students going through the college admissions process.
As colleges view your scores, they infer qualities about your determination, study skills, and test taking abilities. While you are so much more than that as a person, it’s helpful for schools to have a basic understanding of your scholastic strengths and weaknesses.
A basic chart of test scores can be found below:
ACT score of 21 = right on average
ACT score of 24+ = top 25% of scorers
ACT score of 29+ = top 10% of scorers
ACT of 31+ = top 5% of scorers
ACT score of 35+ = top 1% of scorers
No matter your score, the ACT is available for retesting as desired. If you feel that your college or scholarship requirements would be better served with a higher score, you can attempt the exam again.
Depending on your first choice, you may wish to retake the ACT exam if your school requests a minimum score for admittance.
For Ivy League colleges, making yourself stand out among the applicants can be done in several ways including a stellar ACT or SAT test score.
Here are the ACT test scores from some of the most prestigious and popular colleges in the United States:
| School | 25th Percentile ACT | 75th Percentile ACT | US News Ranking (National Universities) | 2020 Acceptance Rate |
| Princeton University | 32 | 35 | 1 | 6% |
| Harvard University | 33 | 35 | 2 | 5% |
| Yale University | 33 | 35 | 4 | 6% |
| Columbia University | 33 | 35 | 3 | 6% |
| MIT | 34 | 36 | 4 | 7% |
| University of Chicago | 33 | 35 | 6 | 6% |
| Stanford University | 32 | 35 | 6 | 4% |
| University of Pennsylvania | 32 | 35 | 8 | 8% |
| Northwestern University | 33 | 35 | 9 | 9% |
| Duke University | 33 | 35 | 12 | 8% |
| Johns Hopkins University | 32 | 35 | 9 | 7% |
| Dartmouth College | 32 | 35 | 13 | 10% |
| Brown University | 32 | 35 | 14 | 7% |
| University of Notre Dame | 33 | 35 | 19 | 17% |
| Vanderbilt University | 33 | 35 | 14 | 11% |
| Cornell University | 32 | 35 | 18 | 11% |
| University of California, Los Angeles | 27 | 34 | 20 | 18% |
| University of California, Berkeley | 28 | 34 | 22 | 18% |
| University of Southern California | 30 | 34 | 24 | 13% |
| Georgetown University | 31 | 34 | 23 | 16% |
| Carnegie Mellon University | 33 | 35 | 26 | 22% |
| University of Michigan | 31 | 34 | 24 | 28% |
| Wake Forest University | 29 | 33 | 28 | 28% |
| University of Virginia | 30 | 34 | 26 | 27% |
| New York University | 30 | 34 | 30 | 19% |
| University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill | 27 | 33 | 28 | 22% |
| Boston College | 31 | 34 | 35 | 27% |
| Boston University | 29 | 32 | 42 | 22% |
| Villanova University | 31 | 34 | 53 | 29% |
| University of Georgia | 27 | 32 | 57 | 48% |
| Ohio State University | 28 | 32 | 53 | 48% |
| Penn State University | 25 | 30 | 63 | 51% |
| Clemson University | 27 | 32 | 74 | 47% |
| Texas A&M University | 26 | 31 | 66 | 61% |
However, even if you’re applying to a state college, you may not need to retake the exam. Colleges look at other characteristics of their prospective students, including:
The results you get may be adequate for your own goals, or you may plan to take the exam again when you’ve completed more coursework.
Remember that everyone must go at their own pace. Trial and error is a part of the game!
Be sure to give yourself plenty of rest the night before, and eat a balanced diet to give your body the nutrients it needs to be at your best.
For specialized help in crushing the ACT, reach out to an experienced tutor who can walk you through the material you’re going to be facing on the exam.