What Is a Good ACT Score in 2026?

You may have heard that a “good” ACT score is one that beats the national average (roughly 19–20) or lands in the 90th percentile, which is around a 27 or 28. While those benchmarks can sound impressive, they don’t fully capture how selective college admissions has become. Students hoping to stay competitive across top schools nationwide typically need scores closer to 35 or higher, which place them among the top 1% of ACT test-takers and competitive for the Ivy League.

Still, there’s no single score that works for every applicant. What qualifies as a good ACT score depends on the colleges on your list. Are you aiming for an Ivy League school, a highly selective private university, or a major public flagship? Each category has its own expectations, and the most meaningful reference point is the median ACT score of enrolled students.

In the sections that follow, we’ll outline how different ACT score ranges align with different types of colleges, using clear tiers and recent admissions trends to help you define an effective target score.

• What Is Considered a Good ACT Score?
• ACT Score Tiers
• How to Get a Good ACT Score
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Takeaways

What Is Considered a Good ACT Score?

Generally speaking, a 35 or higher is considered a good ACT score for Ivy League, Stanford, and other top tier colleges. But if you’re looking at other schools in the Top 50 of the US News and World Report, a good score is typically considered above the 50th or ideally the 75th percentile ACT score of admitted students.

According to ACT.org, scoring at or above the 50th percentile ACT score of the college you’re applying to gives you a stronger chance of being admitted. If your ACT score meets or exceeds that benchmark, it can generally be considered a good ACT score for that institution.

If your score falls below the median, it may still be usable, but other parts of your application—such as GPA, course rigor, essays, and extracurricular impact—will need to carry more weight.

To better understand how admissions offices evaluate ACT scores, it helps to look at the common benchmarks they use, which we’ll break down below.

National Average ACT score

Does a good ACT score simply mean scoring above national average? The national average composite ACT score in 2024 was 19.4, which means about half of all students scored in the 19–20 range or lower. By all standards for the top 50 colleges on US News and World Report, this is considered a weak score.

Scoring above the national average does show that you’re ready for college-level work. However, in a competitive admissions environment, that benchmark alone usually isn’t enough, especially if you’re aiming for selective colleges. At many competitive schools, the average ACT score of admitted students is much higher than the national mean, often by a wide margin.

Percentiles

Another way ACT scores are often evaluated is by percentile rank, which shows how your score compares to other test-takers nationwide. Your percentile tells you the percentage of students you scored higher than.

For example, scoring in the 90th percentile means you performed better than 90% of ACT test-takers, which roughly corresponds to an ACT score of 27–28. That’s a strong result on a national level, but considered weak for Top 15 schools like Yale, Northwestern, and Johns Hopkins.

As college admissions have become more competitive, percentile benchmarks on their own have become less relevant at top schools. At many highly selective colleges, even students in the 95th percentile may still fall below the typical ACT score range of admitted students.

This is why percentiles are most useful when viewed alongside school-specific ACT medians, rather than as a standalone measure of how competitive your score is.

Score tiers

At AdmissionSight, we encourage you to think about what is a good ACT score in tiers, rather than as a single cutoff. ACT scores make more sense when you view them in ranges that match different levels of college selectivity.

Using score tiers gives you a clearer framework for setting realistic ACT score goals based on the schools you’re targeting. Instead of asking whether your score is “good” in general, you can evaluate whether it’s strong enough for the specific colleges on your list.

ACT Score Tiers

ACT score tiers help students understand how their results align with different categories of colleges and universities. To help you see where your score fits, we’ve grouped ACT scores into tiers that reflect typical admissions expectations.

Elite tier (35–36)

Scores in the 35–36 range fall in approximately the 99th percentile and above. Students in this tier are among the very top ACT test-takers nationwide and are academically competitive at the most selective institutions.

These scores typically meet or exceed the median ACT score at Ivy League–level universities and other elite schools.

Below are some of the elite-tier schools with 35–36 ACT median score range:

When you look at Harvard, Princeton, Columbia, UPenn, Brown, MIT,  Stanford, UChicago, Duke and JHU side by side, you’ll notice that the middle 50% of admitted students cluster tightly between 34 and 36 on the ACT, with most schools posting a median score of 35. This narrow range shows just how competitive the applicant pool is at the most selective universities.

If you score a 35 ACT, you’re squarely within the academic expectations of these schools. Pushing from a 35 to a 36 rarely changes how your application is viewed, since both scores signal the same level of academic readiness.

Even at this level, your ACT score alone won’t guarantee admission. Once you’ve proven you can handle the academics, admissions officers focus much more on your depth of involvement, leadership, personal qualities, and how well you fit what the school is looking for in a given class.

Competitive tier (33–34)

The 33–34 range generally corresponds to the 98th–99th percentiles. Students in this tier are competitive at many highly selective private universities and top public flagship institutions.

Here are some competitive-tier schools:

A 33–34 ACT score is right around the middle of the admitted range at Ivy Leagues’ Cornell and Yale, and many highly selective colleges like Northwestern, NYU, Notre Dame, WashU, BU, USC, Georgia Tech and UMich. That means your score is strong enough to meet their academic expectations.

At the same time, many applicants at this level have similar scores. Because of that, your ACT score alone usually won’t set you apart. And once you’re in the 33–34 range, improving your score by a point often doesn’t change the outcome. What matters most is how clearly your application shows depth, leadership, and fit with the school.

Proficient tier (31–32)

Scores in the 31–32 range fall roughly in the 96th–97th percentiles. Students in this tier are strong candidates for many selective and moderately selective colleges, particularly those with ACT medians just below the most elite range.

Below is a table with examples of proficient-tier schools:

The schools above are all under 31–32 ACT score and sit right around the median for many selective and moderately selective colleges. This means your score clearly shows academic readiness and keeps you competitive at this level.

However, because some schools in this tier have medians at 31 or 32, where you fall within that range starts to matter more. If your score is at or above the median, it helps your application. If it’s slightly below, your score becomes more neutral, and other parts of your application need to do more of the work.

Note: At this level, thoughtful score submission strategy becomes important, especially at schools where the median exceeds your score.

Foundational tier (30 and below)

ACT scores of 30 and below fall under lower percentiles compared to the most selective admissions benchmarks. However, students in this range still have many strong college options, including public flagships, regional private universities, and honors programs.

Here are the foundational-tier schools with median 30 or below ACT score:

From the table, you’ll see that a 30 ACT score or below can still be competitive at many solid universities like BYU, UD, Ohio State, UGA, Bucknell, Temple, Tennessee, Oregon State, Alabama and University of Iowa. These schools often prioritize a combination of grades, course rigor, and overall fit, rather than test scores alone.

At the same time, this tier offers the most opportunity for growth. Because score ranges are wider, even a small improvement—such as moving from a 29 to a 31—can open the door to more selective colleges, honors programs, and merit-based scholarships.

If you’re in this range, focusing on targeted test prep, strong academics, and smart school selection can significantly expand your options without needing a perfect score.

How to Get a Good ACT Score

A good ACT score is defined by how well your score matches the colleges you want to attend. Reaching that score takes a deliberate plan that you need to perform. Below are practical steps you can follow.

1. Set score goals based on your target colleges.

Start by building your ACT goal around real admissions data. Here’s how:

• Make a list of the colleges you plan to apply to.
• Look up each school’s median (50th percentile) ACT score using their admissions website or Common Data Set.
• Set your target score at or slightly above that median.

If your target schools have median ACT scores of 33–34, aiming for a 30 won’t be enough. Your goal should be closer to 34, even if that means retesting. On the other hand, if your list includes schools with medians around 30–31, a 32 could put you in a strong position.

2. Focus preparation on section-specific weaknesses.

Improvement happens fastest when you focus on where you’re losing the most points. Do the following:

• Take a full-length, timed practice ACT.
• Review your score report by section (English, Math, Reading, Science).
• Identify the section(s) with the lowest raw score or highest number of missed questions.

If your composite score is held back by Science timing or Math geometry questions, spend most of your study time there instead of evenly reviewing all sections. Fixing one weak section can raise your composite score by 1–2 points on its own.

3. Master ACT pacing and question styles.

The enhanced ACT is shorter and provides more time per question while keeping the same 1–36 scoring scale. The total test time is 2 hours and 5 minutes for the English, Math, and Reading sections. When the optional Science section is included, the total testing time increases to 2 hours and 45 minutes. Students who choose to complete the optional Writing section should plan for an additional 40 minutes.

Even with these changes, pacing remains critical. Students often lose points not because they spend too long on difficult questions and fail to finish sections. Below is a table showing the ideal timing by section for the ACT:

Prepare by practicing under real test conditions, knowing your target time per question, and using a skip-and-return strategy. Recognizing common ACT question types also helps reduce hesitation and unnecessary rereading.

4. Use data-driven strategies to maximize gains.

To improve efficiently, you need to analyze your mistakes. After each practice test, review every missed question, including ones you guessed correctly. Identify why you got each question wrong, whether it was due to a content gap, a timing issue, misreading the question, or a careless error.

As you review, track any recurring patterns in a simple error log. When you consistently see the same types of mistakes, you’ll know exactly where to focus your study time.

If you consistently miss Math questions involving functions or Reading questions that ask for “best evidence,” that’s a signal to adjust your study plan. Fixing repeated errors leads to predictable score improvements.

5. Consult an experienced ACT tutor.

If you’re struggling to break into a higher score tier, personalized guidance can make a significant difference.

A qualified ACT tutor can diagnose your specific weaknesses, create a structured study plan tailored to your goals, teach section-specific strategies that self-study often misses, and hold you accountable and adjust your prep as you improve.

A student aiming to move from a 31 to a 34 may need targeted pacing strategies, advanced question-type drills, and refined guessing techniques—areas where expert guidance can save weeks of trial and error.

If you want personalized support to help you improve your ACT score, strengthen your overall application, and expand your college options with confidence, our SAT and ACT Private Tutoring Program can connect you with expert guidance tailored to your goals.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is a good ACT score for college admissions?

A good ACT score is one that meets or exceeds the median ACT score of the colleges you’re applying to. There is no universal cutoff. Your score should be evaluated relative to each school’s admitted student profile.

2. What is a good ACT score for Ivy League schools?

For Ivy League–level institutions, a good ACT score typically falls in the 34–36 range, with most admitted students scoring around 35. This range meets academic expectations but does not guarantee admission.

3. What is a good ACT score for public universities?

At many public flagship universities, a good ACT score generally falls between 28 and 33, depending on the school, program, and residency status. Scoring at or above the median keeps you competitive.

4. What is the average ACT score?

The national average ACT score is approximately 19–20. In 2024, the average composite score was 19.4.

5. What is a bad ACT score?

A bad ACT score is one that falls well below the admitted range of your target schools and weakens your application if submitted.

Takeaways

• A good ACT score depends on the colleges you’re applying to. Your score should be evaluated against the median ACT scores of your target schools, not national averages.
• Scoring above average is no longer enough for selective admissions. Competitive colleges often enroll students with ACT scores of 34 or higher, making school-specific benchmarks more meaningful.
• ACT score tiers provide a clearer way to define what is considered a good ACT score. Viewing ACT scores in tiers—elite, competitive, proficient, and foundational—helps you set realistic goals based on college selectivity.
• Once you meet a school’s academic benchmark, other factors matter more. At higher ACT score ranges, small point differences rarely change outcomes. Essays, leadership, extracurricular depth, and overall fit play a larger role once academic readiness is established.
• If you want expert guidance on what is a good ACT score for your college list—and how to position your application strategically—our Private Consulting Program can help you make informed decisions and maximize your admissions outcomes.