Did you just get your ACT score back? Are you wondering what score you need to get in the school of your choice? In fact, you may be confused about how test-optional impacts the scores schools are looking for. Take a look at the charts below as we break down different ranges of scores and list colleges for each range. For seniors applying to college for the Class of 2026, most schools are remaining test-optional. Because of this, you have the option to hide your score. About 30-40% of students are already doing this. If you’re younger, then you may be interested to see how test scores may change if schools switch back to a test-required application.
Most of the data in the charts below come from what is available in the common data set, a voluntary list of information that most colleges and universities in the U.S. provide that explains the data from their most recently admitted freshman class. For the most recent incoming freshman class, The Class of 2025, most common data sets aren’t available yet. For these numbers, we went directly to each school’s admissions page. Many schools share the test data of their incoming class, but some do not. Where we could find it, we added the data for the Class of 2025. The charts show the middle 50% of scores from admitted students. The lower number represents the 25th percentile. Meanwhile, the higher number represents the 75th percentile.
Decent Score (low to mid 20s on average)
An average ACT score in 2021 is about 21. This score can still get you into regional universities. A decent ACT score is about a 21, and ideally in the mid 20s. This score can help get you accepted into some bigger, more recognizable state schools. A decent score can usually help you get into schools that are ranked between 100 and 250. You may notice that the middle 50% range is wider for these schools, as opposed to the tougher, more competitive programs. You may want to consider improving your ACT score even higher than these numbers if these schools offer merit-based aid, scholarships, or honors programs.
Decent ACT Composite Scores (25th-75th Percentiles)
| Schools | Class of 2025 | Class of 2024 | Class of 2022 (2019 data) | Class of 2020 (2017 data) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Michigan University | - | 20-26 | 20-27 | 20-25 |
| Georgia State University | - | 20-26 | 21-26 | 20-26 |
| Iowa State University | - | 21-28 | 22-28 | 22-28 |
| Kansas State University | - | 20-27 | 22-28 | 22-28 |
| Louisiana Tech University | - | 22-28 | 22-28 | 21-27 |
| North Dakota State University | - | 20-26 | 21-26 | 21-26 |
| Texas State University | - | 20-25 | 20-26 | - |
| University of Arizona | Average: 26 | 21-29 | 21-28 | 21-27 |
| University of Iowa | 22-29 | 22-29 | 23-28 | 23-28 |
| University of Kansas | - | 22-29 | 23-29 | 22-28 |
| University of Kentucky | - | 22-29 | 23-29 | 22-28 |
| University of Massachusetts - Boston | - | 20-27 | 21-27 | 21-26 |
| University of Missouri | - | 23-29 | 23-29 | 24-29 |
| University of Nebraska | - | 22-28 | 22-29 | 22-28 |
| University of Toledo | - | 20-26 | 20-26 | 20-26 |
| Wichita State University | - | 20-27 | 20-26 | 21-27 |
Good Score (upper 20s on average)
A good ACT score averages around the high 20s. For these schools, we’re looking around the top 70-100 rank. Some of these schools provided test score data for the most recent incoming Class of 2025. For all schools, we also will provide past data as well as the last available common data set, which is usually for the Class of 2024. You may notice that the ACT scores of admitted students have increased by a few points between now and 2017. If your scores fall into the 25th-75th percentile range for these schools, then it’s safe to submit them. If you don’t have a score that is high enough to meet the 25th percentile, then we recommend not submitting it.
Good ACT Composite Scores (25th-75th Percentiles)
| Schools | Class of 2025 | Class of 2024 | Class of 2022 (2019 data) | Class of 2020 (2017 data) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auburn University | 24-30 | 25-31 | 25-30 | 24-30 |
| Drexel University | - | 25-31 | 25-30 | 25-30 |
| Gonzaga University | 25-30 | 25-30 | 25-30 | 25-30 |
| Loyola Marymount University | 26-31 | 27-31 | 27-31 | 26-30 |
| Marquette University | - | 25-30 | 24-30 | 24-29 |
| Michigan State University | - | 23-29 | 23-29 | 23-28 |
| Temple University | - | 23-30 | 24-30 | 24-30 |
| Texas A&M University | - | 26-32 | 25-31 | 25-30 |
| University of Delaware | - | 25-30 | 25-30 | 23-29 |
| University of Colorado, Boulder | Average: 28 | 24-31 | 25-30 | 25-30 |
| University of New Hampshire | - | 24-30 | 23-28 | 22-27 |
| Virginia Tech | - | 25-31 | 25-31 | 24-29 |
Very Good Score (29-31 average)
A very good ACT score averages around a 29-31. These schools are ranked around the range of top 40-80. About half of these schools provided data for the most recent Class of 2025. For this data, we can start to see a shift in some schools where the Class of 2025 submitted noticeably higher ACT scores. This is most likely due to test-optional policies encouraging students to not submit their scores if they believe they are too low.
Very Good ACT Composite Scores (25th-75th Percentiles)
| Schools | Class of 2025 | Class of 2024 | Class of 2022 (2019 data) | Class of 2020 (2017 data) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baylor University | 26-32 | 26-31 | 26-31 | 26-30 |
| Clemson University | - | 27-32 | 27-32 | 26-31 |
| Indiana University Bloomington | 27-32 | 24-31 | 24-31 | 24-30 |
| Ohio State University | - | 26-32 | 27-32 | 27-31 |
| Penn State University | 29-33 | 25-30 | 25-30 | 25-29 |
| Pepperdine University | 29-33 | 26-31 | 26-32 | 25-30 |
| Purdue University | - | 26-33 | 25-32 | 25-31 |
| Santa Clara University | 28-32 | 28-32 | 28-32 | 28-32 |
| University of Central Florida | Average: 29 | Average: 29 | 25-29 | - |
| University of Illinois | 28-34 | 27-33 | 27-33 | 26-32 |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | 29-34 | 27-33 | 27-33 | 27-32 |
| University of Texas at Austin | - | 26-33 | 27-33 | 26-32 |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison | - | 27-32 | 27-32 | 27-31 |
| Wake Forest University | - | 30-33 | 29-33 | 28-32 |
Great Score (32-33 average)
A great ACT score is about a 32-33 on average. These schools rank in the top 20-70 range. For this list, we have even more schools who provided data for the most recent Class of 2025, and the majority of these schools reported a higher average ACT score among admitted students. These universities rank just below the most competitive schools.
Great ACT Composite Scores (25th-75th Percentiles)
| Schools | Class of 2025 | Class of 2024 | Class of 2022 (2019 data) | Class of 2020 (2017 data) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amherst College | - | 31-34 | 31-34 | 31-34 |
| Brandeis University | - | 31-33 | 29-33 | 29-33 |
| Case Western Reserve University | 31-34 | 31-34 | 30-34 | 30-33 |
| Colgate University | 31-34 | 30-33 | 31-34 | 30-33 |
| Fordham University | 30-34 | - | 28-32 | 27-31 |
| Georgetown University | 31-35 | 31-35 | 31-34 | 30-34 |
| Georgia Tech | - | 31-35 | 31-34 | 30-33 |
| Lehigh University | 31-34 | 29-33 | 30-34 | 29-32 |
| Miami University | 31-34 | 28-32 | 29-32 | 28-32 |
| Tulane University | 31-34 | 30-33 | 31-33 | 29-32 |
| University of Florida | 30-34 | 29-33 | 27-32 | 27-31 |
| University of Georgia | 31-34 | 27-32 | 27-32 | 26-31 |
| University of Maryland | 31-34 | 29-34 | 28-33 | 28-33 |
| University of Rochester | Average: 32 | 30-34 | - | 29-33 |
| Villanova University | 32-34 | 30-33 | 30-33 | 29-32 |
| William & Mary | 31-34 | 30-34 | 30-33 | 28-33 |
Awesome Score (34+ average)
An awesome ACT score is 34 or higher. These schools are the most competitive, top 20 schools. What’s interesting is that some extremely competitive schools, such as Stanford and Princeton, have a 32 as their 25th percentile score. Meanwhile, schools that are considered easier acceptances like Rice and Vanderbilt have a 34 as their 25th percentile. This may mean that schools that are slightly lower in ranking may use higher test scores as an important metric, as opposed to extremely competitive schools like Stanford, which receive a higher number of applicants.
Awesome ACT Composite Scores (25th-75th Percentiles)
| Schools | Class of 2025 | Class of 2024 | Class of 2022 (2019 data) | Class of 2020 (2017 data) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston College | 33-35 | 31-34 | 31-34 | 30-33 |
| Boston University | 33-35 | 30-34 | 30-33 | 28-32 |
| Brown University | 33-35 | 33-35 | 33-35 | 31-34 |
| Carnegie Mellon University | - | 33-35 | 33-35 | 31-34 |
| Columbia University | 34-35 | 34-35 | 33-35 | 33-35 |
| Cornell University | 32-35 | 32-35 | 32-34 | 31-34 |
| Duke University | - | 34-35 | 33-35 | 31-34 |
| Emory University | 33-35 | 31-34 | 31-34 | 29-33 |
| Harvard University | 33-35 | 33-35 | 33-35 | 32-35 |
| Johns Hopkins University | - | 34-35 | 33-35 | - |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 34-36 | 34-36 | 34-36 | 33-35 |
| Northeastern University | 33-35 | 33-35 | 32-34 | 31-34 |
| Northwestern University | - | 33-35 | 33-35 | 32-34 |
| NYU | 31-35 | 31-34 | 29-34 | 29-33 |
| Princeton University | 32-35 | 32-35 | 32-35 | 32-35 |
| Rice University | 34-35 | 34-36 | 33-35 | 32-35 |
| Stanford University | 32-35 | 31-35 | 32-35 | 31-35 |
| Tufts University | 33-35 | 32-35 | 31-34 | 31-34 |
| University of Chicago | 33-35 | 34-35 | - | 32-35 |
| University of Michigan | 32-35 | 31-34 | 30-34 | 29-33 |
| University of Notre Dame | - | 32-35 | 33-35 | 32-35 |
| University of Virginia | 32-35 | 30-34 | 30-34 | 28-33 |
| Vanderbilt University | 34-36 | 33-35 | 33-35 | 32-35 |
| Washington University in St. Louis | 33-35 | 33-35 | 32-35 | 32-34 |
| Yale University | 33-35 | 33-35 | 33-35 | 31-35 |
ACT Test Prep
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