ACT test score distribution: percentiles and averages by state

ACT test score distribution: Composite percentiles

These ranks compare you with ACT-tested high school graduates from 2024 to 2026, and they apply to tests from September 2026 to August 2027. A rank is the share of students who scored the same as you or lower. English, math, reading, science and STEM each have their own ranks in ACT’s full table, and writing has a separate one.

What’s a good ACT test score?

The one that fits your colleges. ACT itself says some schools expect scores in the 30s while others see the 20s as competitive, so look up the middle range each college on your list publishes. The 50th percentile is a 17 or 18, and ACT calls a rank of 90 or higher, a 28 or more, highly competitive for selective colleges.

Scores matter for money too. ACT says over 10,000 scholarships use test scores, and colleges, scholarship programs and athletic conferences use ACT and SAT scores to decide who qualifies. Each program sets its own cutoffs.

National averages, class of 2025

Almost 1.4 million 2025 graduates took the ACT, about 36% of the class. 30% of them met at least three of ACT’s four College Readiness Benchmarks.

Average ACT scores by state, class of 2025

Compare states with a similar share tested. Where 90% or more of graduates take the ACT, usually because the state gives it free at school, everyone tests, not just students aiming for selective colleges, so averages are lower. ACT recommends comparing your state with others in the same group.