ACT Test Score Percentiles and
National Ranks

See how your score compares with recent high school graduates who took the ACT. Your national rank shows the percentage of test takers who earned your score or lower.

View the Score Table
 

2026–2027 REFERENCE

National Ranks for English, Math, Reading, Science, Composite, and STEM Scores

Based on ACT-tested high school graduates from 2024–2026.Used for tests taken September 2026 through August 2027.

 
How to Use the Table
Find your score in the Score column.

     
Read across to see the percentage of test takers who earned that score or lower, which is your national percentile rank. 		    
Example ACT Score: 23
 
77

National Rank

Scored higher than 77% of recent high school graduates who took the ACT.

 
ACT Score National Ranks
Score English Math Reading Science Composite STEM Score
36 100 100 100 100 100 100 36
35 99 99 98 99 99 99 35
34 97 99 97 99 99 99 34
33 96 98 95 98 98 98 33
32 95 97 93 97 97 97 32
31 94 96 91 96 96 96 31
30 93 95 89 95 94 95 30
29 92 94 87 93 93 94 29
28 90 93 85 92 91 92 28
27 88 91 83 91 89 90 27
26 87 88 81 89 86 88 26
25 84 84 78 86 83 85 25
24 81 81 75 82 80 81 24
23 77 77 71 77 77 77 23
22 74 74 66 70 72 73 22
21 70 71 61 65 68 69 21
20 64 68 56 60 63 64 20
19 58 64 51 54 58 58 19
18 54 60 47 48 52 52 18
17 50 53 42 41 47 45 17
16 46 45 37 34 41 36 16
15 41 33 33 27 34 27 15
14 34 21 28 19 28 17 14
13 28 11 22 14 20 10 13
12 23 6 16 10 13 5 12
11 18 3 10 6 6 2 11
10 11 2 5 3 2 1 10
9 6 1 2 2 1 1 9
8 3 1 1 1 1 1 8
7 2 1 1 1 1 1 7
6 1 1 1 1 1 1 6
5 1 1 1 1 1 1 5
4 1 1 1 1 1 1 4
3 1 1 1 1 1 1 3
2 1 1 1 1 1 1 2
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Mean 18.4 19.0 20.0 19.5 19.1 19.5  
SD 7.0 5.7 7.1 5.8 6.1 5.5  
 
Download ACT Score National Ranks

UNDERSTANDING YOUR SCORES

A Percentile is Context, Not a Grade

 

A 90th percentile rank means a score is as high as or higher than roughly 90% of scores in the comparison group

 

90th+

Highly Competitive

A useful benchmark when researching more selective colleges.

50th

National Midpoint

A central reference point—not a pass or fail line.

Below 50th

A Planning Signal

Use section results to focus preparation where it can matter most.

2026–2027 REFERENCE

National Ranks for ELA and Writing Test Scores

Based on ACT-tested high school graduates from 2024–2026 who took the ACT Writing test. Used for tests taken September 2026 through August 2027.

 
How to Use the Table
Find your ELA or writing score in the Score column.

     
Read across to see the percentage of test takers who earned that score or lower, which is your national percentile rank.		    
Example Writing Score: 7
 
72

National Rank

Scored higher than 72% of recent high school graduates who took the ACT Writing test.

 
ACT Score National Ranks for ELA and Writing Test Scores
Score ELA Writing
36 100  
35 99  
34 99  
33 99  
32 99  
31 99  
30 98  
29 97  
28 96  
27 94  
26 92  
25 90  
24 88  
23 84  
22 80  
21 76  
20 71  
19 65  
18 59  
17 53  
16 47  
15 40  
14 34  
13 27  
12 21 100
11 16 99
10 11 99
9 7 97
8 4 93
7 2 72
6 1 60
5 1 33
4 1 21
3 1 9
2 1 4
1 1  
Mean 17.5 6.1
SD 5.8 1.9
 
ACT Score ELA and Writing National Ranks

Use Your ACT Score to Plan for College

Compare your ACT score with college score ranges to help build your
college list.

 
 
Find the ACT Score Range for Each College

When researching colleges, check the 25th and 75th percentile ACT scores for admitted students to understand the middle 50% score range.

 
 
Compare Your ACT Score to the College's Range

If your ACT score is within the middle 50% of a college's admitted students, you are considered a competitive applicant.

 
 
Identify "Reach," "Match," and "Safety" Schools

Reach schools: Colleges where your ACT score is near the top of their range typically indicate a more competitive admissions process.

Match schools: Colleges where your ACT score falls firmly within their middle 50% range typically indicate a good fit for your application.

Safety schools: Colleges where your ACT score is well above their middle 50% range suggest a higher likelihood of acceptance.

Official Score Access

Access Your ACT Scores Anytime

Create or sign in to MyACT to access your scores anytime. 
Start checking two weeks after your test date, as scores are added weekly.

Access Your Scores