SCORE BENCHMARKS · ACT 2026
What Is a Good ACT Score in 2026?
A good ACT score is one at or above the middle-50% range of the colleges you’re targeting — but as national benchmarks go: the average ACT Composite is about 19–20, a 24+ puts you in roughly the top quarter of testers, a 30+ in about the top 5–7%, and a 34+ in the top 1%. “Good” is relative to your goal, so here are the numbers by college tier and by scholarship threshold.
National average: about 19–2024+ = top quarter · 30+ = top 5–7%Kansas & Missouri benchmarks inside
Key takeaways
- The national average ACT Composite is about 19–20. A 24 is roughly the 74th percentile, a 30 roughly the 93rd, and 34+ is the top 1%.
- “Good” means at or above a college’s middle-50% range. Above the 75th percentile your score is an asset; below the 25th it’s a liability or a “don’t submit.”
- Many universities award automatic merit scholarships at published ACT thresholds — often stepping up at 24, 27, 30, and 33. For most families this matters more than admissions.
- In Kansas and Missouri a 24+ already stands out regionally; a 28+ positions a student for honors programs and top automatic-merit tiers at KU, K-State, Mizzou, and comparable flagships.
- The gap is closable: our students average a 6+ point Composite improvement across two test cycles.
ACT Score Percentiles: Where Scores Rank Nationally
| Composite | Approximate percentile | What it means |
|---|---|---|
|
34–36 |
99th |
Competitive anywhere |
|
30–33 |
93rd–98th |
Strong for most selective schools |
|
27–29 |
85th–92nd |
Above average for flagships |
|
24–26 |
74th–84th |
Solid for most universities |
|
20–23 |
52nd–70th |
At or above average |
|
16–19 |
25th–48th |
Below average — big prep upside |
19–20National average Composite
24About the 74th percentile
30About the 93rd percentile
34+Top 1% of test-takers
Estimate your own scaled scores and percentile from a practice test: ACT Score Calculator & Scoring Explained
What ACT Score Do You Need for Your Target Colleges?
| College tier | Competitive ACT range |
|---|---|
|
Ivy League and top-10 |
34–36 |
|
Top-30 privates and publics |
32–35 |
|
Honors programs at strong flagships |
28–33 |
|
Most state flagships |
24–29 |
|
Regional universities |
20–25 |
The number that matters isn’t the tier table — it’s each school’s published middle-50% range. Landing at or above the 75th-percentile score of a college makes your score an asset; below the 25th, it’s a liability, or a “don’t submit” at test-optional schools.
Good ACT Scores for Kansas and Missouri Students
Statewide averages in Kansas and Missouri hover near the national average, so a 24+ already distinguishes a student regionally, and a 28+ positions them for honors programs and top automatic-merit tiers at KU, K-State, Mizzou, and comparable flagships.
| University | Approx. middle 50% ACT (enrolled students) | What a competitive score looks like |
|---|---|---|
|
University of Kansas (KU) |
21–28 |
28+ for honors consideration and top merit tiers |
|
Kansas State University |
20–27 |
27+ places you in the top quarter of the class |
|
University of Missouri (Mizzou) |
23–29 |
29+ for honors and upper merit tiers |
|
UMKC |
21–29 |
29+ for the top quarter; higher for accelerated programs |
Approximate ranges drawn from recently published class profiles and federal (IPEDS) data for students who submitted scores; all four are test-optional. Confirm current figures on each admissions site.
Local context
Most Kansas and Missouri juniors take the ACT on a school day, so the state averages include every student, not just the college-bound. That is one reason a 24 reads as a genuinely strong regional score even though it sits mid-range at selective private colleges.
The Scores That Unlock Merit Scholarships
For most families, this matters more than admissions. Many universities award automatic, published merit scholarships at ACT thresholds — often stepping up meaningfully at 24, 27, 30, and 33. Across four years, moving from a 26 to a 30 can be worth five figures at Midwest public universities.
Threshold
24 — the entry tier
Where many public universities’ automatic awards begin, often paired with a GPA minimum. Clearing it is the first financial milestone.
Threshold
27 — the step-up
A common breakpoint for larger automatic awards and honors-program eligibility at regional flagships.
Threshold
30 — the big jump
Top-tier automatic merit at many Midwest publics, and competitive at selective privates. Often the single most valuable point range to reach.
Threshold
33+ — the ceiling tier
Where the highest automatic awards and competitive full-tuition scholarships tend to cluster, usually alongside a top GPA and a strong application.
Scholarship tables are published per university and change yearly — always check whether a threshold applies to a single-sitting Composite or a superscore. More on stacking awards: How to Maximize Merit Aid in 2026
How to Find Any College’s Middle-50% Range
- Check the admissions “class profile” pageMost universities publish the 25th–75th percentile ACT and SAT ranges of their most recent enrolled class.
- Look up the Common Data SetSearch “[college name] Common Data Set.” Section C9 lists the middle 50% and the share of students who submitted each test.
- Use the 75th percentile as your targetAt or above it your score is an asset. Between the 25th and 75th it is neutral. Below the 25th, prep more or consider withholding at a test-optional school.
- Repeat for every school on the listA single student can be “above range” at one school and “below range” at another — the same score means different things in different applications.
Good ACT Scores by Section
Colleges look at the Composite first, but section scores decide superscores, placement, and — for STEM applicants — the STEM score. A balanced profile is easiest to raise; a lopsided one tells you exactly where the retake hours go.
| Composite goal | English | Math | Reading | Science (if taken) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
24 |
24–26 |
22–24 |
24–26 |
23–25 |
|
28 |
28–30 |
26–28 |
28–30 |
27–29 |
|
30 |
30–32 |
28–30 |
30–32 |
29–31 |
|
33 |
33–35 |
31–33 |
33–35 |
32–34 |
Illustrative section combinations that round to each Composite. Because Math typically lags English and Reading for Kansas City students, plans usually weight Math hours slightly higher.
Test-Optional: Should You Submit Your ACT Score?
Submit when…
- Your Composite is at or above the school’s 50th percentile (the midpoint of the middle-50% range)
- The score would qualify you for an automatic merit scholarship
- You are applying to a STEM, nursing, or business program that publishes its own higher range
- The school has reinstated a testing requirement — many selective colleges have
Consider withholding when…
- Your Composite is below the school’s 25th percentile and the school is genuinely test-optional
- Your GPA and course rigor are stronger than your testing
- A retake is scheduled before the deadline and you expect a meaningful gain
- The school is test-blind and will not look at scores at all
Which colleges changed their policies for 2026: Is Test-Optional Over?
Score Below Where You Need to Be? The Gap Is Closable
Our students average a 6+ point Composite improvement across two test cycles. The path: baseline test, targeted section work, weekly timed practice, retake with superscoring.
6+Average Composite gain across two test cycles
8+Improvement many of our students reach
2–4Months of structured prep
FreeSunday practice tests, unlimited
The Complete ACT Prep Guide · When to Start ACT Prep · ACT Superscoring
See exactly where you stand.A free, full-length, proctored ACT at our Kansas City office any Sunday morning — scored results in your student profile, no purchase required.
Take a Free Baseline TestGlossary
- Middle 50%
- The 25th–75th percentile score range of a college’s admitted or enrolled students. The benchmark that decides whether your score is an asset.
- Percentile
- The share of national test-takers at or below your score. A 24 is roughly the 74th percentile.
- Automatic merit scholarship
- An award granted to every admitted student who meets a published ACT/SAT and GPA threshold — no separate application.
- Composite
- The rounded average of English, Math, and Reading scaled scores on the enhanced ACT.
- Superscore
- A Composite recomputed from your best section scores across test dates. Some scholarships use it; some require a single sitting.
- Test-optional
- Submitting scores is your choice. Test-blind schools do not consider scores at all.
- Common Data Set
- A standardized report most colleges publish annually; section C9 contains the middle-50% score ranges.
Good ACT Score FAQs
Yes — a 24 is around the 74th percentile, above average nationally and competitive at most state universities, though below the middle range at highly selective colleges.
A 30 is roughly a top-6% score, competitive at strong flagships and many selective private colleges, and it clears major automatic merit thresholds at numerous universities.
The national average Composite is approximately 19–20.
Full rides are rare and usually combine a 32+ ACT with a top GPA and a competitive application — but substantial automatic awards begin much lower, often around 27–30 depending on the school.
Yes. A 27 is around the 85th percentile, above the middle-50% range at KU, K-State, and most regional universities, and it commonly crosses a merit scholarship step-up. It sits below the range at the most selective private colleges.
A 21 is slightly above the national average and inside the middle-50% range at many regional and state universities, including KU and K-State. It is below most automatic merit thresholds, which is why students at 21 typically have the most to gain from structured prep.
Both are test-optional. Enrolled students who submitted scores recently landed around 21–28 at KU and 20–27 at K-State, so a 24 is solidly competitive and a 28+ positions a student for honors programs and upper merit tiers. Confirm current ranges and scholarship tables on each university’s admissions site.
A 32 is roughly the 97th percentile — competitive at top-30 universities, strong for the most selective honors programs, and within reach of the highest automatic-merit tiers at many Midwest publics. At the Ivy League and top-10, it sits at the lower edge of the typical range.
Keep Reading
CalculatorACT Score CalculatorEstimate section scores, Composite, and percentile from a practice test.GuideThe Complete ACT Prep GuideThe full roadmap from baseline to retake.MoneyHow to Maximize Merit Aid in 2026How scores, GPA, and college lists combine into scholarship dollars.ComparisonACT vs SATConversion chart and how to choose your test.PolicyIs Test-Optional Over?What the 2026 requirement changes mean for submitting scores.