Q: Do ACT Scores Still Matter for College?

If you mean, "Do ACT scores still matter for college admission ," then the answer is "Maybe," because roughly one-third of schools consider the test results during admissions. But if you mean, "Will my ACT scores affect or predict how well I do in college?" then the answer is probably not. A wealth of factors affect your performance in college, and nothing can predict it absolutely 鈥� although your high school GPA might be a better predictor than your standardized test scores.

Question 1

How Is the ACT Scored?

Accepted Answer

Each test-taker receives a composite score between 1 and 36, and those who take the optional writing portion also receive an additional score between 2 and 12 for this section. But how does ACT, Inc. arrive at these numbers?

You first need to understand the ACT's structure. The exam 20.3

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You first need to understand the ACT's structure. The exam contains five sections; the first four are mandatory and multiple choice, whereas the last one is optional and graded subjectively.

1

The English portion tests three areas over the course of 75 questions: production of writing, knowledge of language, and conventions of standard English. "Production of writing" refers to the purposes of given texts 鈥� such as to persuade or inform 鈥� rather than the test-taker's own writing ability.

2

On the ACT, mathematics consists of 60 questions covering three focus areas, which are referred to as "preparing for higher math," "integrating essential skills," and "modeling."

3

The 40 reading questions cover key ideas and details, craft and structure, and integration of knowledge and ideas.

4

The science section is also 40 questions long, broken into portions covering interpretation of data, scientific investigation, and evaluation of models and inferences.

5

Students who take the writing test will produce an essay responding to a prompt. The scorers judge the essay by its ideas and analysis, development and support, organization, and language use and conventions.

Each of the four required sections is scored from 1 to 36 based on the number of correct responses you give in that section. The test rewards correct answers but doesn't subtract for wrong answers; therefore, guessing isn't penalized. Once the scorers have your four subject scores, they calculate your composite score, which is the average of these sections rounded to the nearest whole number.

If you take the writing portion, you'll receive a 2-12 score for each of the four components. Your overall writing score is the average of those four scores. ACT, Inc. does not refer to this as a composite score, even though it's the average of four separate writing scores. Your writing score does not affect the composite score for the other four sections.

You'll also receive a STEM score, which is the average of only your math and science sections combined. If you take the writing test, you'll get an English language arts (ELA) score, which averages your English, reading, and writing sections.

Question 2

What Is an ACT Superscore?

Accepted Answer

A superscore is the composite of your best scores from each of the four main ACT sections, compared across multiple attempts. Here's an example:

Section	First Attempt Score	Second Attempt Score
English	29	29
Mathematics	20	19
Reading	27	28
Science	22	24

The superscore would take the average of 29, 20, 28, and 24, which are the highest scores in their respective categories. Because this average is 25.25, the superscore is rounded to 25, which is the nearest whole number.

Individual colleges can decide whether to accept a candidate's superscore, or instead accept the best composite score from among all their attempts.

Question 3

What Are the ACT's College Readiness Benchmarks?

Accepted Answer

You may find it helpful to understand ACT, Inc.'s college readiness benchmarks. ACT benchmarks are a group of six scores, one for each section of the main exam plus one each for STEM (the average of a student's mathematics and science scores) and ELA (the average of a student's English, reading, and writing scores).

ACT, Inc. claims that test-takers who meet a particular benchmark have a greater than 50% chance of earning a B or higher in an introductory college course in that subject. For example, the idea is that a student who earns a 24 on the science portion of the ACT has a reasonable chance of getting an A or B in their first-year biology class.

The benchmarks are as follows:

English: 18
Mathematics: 22
Reading: 22
Science: 23
STEM: 26
ELA: 20

It's worth noting that ACT, Inc.'s claims about benchmarks have been challenged. For example, researchers at the University of Chicago found that college admissions test scores didn't accurately predict students' performance in college; their high school GPA was a much more reliable predictor.

Question 4

What Is the Average ACT Score?

Accepted Answer

Now that we know how ACT, Inc. scores the exam, you may wonder how well most students do. Below, we break down average ACT scores along a few different lines.

Average ACT Score in the U.S.

The nationwide average composite score was 20.3 for 2021's graduating high school class. This is presumably a healthy percentage of 2022's incoming first-year college students.

The nationwide average composite score was 20.3 for 2021's graduating high school class.

ACT, Inc. doesn't provide the average writing score, but we can place the median or 50th percentile score for the 2019-2021 graduating classes at about 6 鈥� according to the company's national ranks, 53% of test-takers scored a 6 or lower on the writing portion.

Median ACT Scores by Section

ACT, Inc. worked out national rank scores that the 2019-2021 cohorts got on each section of the exam. The company's document describes the percentage of test-takers in those groups who scored at or below a certain threshold, which helps us determine rough median scores for the four mandatory ACT sections. We've included those median scores below, with some explanatory notes on each.

English: 19 (half of test-takers scored 19 or lower)
Mathematics: 17-18 (51% of test-takers scored 18 or lower)
Reading: 20 (half of test-takers scored 20 or lower)
Science: 19-20 (52% of test-takers scored 20 or lower)

ACT Scores Over The Past 10 Years

Composite ACT scores have crept steadily downward in the last five years, as seen in the table below. The highest national average ACT score of the last decade was 21.1, achieved in 2012.

2021 20.3
2020 20.6
2019 20.7
2018 20.8
2017 21.0
2016 20.8
2015 21.0
2014 21.0
2013 20.9
2012 21.1

Question 5

What Is a Good ACT Score?

Accepted Answer

A good ACT score is one that intrigues admissions officers at colleges where you apply. In other words, what's considered good depends on your goals.

Question 6

What ACT Score Should You Aim For?

Accepted Answer

One idea is to use College Navigator to find the 75th-percentile score at your target college, then make that number your goal. For example, a composite score in the 75th percentile nationally 鈥� currently a 24 鈥� puts you above most test-takers, but is unlikely to improve your chances of an offer letter from an Ivy League school where the 75th percentile is 35.

Use College Navigator to find the 75th-percentile score at your target college, then make that number your goal.

Keep in mind that admissions officers see the scores for individual ACT sections, not just the composite score, and that exam results are just one factor they consider. For example, if you have excellent STEM scores and below-average ELA results, you might still catch an admissions officer's attention. They might then read your essay about how much you want to be an engineer and be willing to forgive subpar English or writing scores.

Question 7

What Is a Bad ACT Score?

Accepted Answer

Just as a good score is one that helps you meet your goals, a bad ACT score is one that puts you out of consideration (or at least doesn't help your cause). You can use College Navigator to do the inverse of finding your target score: Find the 25th-percentile score at your top one or two schools, and decide to retake the ACT if your composite score is lower than this number.

You can also set a different threshold for retaking the test, which could be any number that you think will make you competitive when combined with your other qualifications. You might even commit to retaking it if you score below a certain percentile in a subject that you intend to study in college 鈥� alongside composite scores, College Navigator often lists a school's percentiles for individual ACT sections.

Question 8

Is the ACT Test Required for Colleges?

Accepted Answer

About one-third of colleges require ACT scores for admission. An increasing number of institutions that once considered the exam have dropped this requirement or are considering doing so.

Question 9

Do ACT Scores Still Matter for College?

Accepted Answer

If you mean, "Do ACT scores still matter for college admission," then the answer is "Maybe," because roughly one-third of schools consider the test results during admissions. But if you mean, "Will my ACT scores affect or predict how well I do in college?" then the answer is probably not. A wealth of factors affect your performance in college, and nothing can predict it absolutely 鈥� although your high school GPA might be a better predictor than your standardized test scores.

Question 10

What Is the Lowest ACT Score a College Will Accept?

Accepted Answer

That depends on the college. Even the most selective schools may select a candidate with scores below 30-32 if their other criteria are especially strong, such as GPA and a long record of extracurricular activities. At the other end are institutions with open admissions policies that don't consider test scores at all. Most institutions fall somewhere in between, but few schools state a bottom score in advance, below which they'll reject a candidate outright.

Question 11

What鈥檚 More Important, GPA or ACT Scores?

Accepted Answer

This isn't a settled question, but high school GPA more accurately represents college GPA. After all, they're measuring the same thing: academic performance in dozens of classes across a span of years. Ultimately, test scores represent knowledge you were able to procure in a single period of a few hours.

Western Governors University	Open admissions policy with	Open admissions policy with	Score of for candidates with 2.5-2.99 GPA; no requirement for applicants with 3.0 GPA or higher
Liberty University	Scores of 20.3 20.6 20.7 20.8 21.0 20.8 21.0 21.0 20.9 21.1 Average ACT Scores by State ACT participation varies widely among states 鈥� for example, ACT, Inc. estimates that only 2% of graduating high school students in Maine take the test, compared to 100% in Alabama. States that require the ACT	25th-75th percentile scores: 27-32
Duke University	25th-75th percentile scores: 33-35
Massachusetts Institute of Technology	25th-75th percentile scores: 32-35
Northwestern University	25th-75th percentile scores: 34-35
Pennsylvania State University	25th-75th percentile scores: 25-31
Texas A&M University	25th-75th percentile scores: 25-31
Tulane University	25th-75th percentile scores: 30-33
University of California - Los Angeles	The University of California system no longer considers ACT or SAT scores.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	25th-75th percentile scores: 22-27
University of Notre Dame	25th-75th percentile scores: 32-35
University of Southern California	25th-75th percentile scores: 32-35

Western Governors University	Open admissions policy with	Open admissions policy with	Score of for candidates with 2.5-2.99 GPA; no requirement for applicants with 3.0 GPA or higher
Liberty University	Scores of What Is a Good GPA? A good GPA can help you get into college, earn scholarships, and get a good job. Discover how GPA is calculated and what is considered a good GPA. By OnlineU Staff Writers \| 9/12/2023 Best schools for graduating with no debt (that you can actually get into) These 15 schools result in the lowest debt for students and have at least a 50% acceptance rate By OnlineU Staff Writers \| 11/15/2022 ADVERTISEMENT Start Your UU直播 Search: Review schools that align with your career aspirations. About Press Contact Privacy Terms Do Not Sell My Info How We Make Money About Press Contact Privacy Terms Do Not Sell My Info How We Make Money Copyright © UU直播 2000-2025 Optimal

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Average ACT Score

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Average ACT Scores by State

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What Is a Good GPA?

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Average ACT Score

How Is the ACT Scored?

Average ACT Scores by State

Online Schools

Average ACT Scores by State

Online Schools

What Is a Good GPA?

Best schools for graduating with no debt (that you can actually get into)

Start Your UU直播 Search:

Best schools for graduating with no debt
(that you can actually get into)