ACT score chart: Composite percentiles

A Composite-to-percentile chart for the ACT's 1–36 scale, so you can see exactly where any Composite ranks against other test-takers across the country.

This chart maps each ACT Composite (1–36) to its approximate percentile — the share of test-takers you'd score above. A 36 is the top of the scale, 34 is around the 99th, 30 about the 93rd, 24 about the 74th–75th, and the national average near 19–20 sits about the 50th. Percentiles are approximate and nationally representative; act.org's National Ranks table is authoritative.

Composite-to-percentile chart: Turn this planning or scoring concept into a clear physical or editorial visual metaphor rather than a generic dashboard
36The top of the scale — the highest Composite.
34Around the 99th percentile of test-takers.
30About the 93rd percentile — the top ~7%.
19–20Near the national average — about the 50th percentile.
The full chart

ACT Composite to percentile

Read down the scale to find a Composite, then across to see roughly what share of students you'd rank above. These figures are approximate and nationally representative — act.org's National Ranks table is the authoritative source and shifts slightly year to year.

ACT CompositeApprox. percentile
36Top of the scale
34~99th
32~96th
30~93rd
28~88th
26~82nd
24~74th–75th
22~63rd
20~50th
18~40th
16~30th
How to read it

Three things a percentile tells you

A percentile turns a Composite into a rank — a quick way to understand how a score actually compares.

What a percentile is

It's a rank, not a percent correct.

Your percentile is where you land against other test-takers — a 90th percentile means you scored higher than about 90% of them. It has nothing to do with how many questions you got right on any one section.

Section percentiles

English, Math and Reading rank separately too.

Beyond the Composite, each section has its own 1–36 percentile, so you can see whether your strength leans toward English, Math or Reading. Science, if you take it, ranks on its own as well.

Why it matters

Colleges read percentiles to compare you.

Admissions teams use percentiles to weigh applicants on a common scale — a higher percentile widens the range of schools where your Composite is competitive. There's no cutoff, so use it as a guide, not a verdict.

See where your Composite could land.

Answer a few real-format ACT questions and get a practice estimate — a range, not an official prediction — you can map onto this chart.

Try free questions
Reading the bands

From average to elite, at a glance

The chart climbs steeply near the middle and flattens at the top. Around the national average of 19–20 you're near the 50th percentile; by 24 you've passed roughly three-quarters of test-takers; 28 reaches the high 80s, and 30 lands in the top 7% or so. From 32 up, each extra point is worth fewer percentile places because so few people score there — which is why 34–36 sits at the very top. Every figure is approximate; act.org's National Ranks table is authoritative.

How to use this chart

  • Find your current or target Composite, then read across to its percentile.
  • Compare that percentile to your colleges' middle-50% ranges.
  • Remember the steep middle: a few points near 20–26 move your rank a lot.
  • Confirm the exact figures in act.org's National Ranks table.
FAQ

ACT percentile questions

What percentile is a 30 on the ACT?
About the 93rd percentile — higher than roughly 93% of test-takers, or about the top 7%. Percentiles are approximate; the authoritative figures are in act.org's National Ranks table. See what makes a score competitive →
What percentile is a 24 on the ACT?
About the 74th–75th percentile, meaning a 24 Composite scores higher than roughly three-quarters of test-takers. Figures are approximate — confirm on act.org.
What percentile is a 34 on the ACT?
Around the 99th percentile — a 34 sits among the very top scores on the 1–36 scale. A 36 is the maximum. Percentiles are approximate; act.org's National Ranks table is authoritative.
What is the average ACT percentile?
The national average Composite of about 19 corresponds to roughly the 50th percentile, with a 20 sitting near the same midpoint. About half of test-takers score above this and half below.
How are ACT percentiles calculated?
ACT percentiles come from the scores of recent test-takers, so they estimate how your Composite ranks against everyone who took the test. They are published in act.org's National Ranks table and shift slightly from year to year, which is why the figures here are approximate.

Know the ranking. Now work toward your number.

Start free, answer a few real-format ACT questions, and get a practice estimate toward your target Composite.

ACT score targets, by schoolACT scores283
Adelphi University Alabama A & M University American University Angelo State University Appalachian State University Arkansas State University Arkansas Tech University Auburn University Augusta University Austin Peay State University Ball State University Baylor University Belmont University Binghamton University Bowling Green State University Bridgewater State University Brigham Young University Brigham Young University-Idaho Brown Carnegie Mellon Case Western Reserve University Central Michigan University Chapman University Clemson University Coastal Carolina University College of Charleston Colorado Mesa University Colorado School of Mines Columbia Columbus State University Cornell Dartmouth DePaul University DeVry University-Illinois Drexel University Duke Duquesne University East Carolina University East Tennessee State University East Texas A&M University Eastern Kentucky University Eastern Michigan University Elon University Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Worldwide Fairfield University Farmingdale State College Fayetteville State University Ferris State University Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University Florida Atlantic University Florida Gulf Coast University Florida International University Florida State University Fordham University Fort Hays State University George Mason University George Washington University Georgetown Georgia College & State University Georgia Southern University Georgia State University Georgia State University-Perimeter College Georgia Tech Gonzaga University Grand Canyon University Grand Valley State University Harvard High Point University Hofstra University Howard University Illinois State University Indiana University-Bloomington Indiana University-Indianapolis Indiana University of Pennsylvania Iowa State University Jacksonville State University James Madison University Johns Hopkins Kansas State University Kennesaw State University Kent State University at Kent Lamar University Lehigh University Long Island University Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Louisiana State University at Alexandria Louisiana Tech University Loyola Marymount University Loyola University Chicago Marist University Marquette University Marshall University McNeese State University Metropolitan State University of Denver Miami University-Oxford Michigan Michigan State University Michigan Technological University Middle Georgia State University Middle Tennessee State University Mississippi State University Missouri State University-Springfield Missouri University of Science and Technology MIT Montana State University Morgan State University Murray State University New Jersey Institute of Technology New Mexico State University New York University Norfolk State University North Carolina A & T State University North Carolina State University at Raleigh Northeastern University Northern Kentucky University Northwestern Northwestern State University of Louisiana Notre Dame Nova Southeastern University NYU Ohio State University Ohio University Oklahoma State University Old Dominion University Oregon State University Pace University Pennsylvania State University Pennsylvania State University-World Campus Pennsylvania Western University Prairie View A & M University Princeton Purdue University Purdue University Fort Wayne Purdue University Northwest Quinnipiac University Radford University Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Rochester Institute of Technology Rowan University Rutgers University-New Brunswick Saginaw Valley State University Salisbury University Sam Houston State University Santa Clara University Savannah College of Art and Design Seton Hall University Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania South Dakota State University Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Southern Methodist University Southern University and A & M College Saint Cloud State University St. John's University-New York Saint Louis University Stanford State University of New York at New Paltz State University of New York at Oswego Stephen F Austin State University Stockton University Stony Brook University SUNY Brockport Syracuse University Tarleton State University Tennessee Technological University Texas A & M International University Texas A&M University-College Station Texas A & M University-Corpus Christi Texas A&M University-San Antonio Texas Christian University Texas Southern University Texas State University Texas Tech University The College of New Jersey The University of Alabama The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga The University of Tennessee-Knoxville The University of Texas at Arlington The University of Texas at Dallas The University of Texas at El Paso The University of Texas at San Antonio The University of Texas at Tyler The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Towson University Troy University Tulane University of Louisiana University at Buffalo University of Akron Main Campus University of Alabama at Birmingham University of Alabama in Huntsville University of Arizona University of Arkansas University of Central Arkansas University of Central Florida University of Cincinnati University of Colorado Boulder University of Colorado Colorado Springs University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus University of Connecticut University of Dayton University of Delaware University of Denver University of Georgia University of Hawaii at Manoa University of Houston University of Houston-Clear Lake University of Houston-Downtown University of Idaho University of Illinois Chicago University of Iowa University of Kansas University of Kentucky University of Louisiana at Lafayette University of Louisiana at Monroe University of Louisville University of Maryland-Baltimore County University of Maryland-College Park University of Massachusetts-Amherst University of Massachusetts-Boston University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth University of Massachusetts-Lowell University of Memphis University of Miami University of Michigan-Dearborn University of Minnesota-Duluth University of Minnesota-Twin Cities University of Mississippi University of Missouri-Columbia University of Missouri-Kansas City University of Missouri-St Louis University of Nebraska-Lincoln University of Nevada-Las Vegas University of Nevada-Reno University of New Hampshire University of New Mexico University of North Carolina at Charlotte University of North Carolina at Greensboro University of North Carolina at Pembroke University of North Carolina Wilmington University of North Florida University of North Georgia University of North Texas University of Northern Colorado University of Northern Iowa University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus University of Oregon University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus University of Rochester University of San Francisco University of South Alabama University of South Carolina-Columbia University of South Dakota University of South Florida University of Southern Indiana University of St Thomas University of Toledo University of Utah University of Vermont University of West Florida University of West Georgia University of Wisconsin-Madison UPenn USC Utah State University Valdosta State University Vanderbilt Villanova University Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Virginia State University Wake Forest University Wayne State University West Chester University of Pennsylvania West Texas A & M University West Virginia University Western Carolina University Western Kentucky University Western Washington University Wichita State University William & Mary Yale Youngstown State University