ACT Test Scores: National Ranks

Interpreting National Ranks and Averages

Your national ranks tell you how your scores compare to those earned by recent high school graduates who took the ACT. The numbers indicate the percentage of students who scored at or below a given score.

What's an ACT Score Percentile Ranking? 

An ACT score percentile ranking compares your score to those of other test-takers, helping to measure your performance. Colleges use this ranking to assess and compare applicants.

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

·  Based on ACT-tested high school graduates of 2022, 2023, and 2024

·  Used for ACT tests taken from September 2024 through August 2025

How to use the table: Using the leftmost column, find the row for one of your content area test scores or your Composite score. Next, find the national rank in the column corresponding to that test. For example, the national rank for a Composite score of 22 is 71. This means that 71 percent of recent high school graduates who took the ACT achieved a Composite score of 22 or lower. Similarly, the national rank for a STEM score of 26 is 88. Thus, 88 percent of recent high school graduates who took the ACT achieved a STEM score of 26 or lower.
 

ACT Score National Ranks 
ScoreEnglishMathReadingScienceCompositeSTEMScore
3610010010010010010036
3599999899999935
3497999799999934
3395989598989833
3294989397979732
3193979196969731
3092968994949530
2991948793939429
2889938592919228
2788918290889027
2686888088868826
2583847785838425
2480807581798024
2376777175757623
2272736669717222
2168706064666721
2062675558616220
1957634952555719
1852594546495018
1748524039434317
1644433632373416
1539313126302515
1432192619231614
13269201416913
1222415108412
11172963211
10111431110
95122119
83111118
72111117
61111116
51111115
41111114
31111113
21111112
11111111
Mean18.719.120.219.719.619.7 
SD7.05.67.15.85.95.4 

National Ranks for ELA and Writing Test Scores

·  Based on the subset of ACT-tested high school graduates of 2022, 2023, and 2024 who took the ACT Writing test

·  Used for ACT tests taken from September 2024 through August 2025

ACT Score National Ranks for ELA and Writing Test Scores 
ScoreELAWriting
36100100
359999
349999
339998
329998
319997
309796
299694
289593
279391
269188
258984
248680
238377
227973
217470
206967
196363
185859
175152
164543
153931
143219
13269
1220100
111499
101099
9697
8493
7273
6161
5133
4120
318
213
11 
Mean17.86.1
SD5.91.8

Note: These ranks are reported as “US Rank” on ACT score reports during the 2024-2025 reporting year (September 2024 through August 2025). The ranks are based on ACT-tested high school graduates of 2022, 2023, and 2024 who took the ACT Writing test (n=1,083,008).

How to use the table: Using the leftmost column, find the row for your ELA or writing score. Next, find the national rank in the column corresponding to that test. For example, the national rank for a writing score of 9 is 97. This means that 97 percent of recent high school graduates who took the ACT writing test achieved a writing score of 9 or lower.

What Is the ACT Subscore Percentile? 

An ACT subscore percentile reflects the percentage of test-takers who scored at or below your score in a particular section of the ACT. Percentiles are an essential measure for understanding your performance on the test.

Using the ACT Score Percentiles and Rankings in your College Search 

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.

View Your Scores

Create or sign in to your ACT web account for access to your scores anytime, anywhere. Scores are processed and added each week, so start checking two weeks after your test date.