Blog/ACT Percentiles: Full Score-to-Percentile Charts (2026)
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ACT Percentiles: Full Score-to-Percentile Charts (2026)
Complete ACT percentile chart for every composite score from 1 to 36, plus section percentiles for English, Math, Reading, and Science.
Larry Learns Team
ACT percentiles in one sentence
Your ACT percentile tells you what percent of test-takers scored at or below your composite. A 30 composite puts you around the 93rd percentile (top 7% nationally). A 24 is around the 80th percentile. A 20 is roughly the 63rd. This article is the full chart: every composite score from 1 to 36 with its percentile, plus section-level percentiles for English, Math, Reading, and Science.
Every composite score from 1 to 36 with its national percentile rank. Percentiles shown are from ACT's 2025-2026 national norms, based on graduating classes of 2023, 2024, and 2025. Use these for scores taken from September 2025 through August 2026.
Composite
Percentile
What it means
36
100
Perfect score. Roughly top 0.1%.
35
99
Top 1%. Strong for any college.
34
99
Top 1%. Ivy League competitive.
33
98
Top 2%.
32
97
Top 3%.
31
96
Top 4%.
30
94
Top 6%. Competitive at selective schools.
29
92
Top 8%.
28
91
Top 9%.
27
88
Top 12%.
26
86
Top 14%.
25
83
Top 17%.
24
80
Top 20%. Above average.
23
76
Top 24%.
22
72
Top 28%.
21
68
Top 32%.
20
63
Just above average.
19
57
Near national average.
18
52
Around the median.
17
46
Just below average.
16
40
Below average.
15
34
Bottom third.
14
27
Bottom quarter.
13
20
Bottom fifth.
12
12
Bottom 12%.
11
9
Bottom 9%.
10 or below
1-2
Bottom 2%. Very uncommon.
Note that percentiles can shift slightly year over year as each graduating class performs differently. These are the most recent published ranks; expect ±1 percentile point of drift in future years.
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How to read an ACT percentile
A percentile is not a grade. It is a ranking. If you scored in the 80th percentile, it means you scored at or above 80% of test-takers who took the ACT in the reference sample. It does not mean you got 80% of questions right.
Composite percentile reflects your overall position among test-takers with a single 1-36 score.
Section percentile is how you rank in that specific section alone (English, Math, Reading, Science).
A high composite percentile with uneven section percentiles is normal. Students often have a strong section and a weaker section.
Percentiles are calculated from a national sample of ACT-tested graduates from the most recent three years. ACT updates the reference sample each September, so the same composite can shift by one percentile point between years.
Section-level ACT percentiles at key benchmarks
Percentile ranks differ by section, because the difficulty curves and score distributions for English, Math, Reading, and Science do not match perfectly. Here is the section breakdown at representative composite milestones.
Section score
English %ile
Math %ile
Reading %ile
Science %ile
36
100
100
100
100
35
99
99
98
99
34
97
99
97
99
33
96
98
95
98
30
93
96
89
95
28
90
93
85
92
25
84
85
78
86
22
73
74
66
70
20
63
68
55
59
18
53
60
46
47
15
40
32
32
26
10
17
3
2
1
Notice the gaps between sections at the same raw score. A 20 in Math ranks you in the 68th percentile, while a 20 in Reading ranks you in the 55th percentile. That happens because more students score higher on Reading, so it takes a higher score to stand out.
ACT percentile benchmarks for college admissions
Percentiles translate cleanly to admissions expectations. Here is the rough mapping colleges use, understood as a soft guideline:
Percentile
Composite
Typical admissions pool
99th
34-36
Ivy League, Stanford, MIT, Caltech, top 10 universities
95th-98th
31-33
Top 25 universities, competitive liberal arts colleges
85th-94th
27-30
Selective state flagships, top 50-100 universities
70th-84th
23-26
Most flagship state universities, merit scholarship range
Enhanced ACT: how percentiles are changing in 2026
The 2025-2026 ACT rolled out the Enhanced ACT format: 45 English, 45 Math, 36 Reading, 40 Science (now optional), and 4 answer choices on math instead of 5. Key percentile implications:
Composite calculation changed. The composite is now calculated from English, Math, and Reading only. Students who opt into Science get a Science score and a STEM score but Science no longer feeds the composite.
Percentile tables are transitioning. ACT has stated it is using its equating methodology to keep scores comparable across the old and new formats, but updated percentile norms reflecting the three-section composite will be published as enough Enhanced ACT data accumulates.
For the 2025-2026 reporting year, the published percentile tables are still based on the four-section composite from students graduating in 2023, 2024, and 2025 — most of whom took the pre-Enhanced ACT.
If you took the Enhanced ACT, your reported percentile is still meaningful, but expect minor revisions in future norm tables.
A 30 composite is roughly the 94th percentile, meaning you scored at or above 94% of ACT-tested graduates in the 2023-2025 national sample. It puts you in the top 6% nationally and is competitive at most selective universities.
What ACT score is the 90th percentile?
A 28 composite is roughly the 91st percentile, which is the closest to the 90th percentile on the ACT scale. Because ACT scores are whole numbers, exact 90th percentile scores do not exist; you jump from 88% (27) to 91% (28).
What is the average ACT score percentile?
The median ACT composite (50th percentile) is around 18, and the mean is around 19.2 based on the most recent 2025-2026 reporting year norms. A 20 composite, often cited as "average," is actually in the 63rd percentile — above the true statistical average.
Why do section percentiles differ from composite percentiles?
Each section has its own score distribution. Reading tends to have more test-takers bunched at higher scores, so a 20 in Reading is less competitive than a 20 in Math. The composite percentile reflects the overall ranking across all four sections, which is a different statistical calculation than the individual section ranks.
Has the Enhanced ACT changed percentiles?
The composite calculation changed (now based on English, Math, and Reading only), but the 2025-2026 published percentile tables still use four-section data from graduates of 2023, 2024, and 2025. ACT's equating methodology keeps scores comparable across formats. Updated norm tables reflecting Enhanced ACT performance will appear in future reporting years.
How does my ACT percentile compare to my SAT percentile?
Through College Board's official concordance table, a 30 ACT roughly equals a 1400 SAT, both of which sit around the 93rd percentile. The two percentile systems line up closely at the top and middle of the scale but can diverge slightly at the very high and very low ends because the score scales and reference populations differ. Use our score calculator to convert.
Are ACT percentiles the same every year?
They shift slightly each year as the national sample changes. A 30 composite has consistently been around the 93rd-94th percentile for the past decade, but individual percentile points can drift by 1-2 points year over year. ACT publishes updated norm tables each fall.
How can I improve my ACT percentile?
Focus on your weakest section first. Moving from a 20 to a 22 in your weakest section bumps your composite more than moving from a 28 to a 30 in your strongest. Use our ACT math topics guide and ACT math tips for Math, and pair with a free ACT practice test for diagnostics.
