ACT Superscore: How It Works and Which Colleges Use It

An ACT superscore is the average of your best English, Math, and Reading scores from every ACT you have taken, rounded to the nearest whole number. Yes, the ACT superscores: ACT calculates one automatically once you have tested more than once since September 2016, and it appears in your MyACT account. What ACT does not decide is whether a college uses it. Each college sets its own policy, and a few well-known ones say they use your highest ACT Composite instead.

This guide covers how the calculation works on the enhanced ACT, what happens to Science and to scores from the older test, which colleges superscore the ACT (each checked on the college's own page), and how to send a superscore. If you are looking for the SAT version, see SAT superscoring explained.

How the ACT Superscore Is Calculated

ACT explains the method on its Superscore FAQ page. In short:

1. Collect every test date. Legacy and enhanced ACT administrations both count.
2. Find your highest English, highest Math, and highest Reading score, no matter which test date each came from.
3. Add those three and divide by 3.
4. Round to the nearest whole number. ACT rounds fractions of one-half or more up and anything less down.

If two test dates tie for your best score in a section, ACT uses the most recent one. You do not have to request anything: once scoring finishes on your second test, the superscore shows up on your MyACT dashboard next to your individual test dates.

The Composite on a single enhanced ACT works the same way, as the average of English, Math, and Reading. The superscore simply lets each of those three come from a different day.

A Worked ACT Superscore Example

Here is a student who took one legacy ACT and two enhanced ACTs:

The math: 30 + 29 + 32 = 91, and 91 ÷ 3 = 30.33, which rounds to 30. The student's best single test day was a 29, so the superscore is one point higher. Test 1's Science score of 30 still appears on the report, but it does not enter the superscore Composite. Test 1's own Composite of 28 was the old four-section average (26 + 29 + 27 + 30 = 112, divided by 4), and that is irrelevant here, because the superscore only borrows its Math score.

A one-point Composite gain sounds small, but on a 1 to 36 scale it can move you across a college's middle-50% line. Our guide to what counts as a good ACT score shows where each Composite lands.

What Changed With the Enhanced ACT

ACT introduced the enhanced test in April 2025, and the new Composite rule applies to everyone who tests in or after September 2025. According to ACT's guidance for colleges, the superscore is now "the average of a student's highest score on the English, math, and reading sections across all the ACT tests the student has taken."

• Science left the superscore. Before 2025 the superscore could include all four sections. Now it is based on English, Math, and Reading only.
• Science still counts for something. If you take it, you get a 1 to 36 Science score and a STEM score, which averages your Math and Science from the same test day.
• Old and new tests mix. ACT says your highest section scores can come from any test event, whether it was a legacy or an enhanced administration. A legacy English score and an enhanced Reading score can sit in the same superscore. Use the superscore ACT calculates rather than working one out by hand: Yale, for example, says a super-scored ACT composite "must match what the testing agency provides."
• Writing stays separate. The optional writing score is never part of the Composite or the superscore Composite.

Colleges have started adopting the same three-section rule. Dartmouth, for example, says its composite superscores use only the highest English, math, and reading scores, and that Science and Writing do not factor into its superscore.

Which Colleges Superscore the ACT?

ACT itself says that not every college superscores the ACT, but the number that do is growing. Here are the policies we confirmed on each college's own admissions page:

Harvard and Princeton are the useful reminder: never assume a college superscores the ACT just because it is selective or superscoring is common. Policies change between cycles, so open the college's testing page the week you apply. If you are weighing which test to take in the first place, see whether colleges prefer the ACT or SAT (they do not).

How to Send Your ACT Superscore and What It Costs

You request a superscore report from the scores dashboard in MyACT and pay by credit card. ACT's sending-your-scores page lets you choose between your superscore and the scores from a single test date for each college.

When a college receives your superscore, ACT says it gets:

• The superscore Composite, built from your best English, Math, and Reading
• Your highest section scores, including Science and Writing if you took them
• STEM and ELA superscores, where you completed the needed sections
• The full set of scores from each test date that supplied one of your best section scores
• The full set of scores from the test date with your highest single Composite

That last point means a college that does not superscore can still find your best single Composite in the same report.

On cost, ACT's current fee table lists Additional Score Reports at $20.00, and the sending page prices reports at $20.00 "per test date, per report." ACT does not list a separate superscore price, so check the total at checkout if your superscore draws on several test dates. Your registration fee also includes reports to up to four colleges, as long as you enter their codes when you register. For the full walkthrough, see how to send ACT scores to colleges.

Timing matters for early deadlines. From ACT's calendar, the October 17, 2026 test has scores scheduled for October 27, and the December 12 test for December 22. Score reports usually go out the same day once results are final. More dates are in our ACT test dates guide.

Should You Retake the ACT for a Better Superscore?

Superscoring changes what a retake is for. You no longer need a better day across the board, only a better score in the section that is dragging your Composite down.

• Target your lowest of English, Math, and Reading. In the example above, raising Math from 29 to 32 on a fourth test would push the superscore to 31, even if English and Reading dipped that day.
• Do not count on Science. Raising Science improves your Science and STEM scores, but it will not move the Composite or the superscore Composite.
• Know when to stop. Duke's admissions FAQ notes that most students do not see significant score improvements beyond their second or third attempt at a given test.
• Use a fee waiver if you qualify. ACT says fee-waiver-eligible students get registration covered for two ACT tests, which is enough to earn a superscore.

Frequently Asked Questions About the ACT Superscore

Does the ACT superscore automatically?

Yes. If you have taken the ACT more than once since September 2016, ACT calculates your superscore automatically and shows it in MyACT. Whether a college uses it is the college's decision.

Does ACT Science count in the superscore?

No. Since the 2025 change, the superscore Composite averages only your best English, Math, and Reading. Your best Science score is still reported to colleges if you took it, along with a STEM score.

Can you superscore old ACT and enhanced ACT scores together?

Yes. ACT says legacy and enhanced administrations both count, and your best section scores can come from any test event. Only English, Math, and Reading go into the superscore Composite.

Do all colleges accept the ACT superscore?

No. MIT, Stanford, Yale, Dartmouth, Brown, NYU, Ohio State, and Georgia Tech use your best section scores, but Harvard evaluates your highest ACT composite and Princeton accepts only the highest composite. Check each college's testing page.

How much does it cost to send an ACT superscore?

ACT lists additional score reports at $20.00 per test date, per report, and does not publish a separate superscore price. Your MyACT checkout shows the exact total before you pay.

Is the ACT superscore the same as the SAT superscore?

The idea is the same, best sections across test dates, but the ACT averages three section scores into a 1 to 36 Composite while the SAT adds two section scores into a 400 to 1600 total. Many colleges superscore both, though Princeton accepts only your highest ACT composite and Harvard says it evaluates your highest ACT composite.

The fastest way to raise a superscore is to lift your weakest section. Try a free ACT practice quiz, or create a free Larry Learns account to practice English, Math, and Reading on web, iPhone, or Android (3 free quizzes a day, or Ace at $19/month with no daily caps).