Is a 20 a Good ACT Score? (2026)

A 20 ACT lands in the 63rd percentile, just above the 19.4 national average. Here's where it's competitive for college admissions, what it means for scholarships, and the concrete next steps to push it into the mid-20s.

A 20 is a slightly above-average ACT score: it lands in the 63rd percentile, just above the national average composite of 19.4, which makes it a solid starting point that's competitive at broadly accessible four-year colleges but a notch under the typical admitted submitter at most flagships. It's good for students aiming at open-access and accessible public universities, and it's a score with plenty of attainable room to grow.

What Percentile Is a 20 ACT Score?

A 20 ACT composite sits at the 63rd percentile according to ACT's official National Ranks, meaning a 20 beats roughly 63% of test-takers nationally. These are ACT's 2025-2026 national norms, based on the graduating classes of 2023, 2024, and 2025. Here's how a 20 compares to higher scores, with the SAT equivalent from the 2018 ACT/College Board concordance:

For more detail on how every score maps to a percentile, see our full ACT percentiles breakdown, and use our ACT to SAT conversion guide to translate a 20 into SAT terms (about 1040).

Colleges Where a 20 ACT Is Competitive

A 20 sits at or below the 25th percentile at most four-year flagships, so it's best matched at broadly accessible public universities. Below are six schools with their middle-50% ACT ranges pulled from each institution's official 2024-25 Common Data Set, and exactly where a 20 lands at each:

The honest read: a 20 is comfortably in range only at the more accessible options. University of Memphis (18-24) is the clearest fit, with a 20 sitting between its 25th percentile (18) and median (21). Kansas State (20-27) and University of Kansas (20-28) both place a 20 exactly at their 25th-percentile mark, putting it squarely within the admitted band. Note that KU, Alabama, and Cincinnati are test-optional, so their published ranges reflect only students who chose to submit scores; at Cincinnati especially, a 20 applicant is generally better off applying test-optional and leaning on GPA.

Reach Schools to Aim For

If you want to stretch a notch above this band, these flagships sit just out of comfortable reach for a 20 but are still worth targeting with a strong GPA:

• University of Iowa (21-28): A 20 is one point below the 25th percentile, making it a mild reach. A strong GPA, and considering test-optional, makes this realistic.
• University of Alabama (22-30): A 20 is below the 25th percentile. Alabama is broadly accessible and test-optional, but the score sits under the typical admitted submitter.
• University of Cincinnati (24-29): A 20 is well below the 25th percentile. Because Cincinnati is test-optional, a 20 applicant is generally better off not submitting and leaning on GPA instead.

The common thread: at these schools a 20 works best when paired with a strong transcript, or when you retake into the mid-20s first. See our good ACT score guide and is a good ACT score overview for how target ranges shift by selectivity tier, and is 24 a good ACT score for what reaching the next band unlocks.

Does a 20 ACT Qualify for Scholarships?

For a 20, keep expectations realistic on test-based merit. A 20 mostly falls below the published automatic-merit thresholds at the big public universities that post score grids. The University of Alabama's automatic out-of-state scholarship matrix, for example, keys off scores higher up the ACT scale (roughly the 27+ range with a strong GPA), so a 20 alone would not trigger automatic out-of-state merit there. Most automatic-award programs at scholarship-grid schools begin around the mid-to-high 20s in ACT terms.

The honest picture at a 20: lead with your GPA, in-state tuition, and need-based aid, and treat any test-based merit as a bonus you'd more likely unlock by retaking into the mid-20s. Scholarship grids change yearly, so verify each school's current thresholds directly on its financial-aid page before counting on a specific award.

Should You Retake the ACT With a 20?

Strongly worth retaking. A 20 is just above the national average composite (19.4 for the 2024 graduating class), and there's wide, attainable headroom above it. Moving from a 20 (63rd percentile, SAT ~1040) to a 24 (80th percentile, SAT ~1180) is a common, achievable gain over one focused prep cycle. That jump shifts you from below the 25th percentile at most four-year flagships to within range at many of them, while also opening up more merit-aid grids.

Because superscoring and multiple attempts are widely accepted, most students at this band have little to lose and a lot to gain from one or two more sittings. If you're weighing which exam to commit to, our how to choose between SAT and ACT and is the SAT or ACT easier guides can help you decide before you book a retake.

How to Raise a 20 ACT Score

A 20-to-24 jump is mostly about eliminating repeated, predictable mistakes, not learning brand-new content. Here's where to focus:

1. Target math and English first. At the 20 band the fastest composite gains usually come from drilling the most-tested algebra, fractions and percentages, and grammar and punctuation rules. These are formulaic and heavily repeated across forms, so a little focused practice pays off quickly.
2. Train pacing with full, timed sections. Many students at this level lose points to running out of time rather than to not knowing the material. Practice finishing each section on the clock, and bubble a strategic guess for every remaining question, since there's no wrong-answer penalty.
3. Do full-length official practice tests, then review every miss. Find your 3-4 recurring error types and fix those specifically. The 20-to-24 leap comes from killing those predictable mistakes, not from cramming new topics.

For a structured plan, see how to prep for the ACT, and when you're ready to drill, practice real ACT questions on Larry Learns.

A 20 ACT Score: Where It Fits

A 20 is a slightly above-average ACT score that beats about 63% of test-takers and lands just above the 19.4 national average. It's a realistic, competitive score at broadly accessible public universities like Memphis, Kansas State, and Kansas, and a mild-to-moderate reach at flagships like Iowa, Alabama, and Cincinnati. Large automatic merit aid generally starts higher up the scale, so at this level you'll lean on GPA and need-based aid. The best news is the headroom: with one focused prep cycle, a move into the mid-20s is well within reach and meaningfully widens your options. To see where you stand against the field overall, check the average ACT score.

Frequently Asked Questions About a 20 ACT Score

Is a 20 ACT score good?

A 20 is a slightly above-average ACT score. It sits at the 63rd percentile, so it beats about 63% of test-takers, and it sits just above the national average composite of 19.4. It's competitive at broadly accessible four-year colleges and a notch below the typical admitted submitter at most flagships.

What percentile is a 20 ACT score?

A 20 ACT composite is in the 63rd percentile based on ACT's official 2025-2026 National Ranks. That means a 20 scores higher than roughly 63% of students who took the ACT nationally.

What SAT score is equivalent to a 20 ACT?

Using the 2018 ACT/College Board concordance, a 20 ACT composite is equivalent to about a 1040 on the SAT. You can map other scores with our ACT to SAT conversion guide.

Is a 20 above or below the national average ACT?

A 20 is just above the national average. The most recent reported national average composite is 19.4 for the ACT graduating class of 2024, so a 20 is slightly above that figure but still within the below-average-to-average band relative to the broader test-taking pool.

What colleges can I get into with a 20 ACT?

A 20 is competitive at broadly accessible public universities. It's within range at the University of Memphis (18-24) and sits at the 25th percentile at Kansas State (20-27) and the University of Kansas (20-28). It's a mild reach at the University of Iowa (21-28) and below the 25th percentile at the University of Alabama (22-30) and University of Cincinnati (24-29), all of which are test-optional.