Is a 26 a good ACT score? Yes — it's the 86th percentile (about 1240 SAT). See competitive colleges, scholarship odds, and whether to retake in 2026.
Larry Learns
A 26 ACT score puts you in the 86th percentile and in range at a broad list of public flagships, from Alabama to Ohio State. Here's where a 26 is competitive, what scholarships it can unlock, and the smartest next steps if you're deciding whether to submit or retake.
A 26 is a Good ACT score: it sits at the 86th percentile nationally, comfortably above the national average composite of 19.4, and lands you in range at a wide swath of solid state flagships. It is a strong fit if your target list is built around large public universities, where a 26 is competitive for admission and often useful for merit aid, while sitting on the lower end at the most selective schools.
What Percentile Is a 26 ACT Score?
A composite of 26 ranks in the 86th percentile on the official ACT National Ranks table, meaning you scored higher than roughly 86% of recent ACT-tested graduates. These percentiles are drawn from ACT-tested graduates of 2023, 2024, and 2025 and apply to tests taken September 2025 through August 2026. Here is how a 26 fits against the rest of the scale, with the established 2018 ACT/College Board SAT concordance for reference.
ACT Composite
National Percentile
SAT Equivalent
36
100
1590
34
99
1500
32
97
1430
30
94
1370
28
91
1310
26
86
1240
24
80
1180
20
63
1040
In SAT terms, a 26 ACT concords to roughly a 1240. If you want to dig into how these rankings work or convert between the two tests, see our guides to ACT percentiles and ACT to SAT conversion.
Colleges Where a 26 ACT Is Competitive
A 26 keeps you inside the middle-50% ACT band at a long list of well-regarded public universities. The table below shows the verified middle-50% (25th-75th percentile) ACT Composite ranges from each school's official 2024-25 Common Data Set, plus exactly where a 26 lands. Keep in mind that several of these schools are test-optional, so these ranges reflect only enrolled students who actually submitted ACT scores.
College
Middle 50% ACT
Where a 26 Lands
University of Alabama
22-30
Right at the median (50th percentile is 26) — a solidly competitive applicant.
Just above the 25th percentile (median 28) — in range but lower half. About 81% submitted ACT.
The pattern is clear: at schools like Iowa and Kansas a 26 sits above the median, while at Ohio State and Tennessee it lands at the bottom of the band. For more on how to read these admissions ranges, see what counts as a good ACT score and our breakdown of the average ACT score.
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Reach Schools to Aim For
If a 26 is your starting point, it is worth stretching your list a notch higher — both for admission upside and for stronger merit-aid standing. A couple of schools on the verified list above already function as reach targets for this band.
Ohio State University (26-32 ACT, 2024-25 CDS): a 26 sits at the 25th percentile, so admission is realistic but the score is on the low end of submitters. Raising to 28+ would move you toward the middle of the band.
University of Tennessee, Knoxville (25-31 ACT, 2024-25 CDS): a 26 is in range but below the median of 28. A modest bump improves both admission odds and merit-aid standing.
If you want to aim higher still, the next ACT tier up opens more doors — see is a 28 a good ACT score to understand what a few more points buys you.
Does a 26 ACT Qualify for Scholarships?
A 26 is a genuinely useful merit-aid score at many large public universities, which is where this band pays off most. Several big publics publish automatic, stats-based merit grids, and historically a 26 combined with a solid GPA has qualified students for named, renewable scholarships at schools like Alabama (which has long run a published GPA-plus-test merit grid). A 26 frequently clears the threshold for partial automatic awards at flagships such as Kansas, Iowa, and Kentucky as well.
That said, always verify the exact current grid and GPA cutoffs on each school's financial-aid page before relying on a specific dollar figure. These tables are revised yearly, and several schools have shifted toward GPA-only or test-optional models. At the most selective private and flagship-honors level, and for full rides, a 26 alone rarely guarantees aid — those awards are competitive and weigh essays, rigor, and the full profile.
Bottom line: at the right state schools a 26 can mean real money, but it is a competitive-merit score, not an elite-merit one.
Should You Retake the ACT With a 26?
A retake is worth considering but not mandatory. A 26 is already above the national average of 19.4 and at the 86th percentile, so it opens the door at solid state flagships. However, the gap to the next tier is small: moving from 26 to 28-30 would shift you from the bottom of ranges at schools like Ohio State and Tennessee to the middle, and can meaningfully change automatic merit-aid brackets.
If you have time before deadlines and your practice tests show a clear weak section, one focused retake often yields a couple of points and is high value. If you are already near your target schools' medians and short on time, the 26 is a perfectly defensible score to submit. To plan a retake, see how to prep for the ACT.
How to Raise a 26 ACT Score
At this band, most students have one or two sections quietly dragging the composite down. Here is where to focus.
Diagnose by section, not by composite. The composite hides where the points are. Pull your section scores and pour your study time into your two lowest sections, since at a 26 most students have one section dragging the average down — commonly Reading speed or Math algebra/geometry gaps.
Master pacing with full timed sections. At this band, many missed questions are ones you could answer but ran out of time for. Practice each section under strict timing, learn to bank easy points first, and guess strategically on the hardest items rather than getting stuck.
Drill from real, recently released ACT tests and review every miss. Work official practice questions, then keep an error log categorizing each mistake (content gap, careless, timing). Targeting your recurring error types is the fastest route from the high 20s into the 28-30 range.
A 26 is a strong, above-average ACT score that beats roughly 86% of test-takers and keeps you competitive across a broad range of public flagships — comfortably above the median at schools like Iowa and Kansas, and in range at Ohio State and Tennessee. It is also a real merit-aid score at the right state schools. The main limitation is at the most selective level, where a 26 sits on the low end. If your list leans toward solid publics, a 26 is a score you can confidently submit; if you are aiming higher, a focused retake into the 28-30 range is the highest-value next move. Compare it directly with the tiers just below and above at is a 24 a good ACT score and is a 28 a good ACT score.
Frequently Asked Questions About a 26 ACT Score
Is a 26 ACT score good?
Yes. A 26 is rated Good — it sits at the 86th percentile, well above the national average composite of 19.4, and is competitive at a wide range of public flagship universities.
What percentile is a 26 ACT score?
A 26 is the 86th percentile on the official ACT National Ranks table, meaning you scored higher than about 86% of recent ACT-tested graduates.
What SAT score is equivalent to a 26 ACT?
Using the established 2018 ACT/College Board concordance, a 26 ACT concords to roughly a 1240 SAT. You can explore the full mapping in our ACT to SAT conversion guide.
What colleges can I get into with a 26 ACT?
A 26 is in range at many public flagships, including the University of Alabama (where it is right at the median), Iowa, Kansas, Cincinnati, Michigan State, Ohio State, and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. It sits above the median at some and at the lower end at others.
Should I retake the ACT if I scored a 26?
Only if you have time and a clear weak section. A 26 is already a defensible score, but moving to 28-30 can shift you from the bottom to the middle of competitive ranges and improve automatic merit-aid brackets.
