Is a 29 a Good ACT Score? (2026)

A 29 ACT score sits in the 92nd percentile, putting you at or near the median at flagships like Ohio State, UGA, Penn State, and Minnesota, opening real merit-aid doors at automatic-award schools, and giving you a clear set of next steps if you want to stretch higher.

A 29 is a Strong ACT score: it lands in the 92nd percentile nationally, meaning you scored higher than about 92% of test-takers. It is good enough to be competitive at most large public flagships, useful for merit aid at automatic-award schools, and a real asset on a holistic application, though it sits at or below the 25th percentile at the most selective universities.

What Percentile Is a 29 ACT Score?

A composite of 29 places you in the 92nd percentile of ACT test-takers, so you outscored roughly 92% of everyone who took the test. For context, the national average composite is just 19.4, so a 29 sits nearly ten points above the typical score. On the SAT scale, a 29 concords to about 1340. Here is how a 29 fits among the surrounding scores.

Notice how tightly the top of the scale is packed: the jump from 29 to 32 is only five percentile points, while 29 still beats the national average by a wide margin. If you want the full breakdown, see our ACT percentiles guide and the ACT to SAT conversion chart.

Colleges Where a 29 ACT Is Competitive

A 29 is right in the sweet spot for a long list of well-known public flagships. At several of these schools it sits exactly at the median of admitted students, which means a 29 puts you squarely in the middle of the typical admitted class. The ranges below come from each school's official 2024-2025 Common Data Set. Because most of these schools are test-optional, the published ranges reflect only the students who chose to submit ACT scores.

University of Florida is the most demanding school in this group: a 29 sits exactly at its 25th percentile (the range is 29-33 with a median of 31), so it makes you competitive but on the lower end of the admitted profile, and the rest of your application needs to be strong. Only about 40% of enrolled UF students submitted an ACT score, so that range reflects submitters only.

At Ohio State, UGA, and Minnesota Twin Cities, a 29 lands right at the median of admitted students, which is about as comfortable as it gets. Ohio State and UGA both report 26-32 ranges with a median of 29, and Minnesota Twin Cities reports 26-31, also with a median of 29. Penn State University Park sits a touch higher — its 2024-2025 Common Data Set shows a 27-32 ACT range (median 30), so a 29 lands just below the median but is still solidly inside the band. Like the others here, Penn State is test-optional, with about 46% of enrolled students submitting an ACT score.

Reach Schools to Aim For

If your 29 is paired with a strong GPA and you want to stretch, it is worth adding a few more-selective schools to your list. A 29 will read as a reach at these, but holistic admissions and test-optional policies mean a strong overall application can still land you an offer.

• University of Florida sits on the reach/target borderline within this very cluster, since a 29 is its 25th percentile. With strong holistic factors it is attainable, but the score itself is at the bottom of the admitted band.
• University of Michigan is a clear reach: a 29 falls well below its middle-50% range for submitters, so plan to lean hard on essays, rigor, and extracurriculars (treat its published range as illustrative, since it was not independently re-verified here).

If you are targeting schools a tier above this band, even one or two extra points changes the math, which is exactly why a focused retake can pay off. Browse adjacent tiers like a 30 ACT, a 32 ACT, and a 34 ACT to see how the college lists shift upward.

Does a 29 ACT Qualify for Scholarships?

A 29 is a genuinely useful merit-aid score at many large public universities, but it is rarely a guarantee at the most selective schools. Numerous public flagships and regional publics publish automatic or competitive merit thresholds in roughly the 27-31 band, and a 29 (92nd percentile nationally) frequently clears the bar for mid-tier automatic awards or makes you competitive for named and honors scholarships, especially when paired with a strong GPA.

That said, the schools in this cluster (UF, Ohio State, UGA, Penn State, Minnesota) award most of their largest merit and full-ride scholarships competitively, not automatically, and a 29 alone will not lock those in. At the most selective universities, where this score sits at or below the 25th percentile, merit aid is minimal and need-based aid dominates.

Bottom line: a 29 opens real merit-aid doors at automatic-award and second-tier public schools, but at elite and flagship-honors levels it makes you a candidate, not a lock. Always check each school's specific published scholarship grid, since exact thresholds and dollar amounts vary by institution.

Should You Retake the ACT With a 29?

A 29 is already a strong score (92nd percentile) and is enough for the competitive-flagship tier in this cluster. Retaking is worth it mainly if you are targeting more selective schools where a 29 sits at or below the 25th percentile, or if you are chasing automatic merit thresholds that kick in at 30, 31, or higher, where those few points can mean thousands of dollars in aid.

Because 29 is right at the edge of several round-number scholarship cutoffs, even a one-to-two-point gain has outsized payoff. If your section scores are uneven (for example, a much lower Math or Science than your other sections), a focused retake on that weak section is the highest-leverage move. If you are happy with your target list and a 29 is already within range, retaking is optional. Before deciding, it helps to know what counts as a good ACT score for your specific goals.

How to Raise a 29 ACT Score

At the 29 level, you are not far from a 31 or 32. The remaining points are usually about precision and pacing, not learning brand-new material. Here is where to focus.

• Target your weakest section. A 29 composite usually hides one lower section, most often Math or Science. Because the composite is an average, drilling that single area is the fastest way to lift the composite by a point or two.
• Master pacing and the test's recurring question types. At this level, most remaining points are lost to time pressure and careless errors rather than unknown content, so timed full-length practice tests under real conditions pay off more than learning new material.
• Do rigorous error review. Log every missed question by type and reason (content gap vs. misread vs. timing), then retest only those patterns. Converting even three or four repeat-mistake questions per section can push a 29 to a 31.

For a structured plan, see how to prep for the ACT, and practice real ACT questions on Larry Learns to build the timed-test stamina that turns a 29 into a 31 or 32.

A 29 ACT Score: Where It Fits

A 29 is a Strong score that beats about 92% of test-takers and concords to roughly a 1340 SAT. It puts you at or near the median at a wide range of respected public flagships, including Ohio State, UGA, Penn State University Park, and Minnesota Twin Cities, and keeps you competitive at more selective publics like UF where it sits at the 25th percentile. It opens real merit-aid doors at automatic-award schools while making you a candidate (not a lock) at elite and honors levels. Whether to retake comes down to your target list: if you are reaching higher or chasing a scholarship cutoff at 30 or 31, a focused retake on your weakest section is the smartest play.

Frequently Asked Questions About a 29 ACT Score

Is a 29 ACT score good?

Yes. A 29 sits in the 92nd percentile, meaning you scored higher than about 92% of test-takers, and it is nearly ten points above the national average composite of 19.4. It is a Strong score that makes you competitive at most large public flagships.

What SAT score is equivalent to a 29 ACT?

A 29 ACT concords to about a 1340 on the SAT, according to the official ACT/SAT concordance tables. You can see the full mapping in our ACT to SAT conversion guide.

What colleges can I get into with a 29 ACT?

A 29 makes you competitive at schools like Ohio State, the University of Georgia, Penn State University Park, and the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, where it lands at or near the median. At the University of Florida it is at the 25th percentile, so it is on the lower end of the admitted band but still in range.

Should I retake the ACT if I got a 29?

Only if you have a specific reason to. A 29 is already strong, but a retake makes sense if you are targeting more selective schools where it sits at or below the 25th percentile, or if you are chasing a merit scholarship that requires a 30 or 31. A focused retake on your weakest section is the highest-leverage move.

How much better is a 30 than a 29?

A 30 moves you from the 92nd to the 94th percentile and concords to about a 1370 SAT. It is only two percentile points, but because many scholarship cutoffs sit at round numbers like 30 and 31, crossing that line can unlock awards a 29 misses. See our breakdown of a 30 ACT for the full comparison.