Average ACT Score

Each year, over 1 million high school students take the ACT exam. Higher scores on the test can give students an edge over other applicants or a higher chance of admission to competitive programs. Competitive test scores also increase students' chances for scholarships.

Keep reading to learn more about average ACT scores, including average scores by year, state, race/ethnicity, and gender.

Average ACT Score in 2023

According to the 2023 ACT report, the average ACT score this year was 19.5.^{Note Reference [1]}

Scores largely depend on how you fared against other high school students in the country. For example, you would have needed a composite score of 33 or higher to have scored among the top 5% (the 95th percentile) of all test-takers.

Based on the composite scores, English and reading have higher average scores than math and science. For example, to score in the 95th percentile (or top 5%), you would need to score a 33 in English but only a 30 in math.

National Average ACT Score Over Time

In 2023, the national average composite score (19.5) was the lowest since 1990.^{Note Reference [1], Note Reference [3]}

• A smaller percentage of students took the ACT in 2022 than in 2023 by one percentage point (36% vs. 37%).^{Note Reference [1], [7]}
• The overall percentage of graduates who take the ACT appears to be dropping, with the figure down by 17 percentage points from 10 years ago (54% in 2013 vs. 37% in 2023).^{Note Reference [1], Note Reference [4]}
• The average ACT score has been decreasing as well. In 2012, the average composite score was 21.1.^{Note Reference [4]} In 2023, it was 19.5.^{Note Reference [1]}

The ACT and SAT have many of the same components. For example, they are both approximately three hours in length. Both tests also cover reading, English (or language on the SAT), and math.

The two tests also have some key differences.

• While they are roughly the same length, the ACT has many more questions than the SAT (215 questions vs. 154).
• For the ACT, the minimum score is 1 and the maximum, 36.
• For the SAT, scores range from 400-1600, with 400 being the lowest you can score and 1600 being the highest.
• The ACT also has an additional science section that the SAT doesn't have.

Average ACT Scores by Gender

Based on the 2023 ACT report, women students outperformed men. Women earned an average composite score of 19.7, which is 0.3 points higher than men's average composite score of 19.4.^{Note Reference [1]}

Five percent of test-takers selected "another gender" or "prefer not to respond." This group had an average composite score of 18.2.^{Note Reference [1]}

• In 2023, men scored 0.6 points higher in math and 0.2 points higher in science than women.^{Note Reference [1]}
• In 2023, women scored one point higher in English and 0.9 points higher in reading than men.^{Note Reference [1]}
• Students who selected another gender and those who did not select any gender scored the lowest in every section, two points behind women in English, 1.8 points behind men in math, and 1.4 points behind men in science.^{Note Reference [1]}

• Women have outscored men overall since 2017. However, men continue to perform better in math and science, and this has been the case every year since 1970.^{Note Reference [3]}
• Women students have outperformed men in the English section as far back as 1970 and in the reading section since 1994.^{Note Reference [3]}

Average ACT Scores by Race/Ethnicity

The average composite score for all students, irrespective of race, has been on a downward trend for the past five years. This has not been true for all racial and ethnic groups, however. See the table below to understand how scores have changed within groups when broken down by race and ethnicity.

• In 2023, Asian students achieved the highest average ACT composite score of 24.2.^{Note Reference [1]}
• This is 8.2 points higher than the average composite score of Black students, which was 16.0.^{Note Reference [1]}
• Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islanders experienced the largest percent decrease in score with an 8.9% drop in the past five years.

ACT Average Score by State

• The percentage of high school students who take the ACT differs by state. One hundred percent of students take the ACT in eight states: Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Wyoming.^{Note Reference [2]}
• The fewest students take the ACT in Maine (2%) and California (4%).^{Note Reference [2]}
• Students in Connecticut and Massachusetts have the highest average composite score of 26.4.^{Note Reference [2]}
• Students in Nevada have the lowest average score of 17.2. Those in Mississippi have the second-lowest score of 17.6.^{Note Reference [2]}

Average ACT Score for Ivy League Colleges

Ivy League students have some of the highest ACT score averages. To be in the middle 50% of admitted students, you need a near-perfect score. Even then, these colleges all have single-digit acceptance rates.

Note: Data based on most recent year available.

As of the 2022-2023 application cycle, standardized test scores are optional at all Ivy League colleges.

Average ACT Scores for Popular Colleges

Below are average ACT composite scores for some popular colleges. Schools with higher acceptance rates tend to have lower ACT score averages.

Note: Data based on most recent year available.

The University of California schools eliminated their standardized test requirements in 2020 and no longer consider SAT and ACT test scores in making admissions decisions or awarding scholarships.^[12]

Both Brigham Young and Ohio State accept over half of their applicants, and both schools have average ACT composite scores ranging from the high 20s to the low 30s.

This is in contrast to colleges with acceptance rates lower than 5%, such as Stanford and MIT, both of which require near-perfect scores to be in the middle 50% of the class.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Average ACT Score