Aripsy Research · 2026 edition
What is the average ACT score in 2026?
Data: ACT, US high school class of 2026 (each graduate's most recent ACT score).Next update: By Amin Mudassir, Founder of AripsyShort answerThe average ACT composite for the US high school class of 2026 was 19.2, across 1,463,293 graduates tested (ACT), down from 19.4 in 2025, when most composites still included science. Section averages were 18.2 in English, 19.0 in math and 19.8 in reading. The median composite was 18, and 3,992 graduates scored a perfect 36.
Key findings
What is the average ACT score?
19.2 for the class of 2026, out of 36. The middle half of graduates scored between 14 and 23, and the median was 18.
1,463,293 graduates had a composite score they could send to colleges, up from 1,380,130 in 2025. ACT estimates they were 38% of all US high school graduates.
Average ACT composite, graduating classes of 2024 to 2026, United States
| Class | Graduates tested | Average composite |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1,374,791 | 19.4 |
| 2025 | 1,380,130 | 19.4 |
| 2026 | 1,463,293 | 19.2 |
Why is the 2026 average ACT score lower than 2025?
It slipped 0.2 points, as did English (18.4 to 18.2) and reading (20.0 to 19.8), while math rose 0.1 (18.9 to 19.0). From September 2025 the composite is the average of English, math and reading. Most earlier tests also counted science, so the class of 2026 has scores from both versions.
ACT says small year-to-year changes in average scores are expected and do not by themselves show an improvement or decline. The class was also larger (1,463,293, against 1,380,130) and fewer retested (31%, against 34%), and ACT notes that a higher retest rate tends to raise average scores.
Some news reports give 18.8 as the national average. That figure comes from a Utah State Board of Education press release. ACT's own national report and state table give 19.2 for the 1,463,293 graduates tested.
What is the average ACT score by state?
State averages for the class of 2026 ranged from 17.3 in Nevada to 27.2 in Connecticut, but they mostly reflect how many graduates took the ACT. ACT advises comparing states with a similar share tested. In the 16 states that tested 90% or more, averages ran from 17.3 (Nevada) to 20.1 (Utah).
Where fewer graduates took it, averages tended to be higher, for example Kansas 19.0 (73% tested), Missouri 19.7 (70%), Minnesota 20.6 (68%), Ohio 19.2 (66%), Iowa 21.0 (39%), Florida 19.9 (36%), Georgia 20.9 (22%), Texas 19.1 (21%), Michigan 24.5 (4%) and California 26.1 (3%). ACT's state table, linked below, lists all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
The highest averages came from states where few graduates took the ACT, led by Connecticut (27.2), the District of Columbia (27.0) and Massachusetts (26.7).
Average ACT composite in states that tested 90% or more of graduates (ACT estimates), class of 2026
| State | Graduates tested (ACT estimate) | Average composite |
|---|---|---|
| Utah | 91% | 20.1 |
| Wisconsin | 96% | 19.4 |
| Montana | 95% | 19.4 |
| Illinois | 100% | 19.0 |
| Wyoming | 100% | 18.9 |
| Nebraska | 100% | 18.8 |
| Tennessee | 100% | 18.7 |
| Louisiana | 100% | 18.4 |
| North Carolina | 94% | 18.4 |
| Arkansas | 93% | 18.4 |
| Kentucky | 100% | 18.3 |
| Alabama | 100% | 17.9 |
| Mississippi | 100% | 17.8 |
| Arizona | 100% | 17.7 |
| Oklahoma | 100% | 17.4 |
| Nevada | 100% | 17.3 |
What is a good ACT score, and what percentile is mine?
A 24 is the 81st percentile, which means 81% of the class of 2026 scored 24 or lower. About 1 in 4 (23%) scored 24 or higher. A 30 is the 94th percentile. For a particular college, check the middle-50% ACT range it publishes.
The 448,462 graduates (31%) who tested more than once averaged a composite of 20.7 on their first test and 21.8 on their most recent. Their average superscore, built from their best section scores across attempts, was 23.1.
In the table below, the share at or below your score is your percentile in this class, so a 27 is the 89th percentile. The table shows selected scores, and ACT's report, linked under it, has every score.
ACT composite scores, class of 2026: graduates at each score and share scoring at or below it
| Composite | Graduates with this score | Percentile (share at or below) |
|---|---|---|
| 36 | 3,992 | 100% |
| 35 | 10,876 | 99% |
| 34 | 13,291 | 99% |
| 33 | 15,060 | 98% |
| 32 | 17,596 | 97% |
| 31 | 19,831 | 96% |
| 30 | 22,588 | 94% |
| 29 | 25,297 | 93% |
| 28 | 29,588 | 91% |
| 27 | 34,827 | 89% |
| 26 | 40,680 | 87% |
| 25 | 47,990 | 84% |
| 24 | 55,457 | 81% |
| 23 | 61,935 | 77% |
| 22 | 68,115 | 73% |
| 21 | 74,954 | 68% |
| 20 | 79,391 | 63% |
| 19 | 82,220 | 58% |
| 18 | 87,004 | 52% |
| 17 | 90,432 | 46% |
| 16 | 95,587 | 40% |
| 14 | 117,493 | 26% |
| 12 | 86,618 | 10% |
Selected scores. Each graduate's most recent test.Source: ACT, ACT Profile Report 2026: National (graduating class of 2026), Composite score distribution and Appendix
How many people get a 36 on the ACT?
3,992 graduates in the class of 2026 had a composite of 36 on their most recent test, 0.3% of the 1,463,293 tested, up from 2,958 in the class of 2025, when most composites included science.
Another 10,876 scored 35 and 13,291 scored 34. In all, 158,119 graduates (11%) scored between 28 and 36.
These counts use each graduate's most recent test, not their best.
What are the average ACT section scores?
For the class of 2026, English averaged 18.2, math 19.0, reading 19.8 and science 19.4, each out of 36, and writing averaged 6.2 out of 12.
Writing has long been optional and science recently became optional too, though some school-day testing requires them. 93% of graduates had a science score and 33% a writing score.
ACT section scores, class of 2026, United States
| Section | Graduates with a score | Average | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | 1,463,293 | 18.2 | 13 | 17 | 23 |
| Math | 1,463,293 | 19.0 | 15 | 17 | 23 |
| Reading | 1,463,293 | 19.8 | 14 | 19 | 24 |
| Science (optional) | 1,364,110 | 19.4 | 15 | 19 | 23 |
| Composite | 1,463,293 | 19.2 | 14 | 18 | 23 |
| Writing (optional, out of 12) | 487,702 | 6.2 | 5 | 6 | 8 |
How many students meet the ACT College Readiness Benchmarks?
In the class of 2026, 49% met the English benchmark (18), 30% math (22) and 39% reading (22). 23% met all three and 45% met none.
Each benchmark is the score that gives a 50% chance of a B or higher (about 75% for a C or higher) in a matching credit-bearing college course, such as college algebra for math. Among graduates with a science score, 29% met the science benchmark (23).
Share of graduates meeting ACT College Readiness Benchmarks, classes of 2024 to 2026
| Class | English | Math | Reading | All three | None |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 51% | 29% | 40% | 23% | 44% |
| 2025 | 50% | 29% | 39% | 23% | 45% |
| 2026 | 49% | 30% | 39% | 23% | 45% |
Common misreadings
"The ACT average fell sharply in 2026"
It slipped 0.2 points, to 19.2, and English and reading also fell 0.2. ACT says small year-to-year changes are expected and do not on their own show a real decline."Connecticut students are the best at the ACT"
Only 6% of Connecticut graduates took it. States that test nearly every graduate score lower, and ACT advises comparing states with similar participation."A 36 is the top 1%"
It is rarer than that, at 0.3% of the class of 2026. The top 1% starts at 35 (14,868 graduates scored 35 or 36), and a 34 or higher is about the top 2%. How we checked these figures
Methodology and sources
- All figures are from ACT's Profile Report 2026 (National) and its state averages table for the class of 2026, except the 2025 perfect-36 count (ACT's 2025 national report), and the 18.8 quoted from Utah's release. They cover 2026 US high school graduates with a composite score they could send to colleges, from the past three testing years, using each graduate's most recent test.
- Averages for the classes of 2024 and 2025 mostly use the earlier composite, which included science.
- ACT does not publish these reports under an open licence, so this page quotes selected figures with a link to each report and offers no CSV download. ACT's state shares of graduates tested are estimates based on WICHE projections of high school graduates.
- Aripsy calculated the 0.3% scoring 36 (3,992 ÷ 1,463,293), the 23% who scored 24 or higher (from ACT's cumulative percentage at 23), the top 1% (14,868 scored 35 or 36, from ACT's counts), the top 2% (28,159 scored 34 or higher) and the retest shares (31% and 34%, from ACT's repeat-tester counts). Every other value is as published.
Official statistics
- Source 1 · Annual profile report (test owner)
ACT
ACT Profile Report 2026: National (graduating class of 2026)- Published:
- 21 October 2026
- Data covers:
- High school graduating classes of 2024 to 2026, United States
- Last checked by Aripsy:
- 2 November 2026
- Reuse:
- Figures quoted with attribution. The publisher's tables and charts are not reproduced.
- Source 2 · Annual state table (test owner)
ACT
Average ACT test scores by state: graduating class of 2026- Published:
- 13 October 2026
- Data covers:
- Graduating class of 2026, 50 states and the District of Columbia
- Last checked by Aripsy:
- 2 November 2026
- Reuse:
- Figures quoted with attribution. The publisher's tables and charts are not reproduced.
- Source 3 · Annual profile report (test owner)
ACT
ACT Profile Report – National: Graduating Class 2025- Published:
- 14 October 2025
- Data covers:
- High school graduating class of 2025, United States
- Last checked by Aripsy:
- 2 November 2026
- Reuse:
- Figures quoted with attribution. The publisher's tables and charts are not reproduced.
- Source 4 · State news release
Utah State Board of Education
Utah's 2026 ACT Composite Score Rises to 20.1, Ranking First Among High-Participation States (news release)- Published:
- 14 October 2026
- Data covers:
- Graduating class of 2026 in Utah, with a national comparison
- Last checked by Aripsy:
- 2 November 2026
- Reuse:
- Figures quoted with attribution. The publisher's tables and charts are not reproduced.
How to cite this page
Please cite the original publisher for each figure, linked beside it. To cite this page's summary and tables:
Aripsy (2026). Average ACT Score 2026: State, Percentile and Perfect 36 Statistics. Retrieved from https://aripsy.com/en/research/average-act-scoreLink to a single figure with its anchor, for example https://aripsy.com/en/research/average-act-score#average-composite-2026. Spotted an error? Tell us and we will correct it and note the change below.
Change log
- First published with ACT's class of 2026 national and state reports.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average ACT score in 2026?
19.2 out of 36 for the US high school class of 2026, across 1,463,293 graduates tested (ACT).
What is a good ACT score?
There is no official cut-off, because it depends on your colleges. In the class of 2026, a 24 was the 81st percentile (81% scored 24 or lower) and a 30 was the 94th. Check the middle-50% range each college publishes.
How many people get a 36 on the ACT?
3,992 graduates in the class of 2026 had a perfect 36 composite on their most recent test, 0.3% of those tested, against 2,958 in the class of 2025, when most composites included science (ACT).
Which state has the highest average ACT score?
Connecticut, at 27.2 for the class of 2026, but only 6% of its graduates took the ACT. Among states that tested 90% or more, Utah was highest at 20.1 (91% tested).
When will the class of 2027 ACT results be published?
ACT released the class of 2026 data on 14 October 2026, so the class of 2027 report is expected in October 2027. We will update this page then.
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