{"title":"Average ACT Score 2026: State, Percentile and Perfect 36 Statistics","question":"What is the average ACT score in 2026?","url":"https://aripsy.com/en/research/average-act-score","answer":"The 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.","edition":"2026 edition","dataCoverage":"Data: ACT, US high school class of 2026 (each graduate's most recent ACT score).","published":"2026-11-03","updated":"2026-11-03","nextUpdate":{"date":"2027-10-13","expected":true,"release":"ACT Profile Report: graduating class of 2027 (expected October 2027)"},"citeAs":"Aripsy (2026). Average ACT Score 2026: State, Percentile and Perfect 36 Statistics. https://aripsy.com/en/research/average-act-score","note":"Cite the original publisher for each figure. Aripsy re-checks every figure against its source on the verified date shown.","keyFindings":[{"value":"19.2","claim":"average ACT composite, class of 2026 (1,463,293 graduates tested), against 19.4 in 2024 and 2025, when most composites included science.","url":"https://aripsy.com/en/research/average-act-score#average-composite-2026","source":{"publisher":"ACT","title":"ACT Profile Report 2026: National (graduating class of 2026)","url":"https://www.act.org/content/dam/act/unsecured/documents/2026-grad-class-national-profile-report.pdf","published":"2026-10-21","locator":"Historical view: average scores","tier":"official","licence":"Figures quoted with attribution. The publisher's tables and charts are not reproduced."}},{"value":"3,992","claim":"graduates in the class of 2026 scored a perfect 36 composite on their most recent test, 0.3% of those tested.","url":"https://aripsy.com/en/research/average-act-score#perfect-36-2026","source":{"publisher":"ACT","title":"ACT Profile Report 2026: National (graduating class of 2026)","url":"https://www.act.org/content/dam/act/unsecured/documents/2026-grad-class-national-profile-report.pdf","published":"2026-10-21","locator":"Appendix: score distribution counts","tier":"official","licence":"Figures quoted with attribution. The publisher's tables and charts are not reproduced."}},{"value":"23%","claim":"reached ACT's college-ready score in all three of English (18), math (22) and reading (22), and 45% reached none.","url":"https://aripsy.com/en/research/average-act-score#all-benchmarks-2026","source":{"publisher":"ACT","title":"ACT Profile Report 2026: National (graduating class of 2026)","url":"https://www.act.org/content/dam/act/unsecured/documents/2026-grad-class-national-profile-report.pdf","published":"2026-10-21","locator":"Historical view: percent meeting benchmarks","tier":"official","licence":"Figures quoted with attribution. The publisher's tables and charts are not reproduced."}},{"value":"17.3 to 27.2","claim":"the range of state average composites, from Nevada (an estimated 100% of graduates tested) to Connecticut (6%).","url":"https://aripsy.com/en/research/average-act-score#state-range-2026","source":{"publisher":"ACT","title":"Average ACT test scores by state: graduating class of 2026","url":"https://www.act.org/content/dam/act/unsecured/documents/2026-act-average-scores-by-state.pdf","published":"2026-10-13","locator":null,"tier":"official","licence":"Figures quoted with attribution. The publisher's tables and charts are not reproduced."}}],"tables":[],"sources":[{"publisher":"ACT","title":"ACT Profile Report 2026: National (graduating class of 2026)","url":"https://www.act.org/content/dam/act/unsecured/documents/2026-grad-class-national-profile-report.pdf","published":"2026-10-21","locator":null,"tier":"official","licence":"Figures quoted with attribution. The publisher's tables and charts are not reproduced.","status":"Annual profile report (test owner)","dataPeriod":"High school graduating classes of 2024 to 2026, United States","verified":"2026-11-02"},{"publisher":"ACT","title":"Average ACT test scores by state: graduating class of 2026","url":"https://www.act.org/content/dam/act/unsecured/documents/2026-act-average-scores-by-state.pdf","published":"2026-10-13","locator":null,"tier":"official","licence":"Figures quoted with attribution. The publisher's tables and charts are not reproduced.","status":"Annual state table (test owner)","dataPeriod":"Graduating class of 2026, 50 states and the District of Columbia","verified":"2026-11-02"},{"publisher":"ACT","title":"ACT Profile Report – National: Graduating Class 2025","url":"https://www.act.org/content/dam/act/unsecured/documents/2025-act-profile-report-us.pdf","published":"2025-10-14","locator":null,"tier":"official","licence":"Figures quoted with attribution. The publisher's tables and charts are not reproduced.","status":"Annual profile report (test owner)","dataPeriod":"High school graduating class of 2025, United States","verified":"2026-11-02"},{"publisher":"Utah State Board of Education","title":"Utah's 2026 ACT Composite Score Rises to 20.1, Ranking First Among High-Participation States (news release)","url":"https://www.schools.utah.gov/publicrelations/_publicrelations_/_2026/USBENewsRelease2026ACTScores.pdf","published":"2026-10-14","locator":null,"tier":"official","licence":"Figures quoted with attribution. The publisher's tables and charts are not reproduced.","status":"State news release","dataPeriod":"Graduating class of 2026 in Utah, with a national comparison","verified":"2026-11-02"}],"csv":null}