Is 26 ACT Score Good?

With a score of 26, you are in the 83th to 85th percentile of all test takers. More likely than not, with a score of 26, you'll often be in or near the commonly accepted range at selective colleges. The exception may be the most selective colleges and the Ivy League.


Colleges where your score is competitive

This is a not a full list of colleges, rather a select few where your score is competitive based on 2018 data. Score of admitted students at the 25th and 75th percentile.

College25th percentile75th percentile
Loyola University Maryland2529
Marist College2529
Penn State University—University Park2529
Florida State University2629
James Madison University2527
University of South Carolina2529
Gonzaga University2529

Here is the basic breakdown of ACT score:

act score admission range

Based on the breakdown above, if your goal is just to get into “a college,” an average score of 21 will be enough. You will get in somewhere. If you hope to get accepted into private and renowned public universities, you should aim for a 25 or higher. And if you are an overachiever, a good score for you is 30 or higher. It is easy to get wind up between good/bad scores. But, please keep in mind that the ACT is a component that colleges consider when admitting students; it is not the deciding factor. So, even though you should study hard, and take practice exams to get the highest score possible, it is also important to not stress about it too much and too often. Remember, you are more than just your ACT score.

The 80th percentile is solid

A score that means you scored better than 80% of test takers. While that's good, it's still not admission worthy for elite colleges like Harvard and MIT.

Minimum ACT score for scholarship

There may be many scholarships you qualify for with ACT scores in the low 20's. It depends on which colleges you are looking at. Many colleges assess you on your score range. For instance, scholarships by ACT score with common ranges are below. There are many more, but this shows that at each range, scholarships exist. Therefore, ACT scores from 26 to 30 may open up avenues that a range of 18-21 may not. Or, they may enable you to be eligible to receive more funds. Taking the ACT may help boost your chances of winning a scholarship from colleges and scholarship organizations. Unlike a loan, you do not have to pay back ACT scholarship funds. Though you do have to abide by their terms. You should also strive to maintain a specific GPA.

Have you taken the ACT?

We can identify the topics to improve your score. Use our artificial intelligence (AI) engine to see which topics offer improvement opportunity and effort - questions to practice and time required.

Learn more