ACT Score Calculator

The composite is the average of your four scaled section scores: English, Math, Reading, and Science. Add the four numbers, divide by 4, then round to the nearest whole number. A .5 average rounds up. The composite is reported on the same 1 to 36 scale as each section.

The national average composite hovers around 19 to 20, which is roughly the 50th percentile. A 24 places you above three-quarters of test takers and is competitive at most state universities. A 30 puts you near the top 7 percent of test takers and is the typical cutoff for selective private colleges. A 33 or higher is in range for Ivy League and other highly selective schools.

The ACT publishes section scores that signal a 50 percent chance of earning a B or higher in the matching first-year college course: English 18, Math 22, Reading 22, and Science 23. The calculator flags each section as Met or Below, and tells you how many of the four benchmarks you hit.

No. The writing score is reported separately on a 2 to 12 scale and does not roll into the 1 to 36 composite. Most colleges treat it as supplemental. The calculator returns a writing percentile estimate when you supply a score so you can see how it compares nationally.

They are close estimates based on the most recent published ACT National Norms. The official table is reissued each year and shifts slightly with each cohort, so use these numbers as a guide. For official reporting, check the percentile table that ACT publishes with your score report.