Is 20 a good ACT score?
A 20 is a slightly above average ACT score. The national average Composite was 19.4 for the classes of 2024 and 2025, and a 20 sits at the 63rd percentile on ACT's current national ranks. It is widely accepted at regional and open admission colleges and can work at many mid-tier schools. For selective colleges or bigger scholarships, aim for 24 or higher.
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In more detail
The ACT Composite runs from 1 to 36 and is the average of English, Math and Reading, rounded to a whole number. Science is optional since 2025 and no longer counts toward the Composite. So a 20 tells colleges you are right around the middle of everyone who tests, a little ahead of it.
What about a 21? It sits at the 68th percentile, so it beats about two thirds of recent test takers. ACT describes 20 to 23 as competitive at many mid-tier colleges. Going from 20 to 21 usually takes only a handful of extra right answers, which is why a short, focused retake plan works well at this level.
Colleges look at more than the Composite. Many schools are test optional, and your grades, classes and essays carry real weight. Before you plan a retake, check whether each school on your list wants scores at all and whether it superscores.
ACT scores around 20
| Composite | National rank | Where it usually fits |
|---|---|---|
| 18 | 52nd percentile | Regional and open admission colleges |
| 20 | 63rd percentile | Regional colleges and some mid-tier schools |
| 21 | 68th percentile | Many mid-tier colleges |
| 22 | 72nd percentile | Many mid-tier colleges |
| 24 | 80th percentile | More selective colleges, more merit aid |
Step by step
- 1
Take one full, timed official ACT practice test and score it.
- 2
Find your lowest section of English, Math and Reading. Science does not count toward the Composite, so only study it if a college asks for it.
- 3
Learn the patterns that repeat: grammar rules in English, algebra and geometry basics in Math, and the question types in Reading.
- 4
Practice 30 to 45 minutes a day, five days a week, for six to eight weeks.
- 5
Keep a list of every miss with the reason: did not know it, misread it, or ran out of time.
- 6
Take a second full timed test after four weeks, and book your test date once you score where you want.
How StudyPDF helps
Upload your prep book chapters, class handouts or the explanations from a practice test, and StudyPDF builds quizzes and flashcards on the exact rules you miss, with each answer linked to its page. Set your test date in the Plan tab and it spreads review over the weeks you have, weak topics first. Free gives you about four materials a week. The questions are not official ACT questions.
Sources
See also
- AnswerIs 28 a good ACT score?
- AnswerWhat is a good GMAT score?
- AnswerWeighted vs unweighted GPA: how do they differ?
- AnswerWhat is the average SAT score?
- Practice testACT Practice Questions
- AnswerSAT vs ACT: which test should you take?
- AnswerHow many questions are on the ACT?
- AnswerWhat should you bring to the ACT?
- AnswerIs 25 a good ACT score?
- AnswerHow much does the ACT cost?
- StudyPDFAI Practice Exams
More questions
Is 21 a good ACT score?
Yes, a 21 is above average. It sits at the 68th percentile on ACT's current ranks, ahead of the 19.2 national average, and fits many mid-tier colleges. On the official 2018 concordance tables it matches about 1080 on the SAT.
Can I get into college with a 20 on the ACT?
Yes. A 20 is in the usual range at many regional public universities and open admission colleges, and many schools are test optional. Compare it to the middle 50 percent range of each school on your list.
What SAT score is a 20 ACT equal to?
About 1040 on the SAT, within a range of 1030 to 1050, on the official 2018 ACT and SAT concordance tables. It is an estimate, not a prediction.
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