Is 25 ACT Score Good?

With a score of 25, you are in the 79th percentile of all test takers. More likely than not, with a score of 25, you'll often be in or near the commonly accepted range at selective colleges. The exception may be the highly selective colleges.


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
Seton Hall University2327
Siena College2527
Christopher Newport University2327
College of Charleston2327
James Madison University2327

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.

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.

How is the ACT scored?

The ACT is scored on a 1 – 36 scale in each section in 1 point increments. The 4 multiple choice sections (English, Math, Reading, and Science) will all have scores provided separately. This relatively small scale means that small improvements in your score can make a big difference in your percentile ranking (sometimes, a 1 point increase in your score can boost your percentile ranking by 5 points).

Have you taken the ACT?

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