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Every score from 26 to 32 at a glance
| ACT | National rank | Share at exactly this score | SAT (range) | English correct | Math correct | Reading correct |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | 86th | 3% | 1240 (1230 to 1250) | 32/40 | 27/41 | 21/27 |
| 27 | 89th | 3% | 1280 (1260 to 1290) | 33/40 | 28/41 | skips (22/27 = 28) |
| 28 | 91st | 2% | 1310 (1300 to 1320) | 34/40 | 30/41 | 22/27 |
| 29 | 93rd | 2% | 1340 (1330 to 1350) | 35/40 | 31/41 | skips (23/27 = 30) |
| 30 | 94th | 1% | 1370 (1360 to 1380) | skips (36/40 = 31) | 33/41 | 23/27 |
| 31 | 96th | 2% | 1400 (1390 to 1410) | 36/40 | 34/41 | skips (24/27 = 32) |
| 32 | 97th | 1% | 1430 (1420 to 1440) | skips (37/40 = 33) | 35/41 | 24/27 |
Ranks from ACT national ranks (tests from September 2026 through August 2027). Raw scores from ACT's official practice test key; "skips" means no raw score converts to exactly that score. SAT figures from the 2018 concordance.
This SAT figure comes from the ACT/SAT concordance tables that ACT and the College Board released in 2018. ACT says the tables aren't updated every year, and they were published before the Enhanced ACT changed how the Composite is calculated. Use it as a close guide, not an exact match.
Score by score
Is a 26 a good ACT score?
A 26 puts you at the 86th national rank, with about 14% of test-takers scoring higher and about 3% landing right on 26. That's about 1240 on the SAT (range 1230 to 1250). In our table of 61 colleges, a 26 sits inside the middle 50% at 22, such as University of South Carolina-Columbia and Auburn University. A 27 is worth 3 percentile points more: it sits at the 89th rank.
Is a 27 a good ACT score?
A 27 is at the 89th national rank. About 3% of test-takers land on exactly a 27, and about 11% score higher. On the SAT it lines up with 1280 (range 1260 to 1290). On the official practice test, Reading skips 27: the next reachable score is 28 in Reading. It falls inside the middle 50% at 23 of the 61 colleges in our table, including Purdue University-Main Campus and Indiana University-Bloomington. One more point, to 28, moves you 2 percentile points to the 91st rank.
Is a 28 a good ACT score?
About 91% of recent test-takers scored 28 or lower, which puts a 28 at the 91st national rank. Roughly 2% land on exactly this score. The SAT equivalent is 1310, and any SAT total from 1300 to 1320 converts back to a 28. Of the 61 colleges in our table, 24 have a middle 50% range that includes 28, Purdue University-Main Campus among them. Getting to 29 would lift you 2 percentile points, to the 93rd rank.
Is a 29 a good ACT score?
A 29 puts you at the 93rd national rank, with about 7% of test-takers scoring higher and about 2% landing right on 29. That's about 1340 on the SAT (range 1330 to 1350). On the official practice test, Reading skips 29: the next reachable score is 30 in Reading. In our table of 61 colleges, a 29 sits inside the middle 50% at 21, such as Purdue University-Main Campus and University of Georgia. A 30 is worth 1 percentile point more: it sits at the 94th rank.
Is a 30 a good ACT score?
A 30 is at the 94th national rank. About 1% of test-takers land on exactly a 30, and about 6% score higher. On the SAT it lines up with 1370 (range 1360 to 1380). On the official practice test, English skips 30: the next reachable score is 31 in English. It falls inside the middle 50% at 20 of the 61 colleges in our table, including Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus and Purdue University-Main Campus. One more point, to 31, moves you 2 percentile points to the 96th rank.
Is a 31 a good ACT score?
About 96% of recent test-takers scored 31 or lower, which puts a 31 at the 96th national rank. Roughly 2% land on exactly this score. The SAT equivalent is 1400, and any SAT total from 1390 to 1410 converts back to a 31. On the official practice test, Reading skips 31: the next reachable score is 32 in Reading. Of the 61 colleges in our table, 19 have a middle 50% range that includes 31, Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus among them. Getting to 32 would lift you 1 percentile point, to the 97th rank.
Is a 32 a good ACT score?
A 32 puts you at the 97th national rank, with about 3% of test-takers scoring higher and about 1% landing right on 32. That's about 1430 on the SAT (range 1420 to 1440). On the official practice test, English skips 32: the next reachable score is 33 in English. In our table of 61 colleges, a 32 sits inside the middle 50% at 15, such as University of Maryland-College Park and University of Virginia-Main Campus. A 33 is worth 1 percentile point more: it sits at the 98th rank.
Grade a practice test with the raw-score calculator, and add up your best section scores from every test you've taken.
Colleges where 26 to 32 is in range
These 36 colleges in our table have a middle 50% ACT range that overlaps 26 to 32. The last column shows which scores on this page fall inside that range. Ranges describe enrolled first-year students who submitted ACT scores, from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard (latest College Scorecard data, retrieved September 26, 2026).
| College | Middle 50% ACT | Scores here inside the range |
|---|---|---|
| University of Maryland-College Park | 32 to 35 | 32 to 32 |
| University of Virginia-Main Campus | 32 to 35 | 32 to 32 |
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | 31 to 34 | 31 to 32 |
| Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus | 30 to 34 | 30 to 32 |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | 30 to 34 | 30 to 32 |
| University of Georgia | 29 to 34 | 29 to 32 |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | 28 to 34 | 28 to 32 |
| Purdue University-Main Campus | 27 to 34 | 27 to 32 |
| University of Florida | 29 to 33 | 29 to 32 |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison | 29 to 33 | 29 to 32 |
| Indiana University-Bloomington | 27 to 33 | 27 to 32 |
| The University of Texas at Austin | 27 to 33 | 27 to 32 |
| Clemson University | 28 to 32 | 28 to 32 |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus | 28 to 32 | 28 to 32 |
| University of South Carolina-Columbia | 26 to 32 | 26 to 32 |
| Auburn University | 26 to 31 | 26 to 31 |
| University of Minnesota-Twin Cities | 26 to 31 | 26 to 31 |
| Michigan State University | 25 to 31 | 26 to 31 |
| Texas A&M University-College Station | 25 to 31 | 26 to 31 |
| The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | 25 to 31 | 26 to 31 |
| The University of Alabama | 24 to 31 | 26 to 31 |
| Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College | 24 to 30 | 26 to 30 |
| University of Missouri-Columbia | 23 to 30 | 26 to 30 |
| University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus | 23 to 29 | 26 to 29 |
| University of Mississippi | 21 to 29 | 26 to 29 |
| University of Southern Mississippi | 20 to 29 | 26 to 29 |
| University of Louisiana at Lafayette | 23 to 28 | 26 to 28 |
| University of Nebraska-Lincoln | 22 to 28 | 26 to 28 |
| Iowa State University | 21 to 28 | 26 to 28 |
| University of Arkansas | 21 to 28 | 26 to 28 |
| University of Kentucky | 21 to 28 | 26 to 28 |
| University of Kansas | 20 to 28 | 26 to 28 |
| Kansas State University | 20 to 27 | 26 to 27 |
| Oklahoma State University-Main Campus | 20 to 27 | 26 to 27 |
| Middle Tennessee State University | 20 to 26 | 26 to 26 |
| Missouri State University-Springfield | 19 to 26 | 26 to 26 |
At test-optional colleges fewer students submit scores, so published ranges can run higher than the whole class. Admission depends on much more than one score.
What one more point is worth
One Composite point takes three more section points in total, since the Composite is the average of English, Math and Reading rounded half up. ACT reports that students who first score between 13 and 29 raise their Composite by about one point on average when they retest (ACT). Before paying for prep, compare tutoring costs by hours and rate.
| Move | National rank | Rank gain | SAT equivalent gain |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 to 27 | 86th to 89th | +3 | +40 |
| 27 to 28 | 89th to 91st | +2 | +30 |
| 28 to 29 | 91st to 93rd | +2 | +30 |
| 29 to 30 | 93rd to 94th | +1 | +30 |
| 30 to 31 | 94th to 96th | +2 | +30 |
| 31 to 32 | 96th to 97th | +1 | +30 |
| 32 to 33 | 97th to 98th | +1 | +30 |
What a score from 26 to 32 means
Scores from 26 to 32 run from the 86th to the 97th national rank. Where a score lands on a college's scale varies a lot from school to school, so each college's published range matters more than the national rank.
Check each college's Common Data Set (section C9) for the 25th to 75th percentile ACT Composite of its enrolled first-year students (Common Data Set). For 33 and up, see the single-score pages for 33, 34, 35, 36.
Frequently asked questions
Is a 26 a good ACT score?
Nationally a 26 ranks 86th, and it converts to about 1240 on the SAT. It falls in the middle 50% at 22 of our 61 colleges. The colleges on your list decide whether it's good for you.
Is a 27 a good ACT score?
A 27 is at the 89th national rank and lines up with 1280 on the SAT. It's inside the middle 50% at 23 of the 61 colleges in our table. Whether it's good for you depends on the colleges on your list.
Is a 28 a good ACT score?
It's at the 91st national rank and about 1310 on the SAT. Of the 61 colleges in our table, 24 have 28 inside their middle 50%, so compare it with the colleges you're applying to.
Is a 29 a good ACT score?
Nationally a 29 ranks 93rd, and it converts to about 1340 on the SAT. It falls in the middle 50% at 21 of our 61 colleges. The colleges on your list decide whether it's good for you.
Is a 30 a good ACT score?
A 30 is at the 94th national rank and lines up with 1370 on the SAT. It's inside the middle 50% at 20 of the 61 colleges in our table. Whether it's good for you depends on the colleges on your list.
Is a 31 a good ACT score?
It's at the 96th national rank and about 1400 on the SAT. Of the 61 colleges in our table, 19 have 31 inside their middle 50%, so compare it with the colleges you're applying to.
Is a 32 a good ACT score?
Nationally a 32 ranks 97th, and it converts to about 1430 on the SAT. It falls in the middle 50% at 15 of our 61 colleges. The colleges on your list decide whether it's good for you.
What percentile is a 26 to 32 on the ACT?
From the 86th rank at 26 to the 97th at 32, in ACT's current national ranks table.
Sources and how this page is built
How this page is built
Research current as of:
Cedrick Reese built this 26 to 32 page for TutoringForAct.com from the 26 to 32 rows of ACT's national ranks table, the matching rows of the 2018 ACT/SAT concordance, and the raw-score conversions in ACT's official practice-test key (where English and Reading skip some scores in this range, the page shows the next reachable score instead of rounding). College ranges come from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard, pulled for 61 colleges; colleges with no published range, or where under 10% of students submitted the ACT, are left out. The page is regenerated whenever ACT publishes new national ranks or the Scorecard releases new admissions data.
Sources
- ACT Test Score Percentiles and National Ranks (ACT)
- ACT/SAT Concordance (ACT)
- ACT National Online Practice Test Scoring Key (ACT)
- Understanding Your ACT Scores (ACT)
- Average ACT Test Scores by State (ACT)
- Can You Retake the ACT? (ACT)
- Common Data Set Initiative
- College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education)
See the full national ranks chart, or convert SAT scores back to ACT.
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