How to Get a 30+ Score on the ACT

If you’re hoping to reach the 95% percentile on the ACT, it can seem pretty intimidating at first glance. After all, scoring above 30 on the ACT means that you’d have the highest score in a group of 20 test takers. Yet earning a 30+ score on the ACT has become a goal for many students hoping to attend selective colleges, and you shouldn’t let the statistics discourage you! In this post, we’ll cover how to get a 30+ score on the ACT. You’ll see that it’s not only possible, it’s also achievable!

 

So if you’re one of those students who wants to see a 30+ on your ACT score reports, know that it’ll take some work—sky-high scores don’t happen overnight! And if you’re ready to put in the effort, let’s begin.

Why 30+?

If you’re applying to top-tier U.S. universities, a score of above 30 on the ACT will really help your application. Looking at the table below, you can see that, at the top-ranked 19 universities, 75% of students scored above a 30 on the ACT. If that doesn’t light a fire under you, I don’t know what will!

College ACT Score Range for the Top 100 Universities

College Ranking	College Name	25th Percentile Scores	75th Percentile Scores
1	Princeton University	33	35
2	Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)	34	36
3 (tie)	Harvard University	33	35
3 (tie)	Stanford University	34	35
3 (tie)	Yale University	33	35
6	University of Chicago	33	35
7 (tie)	Johns Hopkins University	34	35
7 (tie)	University of Pennsylvania	33	35
9	California Institute of Technology (Caltech)	35	36
10 (tie)	Duke University	33	35
10 (tie)	Northwestern University	33	35
12	Dartmouth College	33	35
13 (tie)	Brown University	33	35
13 (tie)	Vanderbilt University	34	35
15 (tie)	Rice University	34	35
15 (tie)	Washington University in St. Louis	33	35
17	Cornell University	33	35
18 (tie)	Columbia University	33	35
18 (tie)	University of Notre Dame	32	35
20 (tie)	University of California–Berkeley	27	35
20 (tie)	University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)	29	34
22 (tie)	Carnegie Mellon University	33	35
22 (tie)	Emory University	32	34
22 (tie)	Georgetown	32	35
25 (tie)	New York University (NYU)	32	34
25 (tie)	University of Michigan at Ann Arbor	31	35
25 (tie)	University of Southern California (USC)	32	35
25 (tie)	University of Virginia	32	35
29 (tie)	University of Florida	29	33
29 (tie)	University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (UNC Chapel Hill)	29	33
29 (tie)	Wake Forest University	30	33
32 (tie)	Tufts University	33	35
32 (tie)	University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB)	26	33
34 (tie)	University of California, Irvine (UCI)	NA	NA
34 (tie)	University of California–San Diego	26	33
36 (tie)	Boston College	33	34
36 (tie)	University of Rochester	31	35
38 (tie)	University of California, Davis (UC Davis)	25	31
38 (tie)	University of Texas, Austin (UT Austin)	29	34
38 (tie)	University of Wisconsin Madison	28	32
41 (tie)	Boston University	31	34
41 (tie)	University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign	29	34
41 (tie)	College of William and Mary	31	34
44 (tie)	Brandeis University	31	34
44 (tie)	Case Western Reserve University	32	35
44 (tie)	Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech)	31	35
44 (tie)	Northeastern University	33	35
44 (tie)	Tulane University	30	33
49 (tie)	Ohio State University	26	32
49 (tie)	University of Georgia	29	33
51 (tie)	Lehigh University	30	34
51 (tie)	Purdue Univesity-West Lafayette	26	33
51 (tie)	Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute	32	34
51 (tie)	Villanova University	31	34
55 (tie)	Florida State University	26	30
55 (tie)	Pepperdine University	25	30
55 (tie)	Rutgers University	27	33
55 (tie)	Santa Clara University	29	33
55 (tie)	University of Maryland–College Park	30	34
55 (tie)	University of Miami	30	33
55 (tie)	University of Washington	29	34
62 (tie)	George Washington University	30	34
62 (tie)	Syracuse University	27	32
62 (tie)	University of Minnesota–Twin Cities	27	32
62 (tie)	University of Pittsburgh–Pittsburgh Campus	28	33
62 (tie)	Virginia Institute of Technology (Virginia Tech)	26	32
67 (tie)	Texas A&M University–College Station	25	31
67 (tie)	University of Connecticut	27	33
67 (tie)	University of Massachussetts-Amherst (UMass Amherst)	28	33
67 (tie)	Worcester Polytechnic Institute	/	test-blind
67 (tie)	Yeshiva University	25	31
72 (tie)	American University	29	33
72 (tie)	Fordham University	30	33
72 (tie)	Indiana University–Bloomington	26	32
72 (tie)	North Carolina State University–Raleigh	27	32
72 (tie)	Southern Methodist University	31	34
77 (tie)	Baylor University	25	32
77 (tie)	Clemson	27	32
77 (tie)	Loyola Marymount	28	32
77 (tie)	Michigan State University	23	29
77 (tie)	Pennsylvania State–University Park	26	32
77 (tie)	Stony Brook University (SUNY)	29	33
83 (tie)	Binghamton University	30	33
83 (tie)	Gonzaga University	27	31
83 (tie)	Marquette University	25	30
83 (tie)	Stevens Institute of Technology	31	34
83 (tie)	University of California, Santa Cruz	23	30
83 (tie)	University of Iowa	22	29
89 (tie)	Brigham Young University–Provo	29	33
89 (tie)	Colorado School of Mines	29	33
89 (tie)	Elon University	25	30
89 (tie)	Howard University	21	26
89 (tie)	Texas Christian University	26	31
89 (tie)	University at Buffalo	25	31
89 (tie)	University of California–Riverside	22	29
89 (tie)	University of Delaware	26	31
97 (tie)	Auburn University	24	30
97 (tie)	Clark University	27	30
97 (tie)	New Jersey Institute of Technology	27	33
97 (tie)	University of California–Merced	17	22
97 (tie)	University of Colorado Boulder	25	31
93 (tie)	University of San Diego	25	31
99 (tie)	University of South Florida	24	29

But don’t despair! With some work, a 30+ score may just be in reach.

Your Starting Line

We’re all coming from different places when we approach the ACT for the first time. Our home lives, our educational backgrounds, even our parents’ educations all have some correlation to our ACT scores. But no matter where you’re starting from, remember this: your ACT score wasn’t carved in stone on the day you were born.

So if you’re discouraged by early practice test results, keep in mind that your determination and grit are the most valuable assets you have, and with some practice you can learn how to get a 30+ score on the ACT.

Discovering Weak Spots

The first thing to do, as you might have guessed, is to take a timed practice test. Once you do this, look over your results. Let’s say, for example, you got the following scores:

• English: 29
• Math: 24
• Reading: 34
• Science: 26
• Composite: 28

(Now, even though it’s not what you’re hoping for, a 28 is a really strong score, and we’re just using it as an example—your initial score may be lower and it’s still possible to bring it up to over 30!)

Now it’s time for the most important part of your early ACT prep: triage!
 

Just like a doctor in an ER, you need to make some judgment calls about which “patients,” (or, you know, exam sections) you’ll treat first. In the above scenario, Science and Math are the lowest scores, so they take top priority. English might come later if there’s time, but Reading is good to go—for the moment. If you do have time, aiming for a perfect 36 in that strong section will help bring up your composite (overall) score, but it’s definitely your last priority right now.

Raising Your Score

So you’re focusing on the Math and Science Tests. The first thing to do is set some reasonable goals. Remember, you’re not aiming for perfection, just 30+. Using our handy-dandy ACT Raw Score Conversion Chart, we can see that on the Math Test, you answered 37/60 questions correctly. You answered 30/40 questions correctly on the Science Test.

To earn a score of 30 on both the Math and Science Tests, you would need to get these raw scores:

• Math: 50/60
• Science: 35/40

In the simplest terms, 18 missed questions stand between you and a 30+ score on the ACT. That’s going to take some work, but there are a few tips I can offer you.

The first thing is to take time to focus solely on the Math and Science Tests. As you review the results of your practice test and create a study plan based on your weaknesses, set aside topics with which you are already comfortable.

Also, consistently apply new knowledge and techniques to practice questions. Doing this will reinforce learned material. Finally, take multiple timed practice Math and Science Tests to determine whether or not your studying is having the desired effect.

If you are doing these things, your sub-scores—that’s those scores on the different sections, or tests—will improve. But let’s say that, in this scenario, weeks spent studying Math and Science have still not resulted in a 30+ score. At this point I would suggest turning to the English Test. Getting just two more questions correct would raise your English score from 29 to 31. On the actual ACT, that goes a long way to earning a 30+ composite score.

Final Thoughts

In a nutshell: how to get a 30+ score on the ACT? Identify your weaknesses, attempt to fix them, and only then reinforce your strengths.

It’s a hard road to a 30+, but I hope this article makes your journey a little smoother. If you need more practice, check out Magoosh ACT prep for helpful videos and interactive tutorials. Good luck studying, students, and I’ll see you next time!