{"id":5898,"date":"2025-09-07T05:00:36","date_gmt":"2025-09-07T12:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/act\/?p=5898"},"modified":"2021-12-23T10:50:47","modified_gmt":"2021-12-23T18:50:47","slug":"average-act-scores-by-state","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/act\/average-act-scores-by-state\/","title":{"rendered":"Average ACT Scores by State (2025-2026 Update)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"us<\/p>\n

Why would you care what the average ACT score by state is? A lot of colleges and universities have admissions officers who focus on a particular region. Believe me, they’re more than familiar with what the average score looks like in your area! Also, if you’re applying to college in a particular state with a lot of in-state applicants, it’s good to know approximately where you stand in terms of the admissions pool by comparing yourself to local test takers.<\/p>\n

So if your score is slightly lower than average for the college\u2014but far above average in your state\u2014it might not hurt your chances as much as you think it might. In fact, it may even help you!<\/strong><\/p>\n

State ACT Score Averages<\/h2>\n

Here are the average ACT scores by state, plus information about the percentage of students who meet national performance benchmarks for the United States. These are composite ACT scores or scores for the overall ACT test.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
State<\/th>\n%
\nStudents
\nTested<\/th>\n		Average
\nComposite
\nScore<\/th>\n		% Meeting
\nEnglish
\nBenchmark
\n(18)<\/th>\n		% Meeting
\nReading
\nBenchmark
\n(22)<\/th>\n		% Meeting
\nMath
\nBenchmark
\n(22)<\/th>\n		% Meeting
\nScience
\nBenchmark
\n(23)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Alabama<\/td>\n100<\/td>\n18<\/td>\n43<\/td>\n30<\/td>\n18<\/td>\n21<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Arizona<\/td>\n100<\/td>\n17.7<\/td>\n41<\/td>\n28<\/td>\n22<\/td>\n19<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Kentucky<\/td>\n100<\/td>\n18.6<\/td>\n48<\/td>\n36<\/td>\n23<\/td>\n24<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Louisiana<\/td>\n100<\/td>\n18.2<\/td>\n46<\/td>\n32<\/td>\n20<\/td>\n22<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mississippi<\/td>\n100<\/td>\n17.7<\/td>\n42<\/td>\n27<\/td>\n17<\/td>\n17<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nevada<\/td>\n100<\/td>\n17.2<\/td>\n37<\/td>\n25<\/td>\n15<\/td>\n18<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Oklahoma<\/td>\n100<\/td>\n17.6<\/td>\n40<\/td>\n29<\/td>\n15<\/td>\n17<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tennessee<\/td>\n100<\/td>\n18.8<\/td>\n50<\/td>\n36<\/td>\n25<\/td>\n26<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Wyoming<\/td>\n100<\/td>\n19.1<\/td>\n49<\/td>\n37<\/td>\n26<\/td>\n28<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Montana<\/td>\n97<\/td>\n19.5<\/td>\n53<\/td>\n41<\/td>\n31<\/td>\n31<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Arkansas<\/td>\n95<\/td>\n18.5<\/td>\n48<\/td>\n32<\/td>\n19<\/td>\n24<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nebraska<\/td>\n95<\/td>\n19.1<\/td>\n49<\/td>\n36<\/td>\n28<\/td>\n28<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Wisconsin<\/td>\n94<\/td>\n19.4<\/td>\n52<\/td>\n37<\/td>\n30<\/td>\n32<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
North Carolina<\/td>\n89<\/td>\n18.5<\/td>\n42<\/td>\n35<\/td>\n25<\/td>\n26<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Utah<\/td>\n89<\/td>\n20<\/td>\n57<\/td>\n43<\/td>\n32<\/td>\n34<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
North Dakota<\/td>\n87<\/td>\n19.6<\/td>\n53<\/td>\n39<\/td>\n32<\/td>\n32<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ohio<\/td>\n78<\/td>\n19<\/td>\n46<\/td>\n38<\/td>\n28<\/td>\n28<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Kansas<\/td>\n72<\/td>\n19.3<\/td>\n50<\/td>\n39<\/td>\n27<\/td>\n29<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Minnesota<\/td>\n66<\/td>\n20.7<\/td>\n56<\/td>\n46<\/td>\n39<\/td>\n40<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Missouri<\/td>\n65<\/td>\n19.8<\/td>\n53<\/td>\n42<\/td>\n30<\/td>\n32<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Hawaii<\/td>\n62<\/td>\n17.7<\/td>\n38<\/td>\n29<\/td>\n18<\/td>\n19<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
South Dakota<\/td>\n58<\/td>\n21.1<\/td>\n63<\/td>\n50<\/td>\n43<\/td>\n42<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Florida<\/td>\n44<\/td>\n19<\/td>\n50<\/td>\n39<\/td>\n25<\/td>\n27<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Iowa<\/td>\n43<\/td>\n21<\/td>\n63<\/td>\n51<\/td>\n37<\/td>\n41<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
South Carolina<\/td>\n40<\/td>\n18.7<\/td>\n46<\/td>\n36<\/td>\n24<\/td>\n27<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Georgia<\/td>\n27<\/td>\n21.2<\/td>\n63<\/td>\n51<\/td>\n39<\/td>\n40<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Texas<\/td>\n22<\/td>\n19.4<\/td>\n50<\/td>\n39<\/td>\n30<\/td>\n30<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
West Virginia<\/td>\n22<\/td>\n20.4<\/td>\n66<\/td>\n47<\/td>\n29<\/td>\n32<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
District of Columbia<\/td>\n17<\/td>\n26.7<\/td>\n88<\/td>\n82<\/td>\n70<\/td>\n72<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Illinois<\/td>\n14<\/td>\n24.5<\/td>\n85<\/td>\n68<\/td>\n63<\/td>\n60<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Alaska<\/td>\n13<\/td>\n19.9<\/td>\n55<\/td>\n47<\/td>\n33<\/td>\n35<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Oregon<\/td>\n13<\/td>\n21.1<\/td>\n61<\/td>\n51<\/td>\n38<\/td>\n41<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
New Mexico<\/td>\n12<\/td>\n20<\/td>\n54<\/td>\n45<\/td>\n30<\/td>\n31<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Idaho<\/td>\n10<\/td>\n23.3<\/td>\n77<\/td>\n65<\/td>\n57<\/td>\n53<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
New Jersey<\/td>\n10<\/td>\n24.1<\/td>\n79<\/td>\n65<\/td>\n60<\/td>\n57<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Colorado<\/td>\n8<\/td>\n24.7<\/td>\n85<\/td>\n72<\/td>\n65<\/td>\n63<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Connecticut<\/td>\n8<\/td>\n26.5<\/td>\n90<\/td>\n79<\/td>\n74<\/td>\n73<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
New York<\/td>\n8<\/td>\n25.4<\/td>\n85<\/td>\n73<\/td>\n70<\/td>\n68<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Virginia<\/td>\n8<\/td>\n24.8<\/td>\n85<\/td>\n73<\/td>\n60<\/td>\n64<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Indiana<\/td>\n7<\/td>\n23.3<\/td>\n76<\/td>\n63<\/td>\n59<\/td>\n54<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Massachusetts<\/td>\n7<\/td>\n26.1<\/td>\n87<\/td>\n77<\/td>\n72<\/td>\n71<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Maryland<\/td>\n6<\/td>\n24.7<\/td>\n83<\/td>\n71<\/td>\n59<\/td>\n61<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Michigan<\/td>\n6<\/td>\n24.5<\/td>\n85<\/td>\n69<\/td>\n63<\/td>\n62<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Vermont<\/td>\n6<\/td>\n23.6<\/td>\n81<\/td>\n66<\/td>\n52<\/td>\n55<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Pennsylvania<\/td>\n5<\/td>\n24.3<\/td>\n81<\/td>\n68<\/td>\n62<\/td>\n60<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Washington<\/td>\n5<\/td>\n24.5<\/td>\n78<\/td>\n69<\/td>\n61<\/td>\n61<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Delaware<\/td>\n4<\/td>\n25<\/td>\n87<\/td>\n72<\/td>\n64<\/td>\n62<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
New Hampshire<\/td>\n4<\/td>\n25.9<\/td>\n88<\/td>\n78<\/td>\n70<\/td>\n70<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Rhode Island<\/td>\n4<\/td>\n25.4<\/td>\n88<\/td>\n75<\/td>\n69<\/td>\n67<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
California<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n26.5<\/td>\n88<\/td>\n79<\/td>\n73<\/td>\n72<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Maine<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n25<\/td>\n86<\/td>\n76<\/td>\n64<\/td>\n67<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
National<\/td>\n36<\/td>\n19.4<\/td>\n51<\/td>\n40<\/td>\n29<\/td>\n30<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

This chart contains data on the percent of high school graduates who took the ACT, average composite scores, and the average scores by subject. The data is organized by U.S. state.
\n<\/span>
\n
\n 
\nData from ACT Average Scores by State (PDF)<\/a>, provided by the ACT.<\/em><\/p>\n

That’s a lot of information, so let\u2019s break it down. The table gives us the average composite score for each state, as well as the percentage of students from each state meeting college-readiness benchmarks in English, Reading, Science, and Math.<\/p>\n

What’s a Readiness Benchmark?<\/h2>\n

If you take a look at the 2024 National ACT Profile Report (PDF)<\/a>, the most recent report released by ACT, you can see that they take another measure into consideration for college readiness<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

ACT has done a lot of research (and I invite you to read it), but for those of you on a tight schedule, this is how the ACT evaluates college readiness:<\/p>\n