Is 25 a Good ACT Score?
On a scale of 1 to 36, exactly where you fall on the ACT can feel like the difference between your ideal school and somewhere much less desirable, but how do you know how well you are doing? If you’re getting ready to send out applications this year then you’ll need to know, is 25 a good score on the ACT?
25 is certainly a good composite score to achieve on the ACT, and it ranks in the 80th percentile according to data for the 2022-2023 academic year. Therefore, you would expect to be sitting within the top 20% of applicants who are looking to get a place in further education for the fall semester.
There is a lot to think about when it comes to admissions tests, so read through the rest of this article to get all the information regarding what a 25 on the ACT could mean for you.
How Does 25 Stack Up To The Competition?
When you are first preparing for the SAT and ACT, it can be very hard to know whether you are actually doing well or not. The scores are a little hard to analyze, and they are nowhere near as straightforward as the letter grades you might be more used to.
What you need to know is that the score itself is what schools are going to consider, and they will typically evaluate it against how well the overall student population for the year is expected to perform. To know where you stand, you therefore need to know the percentile rank that your score places you in.
For 2022-2023, schools look at the data from high school students who took the ACT in 2020, 2021, and 2023. This data is used to generate the ranking report for the 2022 academic year.
For this academic year, a 25 on the ACT would be in the 80th percentile, meaning 20% are expected to score as well or better. To see how your percentile rank might change if you dropped or gained a point or two, take a look at the chart below:
| ACT Score | Percentile |
| 18 | 45 |
| 19 | 50 |
| 20 | 56 |
| 21 | 62 |
| 22 | 67 |
| 23 | 72 |
| 24 | 76 |
| 25 | 80 |
| 26 | 83 |
| 27 | 86 |
| 28 | 89 |
| 29 | 91 |
| 30 | 93 |
Because of the high number of people that score within the middle for tests like these, the percentiles change a lot more in this area than they do at the very top or the very bottom. Adding 2 extra points to a 25 would actually put you into the top 15%, and make your overall score a lot more competitive.
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25 ACT Composite On The SAT
We all know that the ACT isn’t the only test to contend with at this level, and the SAT is perhaps more recognizable to some people. With that in mind, you might want to get an idea of how a 25 on the ACT might look if it were converted over to the SAT scoring system.
It’s not a straightforward comparison, since the scores are so different, but you can make a general conversion that gives you a pretty good idea of where you might find yourself.
A 25 on the ACT is around the equivalent of a 1200 – 1230 on the SAT. For 2022, this would rank in the 81st to 84th percentile of all students in the year, but only in the 75th to 78th percentile for actual SAT users.
Below, you can see how other scores compare, and where their equivalents might be if they were on the SAT instead:
| ACT | Equivalent SAT |
| 19 | 980 – 1010 |
| 20 | 1020 – 1050 |
| 21 | 1060 – 1090 |
| 22 | 1100 – 1120 |
| 23 | 1130 – 1150 |
| 24 | 1160 – 1190 |
| 25 | 1200 – 1230 |
| 26 | 1240 – 1270 |
| 27 | 1280 – 1300 |
| 28 | 1310 – 1340 |
| 29 | 1350 – 1380 |
| 30 | 1390 – 1410 |
Which Schools Will Accept An ACT of 25?
Being in the top 1/5 of all ACT test takers, you won’t be short of amazing options when it comes to schools that would be happy to have you. There are a huge number of incredible institutions that regularly accept students with a 25 or lower, so it would not be too challenging to score a great place.
So that you know what sorts of schools look at students who score around this level, these are just a few of those who tend to accept applicants who have an ACT score of between 23 and 25.
- University of Arizona
- San Diego State University
- Howard University
- University of Oregon
- University of Houston
- Ohio University, Main Campus
- Oregon State University
- DePaul University
- Iowa State University
- West Virginia University
Which Schools Usually Require An ACT Higher Than 25?
Although there will definitely be a lot of doors open to you if you manage to achieve a 25, there will also be some that are a little trickier to walk through. You will find that the more respected and highly-regarded an educational establishment is, the higher scores their average applicants will have.
That’s not to say that you do not stand a chance, but it won’t be as easy to impress when you are up against a lot of big numbers. Some of the places that usually accept candidates who have an ACT score of between 26 and 29 include:
- Purdue University, Main Campus
- Syracuse University
- Florida State University
- University of South Florida
- Indiana University, Bloomington
- Auburn University
- University of South Carolina, Columbia
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
- Rutgers University, New Brunswick
- University of Denver
Is 25 Good Enough For You?
The most important factor when it comes to your admissions test results is not actually how it compares to others, but what it means for you. A 25 could mean getting into your first choice school and leading where you are hoping to go, or it might be slightly less than you are capable of – perhaps holding you back from the opportunities you deserve.
Perhaps the best way to evaluate how good a 25 really is to you is to look at the schools that you dream of applying to and find out what their average applicants tend to achieve. If it’s higher than a 25, then you may need to step up your efforts in order to compete.
There are many ways that you can push for a higher score, but the best thing to do is to start preparing and practicing as soon as possible. Study the practice questions, take as many practice tests as you can, and try to book yourself in for as many actual sittings as possible so that you can apply with a result that truly reflects your capabilities.
Conclusion: How Good Is an ACT Score Of 25?
So, what could a 25 on the ACT mean for your further education? It is definitely a good score that will allow you to be considered by a wide variety of excellent schools, and it may be enough to secure you the place of your dreams.
On the other hand, truly outstanding institutions look for outstanding candidates, and you may find that 25 isn’t enough to get you noticed at the most prestigious schools in the country.
Even a couple more points could make all of the difference, so make sure that you are preparing as much as possible and putting your best foot forward on the path to your future.
