If you've achieved a score of 26 on your ACTs, this places you squarely within the average range for accepted students at 533 U.S. colleges. This list features popular colleges where your application will likely be competitive, given their historical acceptance of students with a 26 ACT score. However, it's crucial to remember that a good ACT score is not the sole criterion for admission. In fact, may colleges are now test optional. It's equally significant to maintain a Grade Point Average (GPA) that aligns with the college's expectations for incoming students. The creation of this list is rooted in a comprehensive analysis of ACT scores from students admitted to all U.S. colleges
Yes, a score of 26 is very competitive. It situates you in the top 82nd percentile on the national scale, outperforming the majority of the 2 million ACT test takers. This score signifies your well above average performance in answering questions in the English, Math, Reading and Science sections of the exam. The ACT is scored out of a maximum of 36 and a minimum of 1, meaning your 26 score represents 72% of the total possible points. If a 26 does not meet the requirements of your preferred college, you might want to consider enrolling in a test prep course to potentially enhance your score.
Let's examine how a 26 ACT score stacks up to the national averages across various demographic groups
A 26 on the ACT translates to a 1240 on the SAT according to the concordance provided by the College Board and ACT. It's important to note that not all colleges disclose admission data for both the SAT and ACT. As such, we recommend checking our listings for each test to identify schools with similar academic profiles.
Scoring a 26 on the ACT places you in the 82nd percentile nationwide. This implies that your performance surpassed 82% of all test takers. To put this in perspective, about 2 million students sit for the ACT each year. Thus, with your score, you've outperformed about 1,640,000 students placing you ahead of the majority with only 360,000 test takers achieving a higher score.
Here are some of the top ranked colleges which have historically accepted students in this test score range. Scroll down further to explore, search, sort and filter the full list.
College | Average ACT |
---|---|
Yeshiva University | 29 |
University of California Irvine | 29 |
University of California Davis | 29 |
DePauw University | 27 |
The University of Texas at Austin | 29 |
University at Buffalo | 28 |
University of Wisconsin Madison | 29 |
Texas Christian University | 28 |
Chapman University | 28 |
Texas A & M University College Station | 28 |
Elon University | 27 |
Seattle University | 27 |
Saint Joseph's University | 28 |
Illinois Wesleyan University | 27 |
Drake University | 27 |
533 results nationwide
Displaying 533 colleges where your 26 ACT score is within the typical range of past accepted students. You have a chance at being accepted but admission may be challenging at more selective colleges. Hint: Filter by admission chance for 1,674 target schools (good chance), 288 reach (harder) schools and 2,646 safety (easier) schools you can consider.
Public 4 Year
3 reviews
29 Average ACT Composite
Test Optional
#14 Best Public Universities in America
Applications Due Dec 1
Public 4 Year
6 reviews
28 Average ACT Composite
#3 Best Colleges in Florida
Applications Due Mar 1
Public 4 Year
5 reviews
24 Average ACT Composite
Test Optional
#3 Best Colleges in Arizona
Public 4 Year
11 reviews
28 Average ACT Composite
Test Optional
#2 Best Public Universities in Pennsylvania
Public 4 Year
6 reviews
28 Average ACT Composite
Test Optional
#3 Best Colleges in Michigan
Public 4 Year
7 reviews
27 Average ACT Composite
Test Optional
#3 Best Colleges in Alabama
Applications Due May 1
Public 4 Year
6 reviews
27 Average ACT Composite
#3 Best Public Universities in Florida
Applications Due May 1
Public 4 Year
3 reviews
25 Average ACT Composite
Test Optional
#10 Best Public Universities in California
Applications Due Nov 30
Public 4 Year
9 reviews
27 Average ACT Composite
Test Optional
#1 Best Public Universities in Alabama
Applications Due Feb 1
Public 4 Year
2 reviews
29 Average ACT Composite
Test Optional
#10 Best Public Universities in America
Applications Due Nov 30
Public 4 Year
1 reviews
29 Average ACT Composite
Test Optional
#17 Best Public Universities in America
Applications Due Jan 15
Public 4 Year
4 reviews
28 Average ACT Composite
#1 Best Public Universities in Tennessee
Public 4 Year
2 reviews
24 Average ACT Composite
Test Optional
#2 Best Public Universities in Kentucky
Applications Due Feb 15
Public 4 Year
5 reviews
28 Average ACT Composite
#21 Best Public Universities in America
Applications Due Dec 1
Public 4 Year
0 reviews
25 Average ACT Composite
Test Optional
#1 Best Value in Arizona
Public 4 Year
6 reviews
29 Average ACT Composite
Test Optional
#2 Best Public Universities in Colorado
Applications Due Jan 15
Public 4 Year
9 reviews
22 Average ACT Composite
Test Optional
#7 Best Public Universities in Texas
Applications Due Jun 1
Public 4 Year
8 reviews
25 Average ACT Composite
Test Optional
#4 Best Public Universities in Texas
Yes, a score of 26 is very competitive. The score puts you in the top 82nd percentile of those who take the test. Explore colleges you can get into with a 26 ACT score.
The University of Texas at Austin, Florida State University and Arizona State University are some of the best colleges that you have a competitive chance of getting into. Explore the full list: Colleges for a 26 ACT score.
A 26 ranks in the top 82nd percentile of all students who take the ACT exam.
A 26 converts to a 1240 on the SAT using College Board / ACT concordance tables. Explore the colleges: Colleges for a 1240 SAT score.