ACT FAQs

2023-2024 School year

College Entrance – higher scores open many more doors
Scholarships – every point counts. The higher the score, the higher the scholarship. ACT scores are directly tied to scholarships as well as awards.
A score of 31 or higher automatically earns a Missouri resident a $3,000.00 “Bright Flight” scholarship to all Missouri colleges and universities.
Keeps students out of remedial English and math classes in college. Scores below 18 in English and 21 in math require students to take them. The remedial classes cost the same as regular classes but offer no credits.

Multiple choice standardized test questions

Four sections: English (45 min), Math (60 min) Reading (35min), and Science (35min)
Scored on a scale of 1-36; 21 is the approximate state and national average.
Offered six times each year: September, October, December, February, April, and June. For a charge, students can order copies of their graded December, April, and June ACT tests. This year, in response to the CORONA VIRUS cancellations, the ACT is offering additional test dates in September (12, 13, 19) and October (10, 17, 24, 25)

Measures a student’s reasoning and writing skills
The test is scored on a scale of 8-36 based on 4 domain scores, each having a scale of 2-12. Writing score is not included in the composite score but yields two additional scores: a Writing Score and a Composite English/Writing Score.

The Super Score is obtained by computing the highest subject score a student earns on all prior ACT tests in English, Reading, Math, and Science.
Super scores help both students and universities raise composite scores.

Example: a student who has scored an 18, 21, and 24 on three Math ACT tests will receive a 24 on the math super score.

ACT provides accommodations, including extra time, for students with IEPS and 504 Plans.
Request for accommodations must be made by the school counselor at least 6 weeks before the test.

Minimum ACT scores for University of Missouri Scholarships

Award	ACT Score	Other criteria	Application	Scholarship Amount

Excellent Award	27-36	G.P.A. dependent upon score	Automatic	$3000
Curator’s Award	28	G.P.A. dependent upon score	Automatic	$4500
Chancellor’s Award	31	G.P.A. dependent upon score	Automatic	$6500
Quadrangle Award	30	Homeschooled or non-accredited high school	Automatic	$2000
Mizzou Scholars Award	33	Excellent high school record	Apply by Dec 1 with resume and essay	$10000
Diversity Award	–	Minority Scholarship	Apply by Dec 1	$15000 with additional $7000 possible for study abroad

Ranking	University	ACT Score 25th/75th percentile
1	Princeton	32-35
2	Harvard	33-35
3	Yale	33-35
4 (tied)	Columbia	33-34
4 (tied)	Stanford	31-34
4 (tied)	University of Chicago	34-35
7	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	34-36
8	Duke	34-35
9	University of Pennsylvania	33-35
10 (tied)	California Institute of Technology	35-36
10 (tied)	Johns Hopkins	34-36
12 (tied)	Dartmouth College	32-35
12 (tied)	Northwestern University	33-35
14	Brown University	33-35
15 (tied)	Cornell University	32-35
15 (tied)	Vanderbilt University	33-35
15 (tied)	Washington University	33-35
18 (tied)	Rice University	34-36
18 (tied)	University of Notre Dame	32-35
20	Emory University	31-35

Program	ACT Composite	ACT Math
Journalism	29	–
Nursing Scholars	31	–
Honors College	31	–
Bioengineering	32	32
Computer Science	32	32
Chemical Engineering	32	32
Civil and Environmental Engineering	32	32
Electrical and Computer Engineering	32	32
Mechanical and Aerospace	32	32
Industrial and Manufacturing Systems	32	32

School	ACT Scores
Columbia College	20
Central Methodist University	18-23
Drury University	21-29
Missouri University of Science & Technology	26-31
Missouri State University	21-27
Rockhurst University	20-27
St.Louis University	25-31
Stephens College	20-24
University of Missouri	23-29
University of Missouri-Kansas City	20-28
UMKC_BA/MD Program	32