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	34	35
2	massachusetts institute of technology (mit)	34	36
3	harvard university	34	36
4	stanford university	34	35
5	yale university	33	35
6 (tie)	california institute of technology (caltech)	35	36
6 (tie)	duke university	34	35
6 (tie)	johns hopkins university	34	35
6 (tie)	northwestern university	33	35
10	university of pennsylvania	33	35
11 (tie)	cornell university	33	35
11 (tie)	university of chicago	34	35
13 (tie)	brown university	34	35
13 (tie)	columbia university	34	35
15 (tie)	dartmouth college	33	35
15 (tie)	university of california, los angeles (ucla)	29	34
17	university of california–berkeley	27	35
18 (tie)	rice university	34	36
18 (tie)	university of notre dame	33	35
18 (tie)	vanderbilt university	34	35
21 (tie)	carnegie mellon university	34	35
21 (tie)	university of michigan at ann arbor	31	34
21 (tie)	washington university in st. louis	33	35
24 (tie)	emory university	32	34
24 (tie)	georgetown	32	34
24 (tie)	university of virginia	32	34
27 (tie)	university of north carolina, chapel hill (unc chapel hill)	30	34
27 (tie)	university of southern california (usc)	32	35
29	university of california–san diego	26	33
30 (tie)	new york university (nyu)	33	35
30 (tie)	university of florida	28	33
30 (tie)	university of texas, austin (ut austin)	29	34
33 (tie)	georgia institute of technology (georgia tech)	28	35
33 (tie)	university of california, davis (uc davis)	25	31
33 (tie)	university of california, irvine (uci)	na	na
33 (tie)	university of illinois, urbana-champaign	30	34
37 (tie)	boston college	33	34
37 (tie)	tufts university	33	35
39 (tie)	university of california, santa barbara (ucsb)	26	33
39 (tie)	university of wisconsin madison	28	32
41 (tie)	boston university	32	34
41 (tie)	ohio state university	29	32
41 (tie)	rutgers university	28	33
44 (tie)	university of maryland–college park	32	35
44 (tie)	university of rochester	31	34
46 (tie)	lehigh university	31	33
46 (tie)	purdue univesity-west lafayette	27	34
46 (tie)	university of georgia	27	32
46 (tie)	university of washington	30	34
46 (tie)	wake forest university	32	34
51 (tie)	case western reserve university	32	35
51 (tie)	texas a&m university–college station	25	31
51 (tie)	virginia institute of technology (virginia tech)	27	32
54 (tie)	florida state university	27	31
54 (tie)	northeastern university	33	35
54 (tie)	university of minnesota–twin cities	27	31
54 (tie)	college of william and mary	32	34
58 (tie)	north carolina state university–raleigh	28	32
58 (tie)	stony brook university (suny)	28	33
58 (tie)	university of california–merced	17	22
58 (tie)	university of massachussetts-amherst (umass amherst)	29	33
58 (tie)	villanova university	32	34
63 (tie)	brandeis university	31	34
63 (tie)	george washington university	31	34
63 (tie)	michigan state university	26	31
63 (tie)	pennsylvania state–university park	27	32
63 (tie)	santa clara university	30	33
63 (tie)	tulane university	31	33
63 (tie)	university of miami	30	33
70 (tie)	rennselaer polytechnic institute	31	34
70 (tie)	university of connecticut	29	33
70 (tie)	university of pittsburgh–pittsburgh campus	29	33
73 (tie)	binghamton university	29	34
73 (tie)	indiana university–bloomington	27	32
73 (tie)	syracuse university	28	32
76 (tie)	colorado school of mines	29	33
76 (tie)	stevens institute of technology	31	34
76 (tie)	university at buffalo	27	32
76 (tie)	university of california–riverside	22	29
80 (tie)	clemson	28	32
80 (tie)	pepperdine university	26	32
80 (tie)	rutgers university–newark	/	/
80 (tie)	university of illinois–chicago	24	31
84 (tie)	new jersey institute of technology	25	32
84 (tie)	university of california, santa cruz	23	30
86 (tie)	drexel university	27	33
86 (tie)	howard university	22	28
86 (tie)	marquette university	26	31
86 (tie)	university of delaware	27	31
86 (tie)	worcester polytechnic institute	/	test-blind
91 (tie)	american university	29	32
91 (tie)	baylor university	27	32
91 (tie)	fordham university	30	33
91 (tie)	loyola marymount	29	32
91 (tie)	rochester institute of technology	29	33
91 (tie)	southern methodist university	30	34
91 (tie)	university of south florida	24	29
98 (tie)	florida international university	20	26
98 (tie)	gonzaga university	26	31
98 (tie)	rutgers university–camden	18	26
98 (tie)	temple university	23	30
98 (tie)	university of colorado boulder	27	32
98 (tie)	university of iowa	22	28
98 (tie)	yeshiva university	28	33

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!