If you've achieved a score of 21 on your ACTs, this places you squarely within the average range for accepted students at 692 U.S. colleges. This list features popular colleges where your application will likely be competitive, given their historical acceptance of students with a 21 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
A score of 21 is a little better than average. It situates you in the top 57th percentile on the national scale, outperforming the majority of the 2 million ACT test takers. This score signifies your slightly 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 21 score represents 58% of the total possible points. If a 21 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 21 ACT score stacks up to the national averages across various demographic groups
A 21 on the ACT translates to a 1080 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 21 on the ACT places you in the 57th percentile nationwide. This implies that your performance surpassed 57% 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 1,140,000 students placing you ahead of the majority with only 860,000 test takers achieving a higher score.
692 results nationwide
Displaying 692 colleges where your 21 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 2,034 target schools (good chance), 759 reach (harder) schools and 1,440 safety (easier) schools you can consider.
Public 4 Year
5 reviews
Test Optional
#3 Best Colleges in Arizona
Public 4 Year
2 reviews
Test Optional
#2 Best Public Universities in Kentucky
Applications Due Feb 15
Public 4 Year
4 reviews
Test Optional
#9 Best Public Universities in North Carolina
Public 4 Year
2 reviews
Test Optional
#1 Best Value in Hawaii
Public 4 Year
0 reviews
Test Optional
#1 Best Value in Arizona
Public 4 Year
20 reviews
Public 4 Year
9 reviews
Test Optional
#7 Best Public Universities in Texas
Applications Due Jun 1
Public 4 Year
2 reviews
Test Optional
#4 Best Public Universities in Georgia
Applications Due Apr 1
Public 4 Year
3 reviews
Test Optional
#13 Best Public Universities in California
Applications Due Dec 15
Public 4 Year
1 reviews
Test Optional
#11 Best Public Universities in California
Applications Due Nov 30
Public 4 Year
7 reviews
Test Optional
#7 Best Public Universities in North Carolina
Applications Due Feb 1
Private 4 Year
4 reviews
Test Optional
#4 Best Private Colleges in District Of Columbia
Applications Due Feb 15
Public 4 Year
4 reviews
#8 Best Public Universities in Florida
Applications Due May 1
Public 4 Year
1 reviews
Test Optional
#18 Best Public Universities in California
Applications Due Nov 30
Public 4 Year
3 reviews
Test Optional
#3 Best Public Universities in Washington
Applications Due Jan 31
Private 4 Year
4 reviews
Test Optional
#11 Best Private Colleges in Georgia
Public 4 Year
1 reviews
Test Optional
#2 Best Public Universities in Oregon
Applications Due Feb 1
Public 4 Year
4 reviews
Test Optional
#2 Best Public Universities in Iowa
A score of 21 is a little better than average. The score puts you in the top 57th percentile of those who take the test. Explore colleges you can get into with a 21 ACT score.
Arizona State University, University of Kentucky and East Carolina University are some of the best colleges that you have a competitive chance of getting into. Explore the full list: Colleges for a 21 ACT score.
A 21 ranks in the top 57th percentile of all students who take the ACT exam.
A 21 converts to a 1080 on the SAT using College Board / ACT concordance tables. Explore the colleges: Colleges for a 1080 SAT score.