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How a 34 compares nationally
Only about 1% of test-takers land on exactly a 34 (the 98th rank at 33 versus the 99th at 34). Up here, each point separates a small slice of students. The share at exactly 33 is the same, about 1%. Against the national average Composite of 19.4 (ACT), a 34 is 14.6 points above average. The same 34 means slightly different things by section: it ranks highest in Math and Science (99th) and lowest in English and Reading (97th), because fewer students score that high in English and Reading.
| Section | Rank at 34 |
|---|---|
| English | 97th |
| Math | 99th |
| Reading | 97th |
| Science | 99th |
| STEM | 99th |
Ranks from ACT national ranks for tests taken September 2026 through August 2027.
Questions you need right for a 34
On ACT's official practice test, here's how many scored questions it takes to earn a 34 in each section (ACT scoring key); other test forms use slightly different tables.
| Section | Correct for a 34 | Scored questions |
|---|---|---|
| English | none (next is 38 of 40 for a 35) | 40 |
| Math | 37 to 38 of 41 | 41 |
| Reading | 25 of 27 | 27 |
| Science | 32 of 34 | 34 |
Reading and Science each have exactly one raw score that converts to 34, so there's no slack: one more miss drops you below it. Math is more forgiving at 34: raw scores from 37 to 38 of 41 all convert to 34. English skips 34 entirely: 37 correct gives 33, and 38 correct jumps to 35, so in English a 34 really means a 35. Measured by the share of questions you can miss, Math is the most forgiving section at a 34 (4 of 41) and Science the least (2 of 34).
Section scores that add up to a 34
Your Composite averages English, Math and Reading and rounds halves up, so a 34 doesn't need three 34s. Any three section scores adding up to 101 to 103 give a 34, and 85 different combinations of section scores do that. Near the top there's less room to be lopsided, because no section goes past 36. The widest spread that still makes a 34 is 36, 36 and 29.
Section mix tool
Pick two section scores to see the third you need for a 34 or a 35.
Disclaimer: This shows how ACT's Composite rounding works for the scores you pick. It doesn't predict your test results.
34 ACT to SAT
On the official 2018 concordance, a 34 ACT lines up with 1500 on the SAT, with a range of 1490 to 1520 (ACT/SAT concordance). That range covers four SAT scores. Moving up to a 35 ACT adds about 40 points to the SAT equivalent.
This SAT figure comes from the ACT/SAT concordance tables that ACT and the College Board released in 2018. ACT says the tables aren't updated every year, and they were published before the Enhanced ACT changed how the Composite is calculated. Use it as a close guide, not an exact match.
Other scores are in the two-way ACT and SAT converter.
What moving from 34 to 35 changes
ACT's rank table can't show much difference up here: 34 and 35 both round to the 99th rank. What does change is the section math and the SAT equivalent. Your three sections need to add up to 104 instead of 101 to 103, and the SAT equivalent rises by about 40 points, to 1540.
In section terms, a 35 usually means at least one 36 in the mix. Whether that's worth a retake depends on your colleges, not on the rank table. If you do retake, estimate what prep would cost first.
Colleges where a 34 falls inside the middle 50%
Of the 61 colleges in our table, a 34 ACT falls inside the middle 50% of enrolled students' scores at 26, above the 75th percentile at 35 and below the 25th percentile at 0. Ranges come from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard (latest College Scorecard data, retrieved September 26, 2026).
Inside the range (26)
- Harvard University 34 to 36
- Johns Hopkins University 34 to 36
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology 34 to 36
- University of Pennsylvania 34 to 36
- Brown University 34 to 35
- Columbia University in the City of New York 34 to 35
- Cornell University 33 to 35
- Dartmouth College 33 to 35
- Duke University 34 to 35
- Northwestern University 33 to 35
- Princeton University 34 to 35
- Rice University 34 to 35
Plus 14 more in the full table.
Above the 75th percentile (35)
- Indiana University-Bloomington 27 to 33
- The University of Texas at Austin 27 to 33
- University of Florida 29 to 33
- University of Wisconsin-Madison 29 to 33
- Clemson University 28 to 32
- Ohio State University-Main Campus 28 to 32
- University of South Carolina-Columbia 26 to 32
- Auburn University 26 to 31
Plus 27 more in the full table.
Middle 50% ranges describe enrolled students who submitted ACT scores. At test-optional colleges, fewer students submit, so the range can run higher than the whole class. Admission depends on much more than one score.
What a score in the 31 to 36 range means
Scores from 31 to 36 run from the 96th rank up, the top few percent nationally. Kaplan puts a competitive score for the Ivy League at about 34 (Kaplan), so a 34 matches that general mark, though each school's own range matters more than one number.
ACT's rank table runs out of room up here, so compare section scores and each college's published range (Common Data Set section C9, Common Data Set) rather than percentile points.
Frequently asked questions
What percentile is a 34 on the ACT?
A 34 is at the 99th national rank in ACT's current table, meaning about 99% of recent test-takers scored 34 or lower.
What is a 34 ACT on the SAT?
About 1500, with a range of 1490 to 1520, on the official 2018 ACT/SAT concordance.
Is a 34 ACT good enough for the Ivy League or schools like Harvard, MIT and Yale?
We don't list college-by-college verdicts without a current published range. Each college reports the 25th and 75th percentile ACT Composite of its enrolled first-year students in its Common Data Set, section C9. If a 34 is at or above a school's 75th percentile, it's a strong score there; below the 25th, it's on the low side.
Is a 34 ACT in the top 1%?
A 34 is at the 99th rank or higher in ACT's table, so it's in roughly the top 1%. ACT's table uses whole percents, so it can't separate the very top scores precisely.
Should I retake the ACT if I got a 34?
It depends on your colleges' ranges. ACT's published average retest gain covers first scores from 13 to 29, so there's no official figure for a 34. Compare your section scores with each college's range and weigh the time against other parts of your application.
Sources and how this page is built
How this page is built
Research current as of:
Cedrick Reese built this 34 score page for TutoringForAct.com by reading the 34 row of ACT's national ranks table, the 34 row of the 2018 ACT/SAT concordance (1500, range 1490 to 1520), and the raw scores that convert to 34 in each section of ACT's official practice-test key. Because the English table skips 34, the raw-score section shows the nearest reachable score instead of rounding. ACT's rank table runs out of room at this level, so this page leans on section scores and the SAT equivalent rather than percentile gains. The FAQ questions come from a live search for "is a 34 a good ACT score" on September 26, 2026, answered only with ACT's own data. The page is regenerated from those tables whenever ACT publishes new national ranks or a new practice key.
Sources
- ACT National Online Practice Test Scoring Key (ACT)
- Average ACT Test Scores by State (ACT)
- ACT Test Score Percentiles and National Ranks (ACT)
- ACT/SAT Concordance (ACT)
- Understanding Your ACT Scores (ACT)
- Common Data Set Initiative
Use the raw-score calculator on a practice test, and see where every Composite ranks.
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