Is 3 a good ACT score?

If you got a 3 ACT score, you're probably wondering how you compare to other students, and whether a 3 is good enough to get into college.

The truth is, it depends on your personal college goals and where you want to apply. We have the complete guide for you here. On this page, you'll find statistics about your score and what colleges you're competitive for. You can also use our Chance Estimator tool to figure out your chances of getting into your target schools.

3 ACT Score Standings

Here's how you compare to other students and how many colleges you are competitive for:

  • score-percent Percentile: 1st

    Out of the 1.91 million test-takers, 1895661 scored the same or higher than you.

  • score-compete Competitive For: 1 Schools

    You can apply to 1 colleges and have a good shot at getting admitted.

  • score-missing Missing Out On: 1509 Schools

    You have a very low chance of getting into 1509 schools with this score.

Top Choice Colleges Chances

Can you get into your top choice colleges?

We've collected data from millions of students and thousands of colleges to figure out your chances at getting admitted with a 3 ACT score. You'll also see how your chances improve with a higher ACT score.

To add a school to your list, type in part of the school name, choose from the dropdown, and click the button.


What if you improved your ACT score by 4 points? You would:
  • be competitive for 1 more schools in the country
  • raise your chances of getting into target schools from 0.05% to 0.11%
Are you ready to get serious about your ACT prep and improve your score by 4 points?

PrepScholar guarantees that with our online prep program, you'll improve your score by 4 points, or you get all your money back.

The secret to our program is customization: PrepScholar automatically figures out your strengths and weaknesses, then customizes what you learn so you improve more points in less time. PrepScholar was created by Harvard graduates and ACT full scorers, and thousands of students have trusted PrepScholar with improving their scores.


Other Schools For You

What schools can you get into with an ACT score of 3?

We've picked out a set of schools that are within range. Click on each school to learn more about it.



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Same Level: Equally Hard to Get Into

These schools have average ACT scores that are close to a 3. If you apply to these schools, you'll have a decent chance of admission. If you improve your ACT score by 4 points, you'll significantly improve your chances and get almost guaranteed admission for most schools.

School Name Location SAT Avg ACT Avg
Franklin Pierce University Rindge, NH 6
Ohio University Southern Ironton, OH 2



See a Different ACT Score

Curious about what your profile is with a different score? Choose any score from the entire ACT score range to see what you'd be able to do!


Exclusive: Want to learn how to improve your ACT score by 4 points? image description

Download our free guide on the top 5 strategies you must be using to improve your score. This guide was written by Harvard graduates and ACT perfect scorers. If you apply the strategies in this guide, you'll study smarter and make huge score improvements.



Data on this page is sourced from Peterson's Databases © 2024 (Peterson's LLC. All rights reserved.) as well as additional publicly available sources.


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