20 ACT Colleges: Best Schools for 20 ACT Score

A 20 ACT Score is Average. You are in the 50th percentile. While this meets the requirements for most regional colleges, it will be a 'Reach' for selective state flagships.

2026 Expert Guidance: For the 2026 cycle, 'average' is the new 'minimum.' To compensate for a 20, you must demonstrate strong leadership or a high-ranking class position.

Best Colleges for 20 ACT Score

Following is the list of best suited colleges with your 20 ACT Score.

Logo	College	State	ACT 25th Percentile	ACT 75th Percentile	Acceptance Rate	Status
Logo	College	State	ACT 25th Percentile	ACT 75th Percentile	Acceptance Rate	Status
	Shepherd University	West Virginia	20	24	95.65%	SOLID MATCH
	Randolph College	Virginia	20	24	94.94%	SOLID MATCH
	Minneapolis College of Art and Design	Minnesota	20	24	48.36%	SOLID MATCH
	Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University	Florida	20	24	21.12%	COMP. MATCH
	Pacific Union College	California	20	24	42.48%	SOLID MATCH
	University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point	Wisconsin	20	25	90.14%	SOLID MATCH
	University of Virginia's College at Wise	Virginia	20	25	93.92%	SOLID MATCH
	Saint Edward's University	Texas	20	25	83.69%	SOLID MATCH
	Fisk University	Tennessee	20	25	57.91%	SOLID MATCH
	The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga	Tennessee	20	25	77.02%	SOLID MATCH
	East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania	Pennsylvania	20	25	92.88%	SOLID MATCH
	Ashland University	Ohio	20	25	80.57%	SOLID MATCH
	Catawba College	North Carolina	20	25	77.7%	SOLID MATCH
	College of the Ozarks	Missouri	20	25	14.87%	COMP. MATCH
	Aquinas College	Michigan	20	25	71.06%	SOLID MATCH
	Midway University	Kentucky	20	25	95.18%	SOLID MATCH
	The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary	Kentucky	20	25	96.89%	SOLID MATCH
	Indiana University-East	Indiana	20	25	71.24%	SOLID MATCH
	University of St Francis	Illinois	20	25	63.93%	SOLID MATCH
	Florida Gulf Coast University	Florida	20	25	76.75%	SOLID MATCH
	Huntingdon College	Alabama	20	25	70.83%	SOLID MATCH
	West Virginia University	West Virginia	20	26	86.26%	SOLID MATCH
	Lee University	Tennessee	20	26	72.19%	SOLID MATCH
	Dakota State University	South Dakota	20	26	97.87%	SOLID MATCH
	Winthrop University	South Carolina	20	26	75.06%	SOLID MATCH
	Coastal Carolina University	South Carolina	20	26	80.19%	SOLID MATCH
	Johnson & Wales University-Providence	Rhode Island	20	26	83.7%	SOLID MATCH
	Pennsylvania Western University	Pennsylvania	20	26	93.65%	SOLID MATCH
	Oklahoma City University	Oklahoma	20	26	70.39%	SOLID MATCH
	Bowling Green State University-Main Campus	Ohio	20	26	80.61%	SOLID MATCH
	Western Carolina University	North Carolina	20	26	86.66%	SOLID MATCH
	East Carolina University	North Carolina	20	26	90.06%	SOLID MATCH
	Gardner-Webb University	North Carolina	20	26	87.02%	SOLID MATCH
	St Catherine University	Minnesota	20	26	94.07%	SOLID MATCH
	Emmaus Bible College	Iowa	20	26	97.7%	SOLID MATCH
	University of Northern Iowa	Iowa	20	26	94.4%	SOLID MATCH
	Indiana University-Southeast	Indiana	20	26	83.12%	SOLID MATCH
	Brigham Young University-Idaho	Illinois	20	26	96.95%	SOLID MATCH
	Aurora University	Illinois	20	26	85.14%	SOLID MATCH
	Southern Illinois University Edwardsville	Illinois	20	26	97.21%	SOLID MATCH
	Florida Atlantic University	Florida	20	26	73.44%	SOLID MATCH
	Florida International University	Florida	20	26	58.84%	SOLID MATCH
	University of North Florida	Florida	20	26	62.27%	SOLID MATCH
	Ripon College	Wisconsin	20	27	83.92%	SOLID MATCH
	Norwich University	Vermont	20	27	73.61%	SOLID MATCH
	Tennessee Technological University	Tennessee	20	27	83.16%	SOLID MATCH
	Oklahoma State University-Main Campus	Oklahoma	20	27	70.93%	SOLID MATCH
	Wittenberg University	Ohio	20	27	91.04%	SOLID MATCH
	Baldwin Wallace University	Ohio	20	27	76.85%	SOLID MATCH
	Stockton University	New Jersey	20	27	88.17%	SOLID MATCH
	Montana State University	Montana	20	27	86.83%	SOLID MATCH
	University of Missouri-St Louis	Missouri	20	27	57.16%	SOLID MATCH
	William Carey University	Mississippi	20	27	57.97%	SOLID MATCH
	Western Michigan University	Michigan	20	27	84.68%	SOLID MATCH
	Thomas More University	Kentucky	20	27	97.03%	SOLID MATCH
	Kansas State University	Kansas	20	27	79.36%	SOLID MATCH
	Grace College and Theological Seminary	Indiana	20	27	80.78%	SOLID MATCH
	Monmouth College	Illinois	20	27	86.62%	SOLID MATCH
	Southern Illinois University-Carbondale	Illinois	20	27	90.44%	SOLID MATCH
	University of Hawaii at Manoa	Hawaii	20	27	69.69%	SOLID MATCH
	University of West Florida	Florida	20	27	56.87%	SOLID MATCH
	New College of Florida	Florida	20	27	74%	SOLID MATCH
	Western Connecticut State University	Delaware	20	27	81.36%	SOLID MATCH
	Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design	Wisconsin	20	28	62.8%	SOLID MATCH
	Seattle Pacific University	Washington	20	28	91.09%	SOLID MATCH
	Utah State University	Utah	20	28	93.62%	SOLID MATCH
	Maryville College	Tennessee	20	28	65.68%	SOLID MATCH
	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Lehigh Valley	Pennsylvania	20	28	94.21%	SOLID MATCH
	Oklahoma Baptist University	Oklahoma	20	28	55.68%	SOLID MATCH
	Ohio Dominican University	Ohio	20	28	85.25%	SOLID MATCH
	Iona University	New York	20	28	91.14%	SOLID MATCH
	New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology	New Mexico	20	28	53.96%	SOLID MATCH
	Webster University	Missouri	20	28	57.99%	SOLID MATCH
	Hamline University	Minnesota	20	28	89.83%	SOLID MATCH
	Andrews University	Michigan	20	28	87.4%	SOLID MATCH
	The College of Idaho	Idaho	20	28	47.22%	SOLID MATCH
	University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus	Connecticut	20	28	86.45%	SOLID MATCH
	Wilkes University	Pennsylvania	20	29	91.46%	SOLID MATCH
	University of Idaho	Idaho	20	29	79.09%	SOLID MATCH
	Baptist Health Sciences University	Tennessee	19	21	67.76%	SOLID MATCH
	The University of Tennessee Southern	Tennessee	19	23	82.71%	SOLID MATCH
	Mount St. Mary's University	Maryland	19	23	71.86%	SOLID MATCH
	Dillard University	Louisiana	19	23	40.51%	SOLID MATCH
	Principia College	Illinois	19	23	44.4%	SOLID MATCH
	DeVry University-Illinois	Illinois	19	23	43.25%	SOLID MATCH
	Morehouse College	Georgia	19	23	51.39%	SOLID MATCH
	Tarleton State University	Texas	19	24	94.2%	SOLID MATCH
	The University of Tennessee-Martin	Tennessee	19	24	87.32%	SOLID MATCH
	Johnson University	Tennessee	19	24	53.77%	SOLID MATCH
	Lincoln Memorial University	Tennessee	19	24	59.27%	SOLID MATCH
	Mount Marty University	South Dakota	19	24	48.14%	SOLID MATCH
	Southern Wesleyan University	South Carolina	19	24	100%	SOLID MATCH
	North Dakota State University-Main Campus	North Dakota	19	24	95.81%	SOLID MATCH
	Rocky Mountain College	Montana	19	24	72.88%	SOLID MATCH
	Central Methodist University-College of Liberal Arts and Sciences	Missouri	19	24	87.9%	SOLID MATCH
	Lindenwood University	Missouri	19	24	65.86%	SOLID MATCH
	Minnesota State University Moorhead	Minnesota	19	24	52.62%	SOLID MATCH
	Louisiana State University-Shreveport	Louisiana	19	24	82.72%	SOLID MATCH
	University of Louisiana at Monroe	Louisiana	19	24	74.56%	SOLID MATCH
	Southeastern Louisiana University	Louisiana	19	24	94.28%	SOLID MATCH
	Bethel University	Indiana	19	24	98.68%	SOLID MATCH
	Flagler College	Florida	19	24	78.09%	SOLID MATCH
	Grand Canyon University	Arizona	19	24	60.36%	SOLID MATCH
	Spring Hill College	Alabama	19	24	59.1%	SOLID MATCH
	University of Wisconsin-River Falls	Wisconsin	19	25	81.62%	SOLID MATCH
	Lubbock Christian University	Texas	19	25	73.19%	SOLID MATCH
	The University of Texas at Tyler	Texas	19	25	91.54%	SOLID MATCH
	University of Houston-Victoria	Texas	19	25	76.71%	SOLID MATCH
	Sam Houston State University	Texas	19	25	85.39%	SOLID MATCH
	Carson-Newman University	Tennessee	19	25	68.27%	SOLID MATCH
	University of South Dakota	South Dakota	19	25	98.95%	SOLID MATCH
	University of South Carolina-Upstate	South Carolina	19	25	69.61%	SOLID MATCH
	Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania	Pennsylvania	19	25	74.62%	SOLID MATCH
	King's College	Pennsylvania	19	25	93.2%	SOLID MATCH
	William Jewell College	Missouri	19	25	34.29%	SOLID MATCH
	Missouri State University-Springfield	Missouri	19	25	91.05%	SOLID MATCH
	Winona State University	Minnesota	19	25	68.52%	SOLID MATCH
	Saginaw Valley State University	Michigan	19	25	72.88%	SOLID MATCH
	Fitchburg State University	Massachusetts	19	25	89.94%	SOLID MATCH
	Xavier University of Louisiana	Louisiana	19	25	74.48%	SOLID MATCH

Your best choices will be the schools and colleges where the average ACT score of the admitted students is 18 to 22. We are also showing you the 25th percentile and 75th percentile ACT Score of the admitted students so that you can have a clear understanding of how many students score what ACT Score. If your 20 ACT Score is higher than 25th percentile, it means your score is better than the quarter of the admitted students, and if it is higher than 75th percentile, then it means your ACT score of 20 is higher than 75% of the students admitted at that school.

Choose a college where your score is near to 75th percentile, this will maximize your chances of admission. You can also apply to other schools as well, but to be on safe side, you must apply to at least 2-3 such schools and colleges.

FAQ for ACT 20 Score

How does a 20 ACT score compare to the SAT?

A 20 ACT score is equivalent to around a 980 SAT. This is a lower score that will limit your options at selective schools.

What scholarships are available for a 20 ACT score?

A 20 ACT score will likely make you eligible for smaller scholarships at state universities or less selective colleges.

Can I get into Ivy League schools with a 20 ACT score?

Ivy League schools require scores above 30, so a 20 would not meet their admission standards. It would be advisable to retake the test if you’re aiming for those schools.

Should I retake the ACT to improve my score?

Yes, retaking the test is recommended for top-tier schools. A 20 will limit your options at more competitive colleges.

What is the national average ACT score?

The national average is around 20–21, so a 20 is at the lower end of the spectrum but still technically considered average.

Do test-optional colleges consider a 20 ACT score if submitted?

Submitting a 20 ACT score may not be the most beneficial, but it can still be considered as part of a holistic review.

What GPA is a 20 ACT?

A 20 ACT typically correlates with a GPA between 1.8–2.3, which is below average and may limit your chances at competitive universities.

Can I get into NYU with a 20 ACT?

NYU's average ACT is much higher than 20, so a 20 would not be competitive. Consider retaking or applying to schools with more flexible requirements.

Is 20 a good ACT score for Harvard?

Harvard typically admits students with scores over 30, so a 20 would not be competitive. Retaking the ACT would be necessary for a chance at Harvard.

Can I get into MIT with a 20 ACT?

MIT’s average score is 34, so a 20 would be too low. Retaking the test is essential for a competitive application.

Can I get into Princeton with a 20 ACT score?

Princeton expects scores over 30, so a 20 would not meet their expectations. Retaking the test is highly advised.

What if you improve your ACT score by 2 points (to 22)?

Improving to 22 would open doors for more options at less competitive schools, and possibly improve your scholarship eligibility.

Best Suited Colleges for ACT Score