An ACT superscore is a composite calculated by combining your highest section score from each test date across multiple attempts. Not all colleges use it — but hundreds do, and for students whose scores vary by section across test dates, superscoring can add 2 to 4 points to your effective composite. This guide explains exactly how it works, which schools accept it, and when it's worth taking the test again specifically to superscore.
The standard ACT composite is the average of your four section scores from a single test date: English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science, each scored 1–36, averaged and rounded to the nearest whole number.
A superscore does something different. It pulls your best individual section score from each test date — regardless of which date it came from — and averages those four section bests into a new composite. That new composite is always equal to or higher than any single-sitting composite you've earned.
Say you took the ACT twice:
Your superscore would be: English 28 + Math 28 + Reading 26 + Science 26 = 108 ÷ 4 = 27 composite. That's one point higher than your best single-sitting composite, and two points higher than your first attempt.
The Writing section (essay) is never included in the superscore — it's always reported separately and doesn't affect any composite calculation.
You don't calculate it. The college does — using the score reports you send them. When you send your ACT scores to a college that superscores, they'll pull your best section scores themselves from the reports on file. You don't need to submit a "superscore" separately — just send all your test dates to schools that accept superscoring.
ACT itself also now provides a superscore on your score report, visible in your online ACT account after two or more test dates. But whether a college uses that number depends entirely on the college's policy.
Hundreds of colleges accept ACT superscoring — but there's no master list, and policies change. Here's how to check for each school on your list.
The most reliable source is the college's own admissions FAQ or testing policy page. Search: [school name] ACT superscore policy or [school name] testing policy 2026. The Common Data Set (Section C) sometimes mentions superscore policy, but not always.
Most highly selective private universities superscore the ACT — schools like Johns Hopkins, Georgetown, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, and many others in this tier explicitly state they use the highest composite score across test dates, which often means taking the best sections.
Many state flagship universities do NOT superscore the ACT. Schools like the University of Michigan, UCLA, and UC campuses generally consider the single highest composite sitting, not a superscore. Policies vary — verify each school directly.
Regional and less-selective schools vary widely. Some explicitly superscore; others take the highest single-sitting composite; others use the most recent. Don't assume.
At test-optional schools, if you're submitting scores, you're typically submitting your strongest representation — which may be a superscore if the school accepts it. If the school doesn't use superscores and you have inconsistent single-sitting composites, sometimes your strongest single-sitting composite is the better choice to submit.
Even at schools that accept superscores, sending all your test dates is required — they can't pull your best sections if they only have one score report. More on this in the sending scores section below.
Yes — since 2020, the ACT has included a superscore on your official score report if you've taken the test more than once. This is calculated automatically and visible in your ACT account. However, whether colleges use this superscore is their decision, not ACT's. Always check each school's individual policy — the ACT displaying a superscore doesn't mean a college will use it.
It depends entirely on how consistent your section scores are across test dates. Superscoring helps most when your scores vary by section between attempts — strong on Math one test, stronger on Reading the next. It doesn't help at all if your section scores are consistent across attempts.
Students who score unevenly across sections benefit most. If your English and Reading are strong but Math and Science fluctuate test-to-test, two attempts where your Math and Science peak on different dates can yield a superscore 3–5 points above either single-sitting composite.
If you improve uniformly across all four sections on your second attempt, your second single-sitting composite is already higher — superscoring adds little. The same goes if you're highly consistent: a student who scores 28 English, 27 Math, 29 Reading, 28 Science on both attempts gets no superscore benefit.
A 2–3 point superscore gain can make a real difference in college admissions and scholarships. Moving from a 27 to a 29 superscore, for example, pushes you from below-range to within-range at many selective schools. Scholarship thresholds often sit at round numbers (25, 28, 30, 32) — a superscore gain that clears a threshold can unlock significant merit aid.
To put a superscore composite in context against peer applicants, what is a good composite score for the act shows exactly how any composite stacks up by school tier and scholarship eligibility. And to know where your composite ranks nationally, check what is the highest act score — the percentile tables show every composite from 1 to 36.
Superscoring changes the retake calculus. Without superscoring, a retake only helps if you improve your overall composite. With superscoring, a retake can help even if your composite stays flat — as long as you improve at least one section that was your low point.
You're a strong superscore candidate if:
If your section scores are consistent across attempts, or if your target schools don't superscore, plan for retakes the conventional way — aim to raise the overall composite through broad preparation.
The efficient superscore strategy is to identify your one or two weakest sections and prep exclusively on those. Don't spread effort across all four sections if two are already strong. Look at your section subscores — not just the section totals — to find the specific content areas pulling down each section score.
Scores release 2 to 8 business days after the test date. When do act results come out — plan your test calendar around release windows so you know what superscore you've built before applications are due. Most application deadlines are in October or November, which means your last viable test date for superscoring is typically October.
After retakes, check your new scores carefully before sending. How to find act scores walks through the score report section by section so you can verify exactly which sections improved and what your updated superscore is.
This is where most students make a mistake. To benefit from superscoring, you have to send all your test dates — not just your best single composite. If you only send one date, the college has nothing to superscore from.
Log in to your ACT account → go to "Sending Your Scores" → select the college → choose to send all test dates (or each date individually). Each score report costs $16 per college after your four free sends. If you took the ACT three times and need to send all three to five colleges, that's $240 in send fees — factor this into your testing plan.
Send all dates where at least one section score was at or near your peak. You don't need to send a test date where every section was your personal low — but when in doubt, more is better. Colleges that superscore will ignore the weaker scores; they're only selecting the best from each section.
Some colleges ask for all scores regardless of your preference ("Score Sends Required" policies). Others let you self-select. Check each school's score-sending policy before submitting. For schools with flexible policies, you can make strategic decisions about which dates to send based on your superscore calculation.