The average ACT score in North Carolina was 18.2 for public school graduates in the class of 2026, across 105,989 students, per the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI). The national average was 19.2. Raleigh Charter High School posted the highest average of any North Carolina high school with at least 100 graduates tested: 25.7.
Unlike most state rankings, these averages aren't limited to students who chose to test. North Carolina gives the ACT to every 11th grader in a spring statewide administration, so each school's average covers nearly its whole graduating class.
The data is NCDPI's "2025-26 ACT Benchmark Percentages for Graduating Seniors." It uses each graduate's score from the 2024-25 statewide junior administration, or a more recent test if they took one. ACT's college-readiness benchmarks are 18 in English, 22 in math and 22 in reading.
Statewide results, class of 2026
| Tested | Average composite | Met English benchmark | Met math benchmark | Met reading benchmark | Met all three | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina public schools | 105,989 | 18.2 | 39.5% | 26.6% | 34.7% | 19.7% |
| All North Carolina students | 113,861 | 18.4 | 41% | 27% | 36% | 23.1% |
| United States | 1,463,293 | 19.2 | 49% | 30% | 39% | 20.5% |
Source: NCDPI, 2025-26 ACT Benchmark Percentages for Graduating Seniors.
Top 30 North Carolina high schools by ACT average, class of 2026
Public and charter high schools with at least 100 graduates tested.
| # | High school | District | Tested | Average composite | Met all three benchmarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raleigh Charter High School | Charter school | 136 | 25.7 | 65.2% |
| 2 | Green Level High | Wake County | 517 | 25.5 | 63.6% |
| 3 | Enloe High | Wake County | 547 | 25.0 | 59.4% |
| 4 | East Chapel Hill High | Chapel Hill-Carrboro | 332 | 24.9 | 58.4% |
| 5 | Marvin Ridge High | Union County | 498 | 24.6 | 58.4% |
| 6 | Green Hope High | Wake County | 517 | 24.6 | 58.9% |
| 7 | Central Academy of Technology and Arts | Union County | 220 | 24.5 | 58.0% |
| 8 | Chapel Hill High | Chapel Hill-Carrboro | 350 | 24.0 | 52.0% |
| 9 | Highland School of Technology | Gaston County | 125 | 23.9 | 54.8% |
| 10 | Franklin Academy | Charter school | 133 | 23.7 | 54.1% |
| 11 | Panther Creek High | Wake County | 620 | 23.6 | 50.9% |
| 12 | Research Triangle High School | Charter school | 125 | 23.6 | 51.6% |
| 13 | Providence High | Charlotte-Mecklenburg | 505 | 23.5 | 49.2% |
| 14 | Ardrey Kell High | Charlotte-Mecklenburg | 764 | 23.4 | 53.0% |
| 15 | Pine Lake Preparatory | Charter school | 168 | 23.3 | 47.0% |
| 16 | Lake Norman Charter | Charter school | 191 | 23.3 | 49.5% |
| 17 | Weddington High | Union County | 428 | 23.1 | 51.1% |
| 18 | Durham School of the Arts | Durham | 229 | 22.9 | 43.9% |
| 19 | Carrboro High | Chapel Hill-Carrboro | 212 | 22.9 | 51.4% |
| 20 | Bradford Preparatory School | Charter school | 107 | 22.9 | 52.4% |
| 21 | Apex Friendship High | Wake County | 632 | 22.7 | 46.3% |
| 22 | Atkins Academic & Technology High | Winston-Salem/Forsyth | 263 | 22.6 | 43.5% |
| 23 | Community School of Davidson | Charter school | 133 | 22.4 | 41.3% |
| 24 | Cox Mill High | Cabarrus County | 414 | 22.0 | 47.6% |
| 25 | Cuthbertson High | Union County | 460 | 21.9 | 41.7% |
| 26 | Ronald W. Reagan High | Winston-Salem/Forsyth | 523 | 21.7 | 39.7% |
| 27 | Croatan High | Carteret County | 247 | 21.6 | 40.5% |
| 28 | Myers Park High | Charlotte-Mecklenburg | 724 | 21.6 | 42.5% |
| 29 | Holly Springs High | Wake County | 491 | 21.6 | 39.5% |
| 30 | Lincoln Charter School | Charter school | 201 | 21.4 | 38.8% |
Source: NCDPI, 2025-26 ACT Benchmark Percentages for Graduating Seniors. 359 high schools had at least 100 graduates tested; their median average was 17.2.
Wake County and charter schools dominate: 6 of the top 30 are Wake County schools and 8 are charter schools.
Early college high schools score even higher but are small. With 30 to 99 graduates tested, Early College at Guilford averaged 30.8, Nesbitt Discovery Academy 28.9 and Onslow Early College 27.2.
ACT averages in North Carolina's largest school districts
Districts with at least 1,500 graduates tested in the class of 2026.
| District | Tested | Average composite | Met all three benchmarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Union County | 3,306 | 20.6 | 34.0% |
| Wake County | 12,091 | 20.5 | 32.6% |
| Buncombe County | 1,686 | 19.2 | 24.0% |
| New Hanover County | 1,864 | 19.2 | 25.2% |
| Cabarrus County | 2,642 | 18.5 | 24.7% |
| Charlotte-Mecklenburg | 9,106 | 18.3 | 23.3% |
| Iredell-Statesville | 1,683 | 18.2 | 19.9% |
| Onslow County | 1,896 | 18.1 | 16.1% |
| Durham | 2,268 | 18.0 | 19.2% |
| Winston-Salem/Forsyth | 3,941 | 17.8 | 17.9% |
| Pitt County | 1,784 | 17.8 | 18.1% |
| Johnston County | 2,758 | 17.7 | 16.2% |
| Cumberland County | 3,439 | 17.6 | 14.5% |
| Alamance-Burlington | 1,739 | 17.2 | 14.0% |
| Gaston County | 2,162 | 17.2 | 15.2% |
| Guilford County | 4,955 | 16.8 | 13.6% |
Source: NCDPI, 2025-26 ACT Benchmark Percentages for Graduating Seniors.
Smaller districts can post higher averages: Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools averaged 24.1 across 899 graduates tested, with 53.8% meeting all three benchmarks.
The UNC System's 17
The UNC System requires a test score only from applicants with a weighted GPA from 2.5 up to 2.79, who need at least an ACT of 17 or SAT of 930. That bar matters: of the 359 high schools with at least 100 graduates tested, 158 averaged below 17. At 2.8 and above, scores are optional at the System level. See NC College Connect for the System's full minimums.
At the top end, UNC-Chapel Hill's enrolling first-year students in fall 2026 had a middle-50% ACT of 30-34; see UNC-Chapel Hill and NC State admissions.
What this means for you
- North Carolina's school averages are more comparable than most. Because nearly every junior tests, a school's average reflects its class, not a self-selected group like in states where few students take the test, such as Georgia.
- Your junior-year ACT counts. It's the score most North Carolina graduates have on file; if you're near a GPA or scholarship cutoff, a retake can help.
- If your weighted GPA is under 2.8, aim for at least a 17. It's the UNC System's minimum for that GPA range.
- North Carolina's class of 2027 National Merit Semifinalist cutoff is 217, which is based on the PSAT/NMSQT, not the ACT.