Take ACT Science if a college on your list requires or recommends it, or if you want a STEM score. It is optional and does not count toward your Composite, but it costs only $5 in the US ($10 elsewhere) and adds 40 minutes. Pomona requires it from anyone who submits the ACT, and Georgetown highly recommends it. Marquette, which you will still see listed as requiring it, now says on its own page that it does not.
Which colleges require ACT Science?
ACT's own FAQ calls it "an institution-specific decision", so the only reliable source is each college's page. Here is what four of them say, checked on 18 September 2026.
| College | What it says about ACT Science |
|---|---|
| Pomona College | Required if you submit the ACT. Pomona is test-optional, but ACT submitters must send the core ACT plus Science. |
| Georgetown University | Highly recommended, especially for science majors. Georgetown requires the SAT or ACT. |
| Marquette University | Not required. Students who submit the ACT without Science still count as test-submitting applicants. |
| MIT | Not required. MIT does not require ACT Science or Writing. |
The Marquette row is the one to learn from. At least one widely used tracker, updated in August 2026, still lists Marquette as requiring Science. Marquette's own admissions page says the opposite. Policies like this change between cycles, and lists copied from lists fall behind. Check every college on your list at the source, and search its site for "ACT Science" rather than trusting a summary, including this one.
For whether a college wants a score at all, start with which colleges require a test score.
What does ACT Science add to your score report?
Two new scores, and a rule you cannot undo.
You get a Science score on the same 1-36 scale, and a STEM score, which is the average of your Math and Science scores. Your Composite stays the same either way. The part to think about: ACT says that once you take Science, it provides the Science and STEM scores on all reports. You cannot show them to Pomona and hide them from everyone else.
If you test more than once, a superscore report also shows your highest Science score, separate from the superscore itself. How that works is in ACT superscore.
What does ACT Science cost you on test day?
| Core ACT | Core ACT with Science | |
|---|---|---|
| Questions | 131 | 171 |
| Testing time | 125 minutes | 165 minutes |
| Online test ends | 11:05 a.m. | 11:55 a.m. |
| US fee | $70 | $75 |
| Fee outside the US | $188.50 | $198.50 |
End times are from ACT's test-day page for the online test. Science has 40 questions in 40 minutes, and ACT scores 34 of them. The other six are unscored trial questions, the same arrangement explained in how the ACT is scored.
Who should skip ACT Science?
Skip it if no college on your list asks for it and you are not applying in science or engineering. The 40 minutes come after two hours of testing, and a weak Science score will sit on every report you send.
Take it if your list is not settled yet. $5 is cheap insurance against finding a Pomona on your list in November, after your last sitting. If you take it once and it goes badly, and no college on your final list wants it, leave it off your next sitting and send that date instead. Your Composite and your superscore never used it anyway.
What is on ACT Science?
Mostly charts and experiments, read against the clock. ACT's own blueprint puts Interpretation of Data at 36-47% of the section, with the rest split between scientific investigation and evaluating models and conclusions. The full breakdown, with the other sections, is in what's on the ACT now.
Science used to count. Until ACT's 2025 changes, the Composite averaged four sections, Science included. ACT began dropping Science from the Composite for online testing in April 2025, and from September 2025 it applied to all national testing.
Frequently asked questions
Is ACT Science required?
It is optional on the ACT and does not count toward the Composite. A few colleges still ask for it. Pomona requires it from anyone who submits the ACT, and Georgetown highly recommends it. Check each college's own admissions page.
Does ACT Science count toward the Composite?
No. Since the 2025 changes, the Composite averages English, Math and Reading only. Science gets its own 1-36 score and feeds a separate STEM score.
How much does ACT Science cost?
$5 as an add-on in the United States, making the test $75. Outside the US the add-on is $10, making the test $198.50.
Does Marquette require ACT Science?
No. Marquette's admissions page says the Science subsection is not required and that students who take the ACT without it still count as test-submitting applicants. Some third-party lists still say otherwise.
Does MIT require ACT Science?
No. MIT's admissions page says it does not require the ACT Writing or Science sections.
What is the ACT STEM score?
The average of your Math and Science scores. You only receive one if you take Science, and ACT then shows the Science and STEM scores on all of your reports.