Fast Facts: ACT Scores (897) - National Center For Education Statistics
Maybe your like
Fast Facts ACT scores
Question: What are the average scores for students taking the ACT?
Response:
The ACT (formerly the American College Testing Program) assessment program measures educational development and readiness to pursue college-level coursework in English, mathematics, natural science, and social studies. Student performance on the tests does not reflect innate ability and is influenced by a student's educational preparedness.
In 1995, some 38 percent of all high school graduates took the ACT.1 In 2023, some 37 percent of high school graduates were projected to take the ACT. The minimum score on the ACT is 1 and maximum score is 36.
| Number and percentage of graduates taking the ACT test and average scores, by sex and race/ethnicity: Selected years, 1995 through 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Score type and test-taker characteristic | 1995 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |||
| Total test takers | ||||||||||||||||||
| Number (in thousands) | 945 | 1,065 | 1,186 | 1,569 | 1,799 | 1,846 | 1,924 | 2,090 | 2,030 | 1,915 | 1,783 | 1,670 | 1,295 | 1,350 | 1,386 | |||
| Percent of all graduates1 | 38 | 38 | 38 | 46 | 52 | 532 | 542 | 582 | 562 | 512 | 48 | 452 | 352 | 362 | 372 | |||
| Average test score3 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Composite score, total | 20.8 | 21.0 | 20.9 | 21.0 | 20.9 | 21.0 | 21.0 | 20.8 | 21.0 | 20.8 | 20.7 | 20.6 | 20.3 | 19.8 | 19.5 | |||
| Sex | ||||||||||||||||||
| Male | 21.0 | 21.2 | 21.1 | 21.2 | 20.9 | 21.1 | 21.1 | 20.9 | 21.0 | 20.8 | — | 20.5 | 20.3 | 19.7 | 19.4 | |||
| Female | 20.7 | 20.9 | 20.9 | 20.9 | 20.9 | 20.9 | 21.0 | 20.9 | 21.1 | 20.9 | — | 20.8 | 20.6 | 20.0 | 19.7 | |||
| Race/ethnicity | ||||||||||||||||||
| American Indian/Alaska Native | — | 19.0 | 18.7 | 19.0 | 18.0 | 18.0 | 17.9 | 17.7 | 17.5 | 17.3 | 17.0 | 16.7 | 16.9 | 16.4 | 16.0 | |||
| Asian/Pacific Islander | — | 21.7 | 22.1 | 23.4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| Asian | — | — | — | — | 23.5 | 23.5 | 23.9 | 24.0 | 24.3 | 24.5 | 24.6 | 24.9 | 24.9 | 24.7 | 24.2 | |||
| Pacific Islander | — | — | — | — | 19.5 | 18.6 | 18.8 | 18.6 | 18.4 | 18.2 | 17.9 | 17.5 | 17.2 | 17.1 | 16.3 | |||
| Black | — | 17.0 | 17.0 | 16.9 | 16.9 | 17.0 | 17.1 | 17.0 | 17.1 | 16.9 | 16.8 | 16.7 | 16.3 | 16.1 | 16.0 | |||
| Hispanic | — | — | 18.6 | 18.6 | 18.8 | 18.8 | 18.9 | 18.7 | 18.9 | 18.8 | 18.7 | 18.5 | 18.3 | 17.7 | 17.4 | White | — | 21.8 | 21.9 | 22.3 | 22.2 | 22.3 | 22.4 | 22.2 | 22.4 | 22.2 | 22.1 | 22.0 | 21.7 | 21.3 | 21.0 |
| Two or more races | — | — | — | — | 21.1 | 21.2 | 21.2 | 21.0 | 21.2 | 21.1 | 21.0 | 20.9 | 20.6 | 20.1 | 19.8 | |||