Average ACT Score Unchanged Despite More Takers

ACT, Colorado, standarized test

A report released yesterday by ACT, Inc, indicates that the average national score on the college entrance test has held steady, even though the number of students taken the test has increased.

The national average score on the ACT is 21.1 on a 36 point scale. The test contains four components: math, science, English, and reading. The test also has an optional writing portion that is scored separately. (The main competitor to the ACT is the SAT. See our article for more on the differences between the two tests.)

An article in today’s Chronicle of Higher Education (registration required) explains that the number of students taking the ACT has increased by 25% since 2005.

Much of this increase can be attributed to the fact that five states now require their high school students to take the exam. Those states are Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, Kentucky, and Wyoming.

So it’s interesting to note that while more and more students are taking the ACT exam–especially in the five states above–not all of these students are flocking to college. While the average ACT has gone up in Colorado, for example, the percentage of high school graduates going to college (and graduating!) has not gone up all that much.

Further, it’s interesting that with more people taking the test, the average has not fluctuated much.

You can also read about the ACT report in Jacques Steinberg’s article in the New York Times.

Educational Consultant

Jared Hobson

Jared serves as President of Great College Advice, where he sets strategic direction for the firm as well as being involved in sales & marketing and college consulting. Jared has an MBA from Cornell University, where he served on its Student Admissions Committee. His consulting philosophy emphasizes personalized attention to help identify the right college fit for each student.

Read Jared Hobson's Full Bio →

a boy writting on a application for with pen

Preview the Common App

Familiarize yourself with the Common App over the next few months so you are ready to get started when it goes live August 1.

Woman working on laptop and taking notes at desk near window. Studying, remote work, online learning.

NCAA D1 Swimmer on Working With a Consultant

Athletes need help identifying the best college fit, both academically and athletically. Here a former client describes how it works.

What Does Test Optional Mean? It Means Take the Tests

Great College Advice clarifies what test optional truly means and argues that most colleges still want your test scores. So take the SAT or ACT.

Compare Common App vs Coalition App. Discover key differences in scale, philosophy, ease of use, essays, and document handling to choose the best platform for your college applications.

Why Proofread Your Common App

Ready to hit that submit button? Wait just one minute and take the time to use the Common Application’s pdf preview option.

A close-up of a sharpened yellow pencil resting on a multiple-choice test answer sheet, with several answers filled in and one answer being marked.

When Do You Take the SAT or ACT

Today’s post outlines the steps for applying for an accommodated SAT or ACT test.

The Importance of Teaching in Choosing a University

Much is made of the importance of “faculty-student ratios” as an indicator of the quality of undergraduate teaching, or on the importance of teaching at a university. These ratios are unhelpful as a guide to understanding the priority paid to undergraduate teaching at a university.

Questions to Ask Professors on a College Tour

As students and their families organize themselves to visit college campuses, they usually focus on itineraries, on reserving hotel rooms, and on scheduling those campus tours. Only a few, however, consider direct contact with professors during the visit. Why would a visit with a professor be important?

Understanding the Pricing Model of Universities

Some universities are willing to discount tuition rates heavily in order to attract quality students. Other universities are not. Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, is one of those that generally does not discount for much of anything. They recruit students who generally will pay the full price of tuition. Scholarships do exist, and a small percentage of students may get them for one reason or another. But the fact is that different universities have different business models. And Samford is unabashedly a school that wants students who can pay the full cost.

College of Wooster – Changing Lives

The College of Wooster is a fantastic liberal arts college in a small town in Ohio. It’s a place that trains scholars–even students who are not scholars in high school. Wooster still requires a culminating research experience at the end of the four year Bachelors degree as a way to bring together everything one has learned.
Visiting a college is a good way to get a measure of the friendliness of a campus. Wooster gave me personalized attention when I arrived–even at 4:15 on a Friday afternoon in August.
If you want personalized attention and advice in choosing a college that is right for you, you might want to consult Montgomery Educational Consulting for some great college advice.

Average ACT Score Unchanged Despite More Takers

Jared Hobson

Related Posts