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Among 2010 high school graduates, those from Massachusetts led the nation in average ACT scores while graduates from Mississippi finished last, according to State ACT Profile Reports published by ACT, Inc. As explained below, however, it is important to consider “participation rates” when comparing average ACT scores by state. Participation rates are the percentage of graduates in each state who sit for the ACT exam.
The ACT college placement exam comprises four sections: English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science. An “ACT Composite” score is an average mark on all four sections. A perfect ACT Composite score is 36.
When collectively ranking high school graduates from each state by average ACT scores, it is necessary to consider participation rates because there is a statistically significant inverse correlation between participation rates and average ACT scores by state. That is to say, states that require all students to take the ACT exam (or those that have relatively high participation rates) are likely to have lower average ACT scores because all students are not college ready; to be sure, the U.S. Census shows that only 27.5% of adults have earned a Bachelor’s degree. All public high school eleventh graders in Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Tennessee, and Wyoming are required to sit for the ACT. Additionally, participation rates in New Mexico and Mississippi exceed 95%. It is expected, therefore, that these eight states will have relatively low average ACT scores.
With the foregoing as background, average ACT score rankings and participation rates are set forth below.
1. Average ACT Scores by State (2010) – Massachusetts
ACT Composite: 24.0
English: 24.0
Mathematics: 24.3
Reading: 24.2
Science: 23.1
Participation Rate: 21%
2. (tie) Average ACT Scores by State (2010) – Connecticut
ACT Composite: 23.7
English: 23.8
Mathematics: 23.5
Reading: 23.9
Science: 22.9
Participation Rate: 24%
Average ACT Scores by State (2010) – New Hampshire
ACT Composite: 23.7
English: 23.6
Mathematics: 23.5
Reading: 24.1
Science: 22.9
Participation Rate: 17%
4. Average ACT Scores by State (2010) – New York
ACT Composite: 23.3
English: 22.7
Mathematics: 23.6
Reading: 23.3
Science: 23.1
Participation Rate: 27%
5. (tie) Average ACT Scores by State (2010) – Maine
ACT Composite: 23.2
English: 23.2
Mathematics: 23
Reading: 23.6
Science: 22.5
Participation Rate: 10%
Average ACT Scores by State (2010) – New Jersey
ACT Composite: 23.2
English: 23.1
Mathematics: 23.6
Reading: 23.2
Science: 22.4
Participation Rate: 17%
Average ACT Scores by State (2010) – Vermont
ACT Composite: 23.2
English: 22.8
Mathematics: 22.8
Reading: 23.7
Science: 22.8
Participation Rate: 26%
8. (tie) Average ACT Scores by State (2010) – Delaware
ACT Composite: 23.0
English: 22.8
Mathematics: 22.7
Reading: 23.4
Science: 22.5
Participation Rate: 13%
Average ACT Scores by State (2010) – Washington
ACT Composite: 23.0
English: 22.6
Mathematics: 23.1
Reading: 23.5
Science: 22.5
Participation Rate: 19%
10. Average ACT Scores by State (2010) – Minnesota
ACT Composite: 22.9
English: 22.3
Mathematics: 22.9
Reading: 23.2
Science: 22.8
Participation Rate: 70%
11. Average ACT Scores by State (2010) – Rhode Island
ACT Composite: 22.8
English: 22.8
Mathematics: 22.4
Reading: 23.3
Science: 22
Participation Rate: 11%
12. (tie) Average ACT Scores by State (2010) – Indiana
ACT Composite: 22.3
English: 21.7
Mathematics: 22.4
Reading: 22.6
Science: 21.9
Participation Rate: 26%
Average ACT Scores by State (2010) – Maryland
ACT Composite: 22.3
English: 22.0
Mathematics: 22.3
Reading: 22.4
Science: 21.8
Participation Rate: 18%
Average ACT Scores by State (2010) – Virginia
ACT Composite: 22.3
English: 22.0
Mathematics: 22.1
Reading: 22.5
Science: 21.9
Participation Rate: 22%
15. (tie) Average ACT Scores by State (2010) – California
ACT Composite: 22.2
English: 21.7
Mathematics: 22.9
Reading: 22.3
Science: 21.5
Participation Rate: 22%
Average ACT Scores by State (2010) – Iowa
ACT Composite: 22.2
English: 21.8
Mathematics: 21.8
Reading: 22.6
Science: 22.3
Participation Rate: 60%
17. Average ACT Scores by State (2010) – Nebraska
ACT Composite: 22.1
English: 21.8
Mathematics: 21.6
Reading: 22.4
Science: 22.0
Participation Rate: 73%
Average ACT Scores by State (2010) – Wisconsin
ACT Composite: 22.1
English: 21.5
Mathematics: 22.0
Reading: 22.3
Science: 22.2
Participation Rate: 69%
19. (tie) Average ACT Scores by State (2010) – Kansas
ACT Composite: 22.0
English: 21.4
Mathematics: 21.7
Reading: 22.3
Science: 21.9
Participation Rate: 75%
Average ACT Scores by State (2010) – Montana
ACT Composite: 22.0
English: 21.3
Mathematics: 21.7
Reading: 22.7
Science: 21.9
Participation Rate: 58%
21. Average ACT Scores by State (2010) – North Carolina
ACT Composite: 21.9
English: 21.1
Mathematics: 22.3
Reading: 22.2
Science: 21.6
Participation Rate: 16%
Average ACT Scores by State (2010) – Pennsylvania
ACT Composite: 21.9
English: 21.3
Mathematics: 22.1
Reading: 22.1
Science: 21.4
Participation Rate: 17%
23. Average ACT Scores by State (2010) – Idaho
ACT Composite: 21.8
English: 21.2
Mathematics: 21.4
Reading: 22.4
Science: 21.6
Participation Rate: 60%
Average ACT Scores by State (2010) – Ohio
ACT Composite: 21.8
English: 21.2
Mathematics: 21.5
Reading: 22.1
Science: 21.8
Participation Rate: 66%
Average ACT Scores by State (2010) – South Dakota
ACT Composite: 21.8
English: 21.1
Mathematics: 21.6
Reading: 21.6
Science: 22
Participation Rate: 79%
Average ACT Scores by State (2010) – Utah
ACT Composite: 21.8
English: 21.4
Mathematics: 21.1
Reading: 22.5
Science: 21.7
Participation Rate: 71%
27. (tie) Average ACT Scores by State (2010) – Hawaii
ACT Composite: 21.6
English: 20.9
Mathematics: 22.2
Reading: 21.5
Science: 21.2
Participation Rate: 22%
Average ACT Scores by State (2010) – Missouri
ACT Composite: 21.6
English: 21.5
Mathematics: 21.0
Reading: 22.0
Science: 21.6
Participation Rate: 69%
29. (tie) Average ACT Scores by State (2010) – Nevada
ACT Composite: 21.5
English: 20.8
Mathematics: 21.5
Reading: 22.0
Science: 21.3
Participation Rate: 30%
Average ACT Scores by State (2010) – North Dakota
ACT Composite: 21.5
English: 20.7
Mathematics: 21.4
Reading: 21.7
Science: 21.6
Participation Rate: 81%
Average ACT Scores by State (2010) – Oregon
ACT Composite: 21.5
English: 20.5
Mathematics: 21.5
Reading: 22.0
Science: 21.3
Participation Rate: 34%
32. Average ACT Scores by State (2010) – Alaska
ACT Composite: 21.1
English: 20.3
Mathematics: 21.2
Reading: 21.7
Science: 20.9
Participation Rate: 28%
33. Average ACT Scores by State (2010) – Texas
ACT Composite: 20.8
English: 19.7
Mathematics: 21.4
Reading: 20.8
Science: 20.9
Participation Rate: 33%
34. Average ACT Scores by State (2010) – Georgia
ACT Composite: 20.7
English: 20.1
Mathematics: 20.7
Reading: 20.9
Science: 20.5
Participation Rate: 44%
Average ACT Scores by State (2010) – Illinois
ACT Composite: 20.7
English: 20.3
Mathematics: 20.7
Reading: 20.8
Science: 20.5
Participation Rate: 100%
Average ACT Scores by State (2010) – Oklahoma
ACT Composite: 20.7
English: 20.4
Mathematics: 19.9
Reading: 21.2
Science: 20.6
Participation Rate: 73%
Average ACT Scores by State (2010) – West Virginia
ACT Composite: 20.7
English: 20.7
Mathematics: 19.6
Reading: 21.3
Science: 20.6
Participation Rate: 64%
38. Average ACT Scores by State (2010) – Colorado
ACT Composite: 20.6
English: 19.9
Mathematics: 20.4
Reading: 21.1
Science: 20.7
Participation Rate: 100%
39. (tie) Average ACT Scores by State (2010) – Alabama
ACT Composite: 20.3
English: 20.4
Mathematics: 19.5
Reading: 20.7
Science: 20.2
Participation Rate: 78%
Average ACT Scores by State (2010) – Arkansas
ACT Composite: 20.3
English: 20.1
Mathematics: 19.9
Reading: 20.6
Science: 20.2
Participation Rate: 81%
41. (tie) Average ACT Scores by State (2010) – Louisiana
ACT Composite: 20.1
English: 20.1
Mathematics: 19.6
Reading: 20.2
Science: 20.2
Participation Rate: 98%
Average ACT Scores by State (2010) – New Mexico
ACT Composite: 20.1
English: 19.3
Mathematics: 19.7
Reading: 20.5
Science: 20.2
Participation Rate: 66%
43. Average ACT Scores by State (2010) – Arizona
ACT Composite: 20.0
English: 18.9
Mathematics: 20.4
Reading: 20.2
Science: 19.9
Participation Rate: 28%
Average ACT Scores by State (2010) – South Carolina
ACT Composite: 20.0
English: 19.2
Mathematics: 20.1
Reading: 20.0
Science: 20.0
Participation Rate: 52%
Average ACT Scores by State (2010) – Wyoming
ACT Composite: 20.0
English: 19
Mathematics: 19.8
Reading: 20.4
Science: 20.1
Participation Rate: 100%
46. Average ACT Scores by State (2010) – Michigan
ACT Composite: 19.7
English: 18.9
Mathematics: 19.7
Reading: 19.7
Science: 19.9
Participation Rate: 100%
47. Average ACT Scores by State (2010) – Tennessee
ACT Composite: 19.6
English: 19.4
Mathematics: 19
Reading: 19.9
Science: 19.6
Participation Rate: 100%
48. Average ACT Scores by State (2010) – Florida
ACT Composite:
English: 19.5
Mathematics: 18.6
Reading: 19.7
Science: 20.1
Participation Rate: 65%
49. Average ACT Scores by State (2010) – Kentucky
ACT Composite: 19.4
English: 18.9
Mathematics: 19.1
Reading: 19.7
Science: 19.5
Participation Rate: 100%
50. Average ACT Scores by State (2010) – Mississippi
ACT Composite: 18.8
English: 18.6
Mathematics: 18.3
Reading: 18.8
Science: 18.8
Participation Rate: 96%
Source(s):
“ACT Scores and Participation Rate,” California Post-Secondary Education Commission
“Average Scores by State,” ACT, Inc.
