Average ACT Scores by State (2010)

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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.