Table 138.

ACT score averages and standard deviations, by sex and race/ethnicity, and percentage of ACT test takers, by selected composite score ranges and planned fields of study: Selected years, 1995 through 2007

Score type and test-taker characteristic	Number											Standard deviation1
	1995	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20
Total test takers Number (in thousands)	945	995	1,019	1,065	1,070	1,116	1,175	1,171	1,186	1,206	1,301	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†
Percentage of graduates	37.5	37.7	36.9	37.6	37.6	38.4	38.9	38.2	38.1	38.0	40.2	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†
	Average test score2
Composite, total	20.8	21.0	21.0	21.0	21.0	20.8	20.8	20.9	20.9	21.1	21.2	4.7	4.7	4.7	4.7	4.8	4.8	4.8	—
Sex
Male	21.0	21.2	21.1	21.2	21.1	20.9	21.0	21.0	21.1	21.2	21.2	4.9	4.9	4.9	4.9	5.0	5.0	5.0	5.0
Female	20.7	20.9	20.9	20.9	20.9	20.7	20.8	20.9	20.9	21.0	21.0	4.6	4.6	4.6	4.6	4.7	4.7	4.7	4.7
Race/ethnicity
White	—	22.7	22.7	22.7	21.8	21.7	21.7	21.8	21.9	22.0	22.1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Black	—	17.9	17.9	17.8	16.9	16.8	16.9	17.1	17.0	17.1	17.0	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Mexican American	—	19.6	19.6	19.5	18.5	18.2	18.3	18.4	18.4	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Other Hispanic	—	20.7	20.7	20.5	19.4	18.8	19.0	18.8	18.9	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Hispanic	—	—	—	—	—	18.4	18.5	18.5	18.6	18.6	18.7	†	†	†	†	—	—	—	—
Asian American or Pacific Islander	—	22.6	22.3	22.4	21.7	21.6	21.8	21.9	22.1	22.3	22.6	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
American Indian/Alaska Native	—	20.4	20.4	20.4	18.8	18.6	18.7	18.8	18.7	18.8	18.9	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Subject area
English	20.2	20.4	20.5	20.5	20.5	20.2	20.3	20.4	20.4	20.6	20.7	5.4	5.5	5.5	5.6	5.8	5.8	5.9	—
Male	19.8	19.9	20.0	20.0	20.0	19.7	19.8	19.9	20.0	20.1	20.2	5.4	5.5	5.6	5.6	5.8	5.8	5.9	6.0
Female	20.6	20.8	20.9	20.9	20.8	20.6	20.7	20.8	20.8	21.0	21.0	5.4	5.5	5.5	5.6	5.7	5.8	5.8	5.9
Mathematics	20.2	20.8	20.7	20.7	20.7	20.6	20.6	20.7	20.7	20.8	21.0	5.1	5.0	5.0	5.0	5.0	5.1	5.0	—
Male	20.9	21.5	21.4	21.4	21.4	21.2	21.2	21.3	21.3	21.5	21.6	5.3	5.2	5.2	5.2	5.3	4.8	5.3	5.3
Female	19.7	20.2	20.2	20.2	20.2	20.1	20.1	20.2	20.2	20.3	20.4	4.8	4.7	4.8	4.7	4.8	5.3	4.8	4.8
Reading	21.3	21.4	21.4	21.4	21.3	21.1	21.2	21.3	21.3	21.4	21.5	6.0	6.0	6.1	6.0	6.1	6.1	6.0	—
Male	21.1	21.1	21.1	21.2	21.1	20.9	21.0	21.1	21.0	21.1	21.2	6.2	6.1	6.1	6.1	6.3	5.3	6.1	6.1
Female	21.4	21.6	21.6	21.5	21.5	21.3	21.4	21.5	21.5	21.6	21.6	5.9	5.9	6.0	6.0	6.1	4.8	5.9	6.0
Science reasoning	21.0	21.1	21.0	21.0	21.0	20.8	20.8	20.9	20.9	20.9	21.0	4.6	4.5	4.5	4.6	4.6	4.6	4.6	—
Male	21.6	21.8	21.5	21.6	21.6	21.3	21.3	21.3	21.4	21.4	21.4	4.9	4.8	4.8	4.9	4.9	4.9	4.9	4.9
Female	20.5	20.6	20.6	20.6	20.6	20.4	20.4	20.5	20.5	20.5	20.5	4.3	4.2	4.3	4.3	4.3	4.3	4.3	4.3
	Percent
Obtaining composite scores of—
28 or above	—	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	11	11	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
17 or below	—	25	25	25	25	27	27	26	26	25	25	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Planned major field of study
Business3	13	12	12	11	11	10	10	9	9	9	8	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Engineering4	8	8	8	8	7	7	7	6	6	6	5	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Social science5	9	9	9	9	9	8	8	7	7	6	5	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Education6	8	9	9	9	8	8	7	7	6	6	5	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—

— Not available. † Not applicable. 1 Standard deviations not available for 1995, 2006, and 2007. 2 Minimum score is 1 and maximum score is 36. 3 Includes business and management, business and office, and marketing and distribution. 4 Includes engineering and engineering-related technologies. 5 Includes social science and philosophy, religion, and theology. 6 Includes education and teacher education. NOTE: Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. SOURCE: ACT, High School Profile Report, selected years, 1995 through 2007. (This table was prepared August 2007.)