Table 145.

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 2008

Score type and test-taker characteristic	Number												Standard deviation1
	1995	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24
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	1,422	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†
Percentage of graduates	37.5	36.8	36.9	37.6	37.6	38.4	39.0	38.4	38.2	37.8	40.1	43.1	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†
	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	21.1	4.7	4.7	4.7	4.7	4.8	4.8	4.8	—	4.8	5.0	5.0
Sex
Male	21.0	21.2	21.1	21.2	21.1	20.9	21.0	21.0	21.1	21.2	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	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	22.1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Black	—	17.9	17.9	17.8	16.9	16.8	16.9	17.1	17.0	17.1	17.0	16.9	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
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	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	22.9	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
American Indian/Alaska Native	—	20.4	20.4	20.4	18.8	18.6	18.7	18.8	18.7	18.8	18.9	19.0	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
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	20.6	5.4	5.5	5.5	5.6	5.8	5.8	5.9	—	5.9	6.0	6.1
Male	19.8	19.9	20.0	20.0	20.0	19.7	19.8	19.9	20.0	20.1	20.2	20.1	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	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	21.0	5.1	5.0	5.0	5.0	5.0	5.1	5.0	—	5.0	5.1	5.2
Male	20.9	21.5	21.4	21.4	21.4	21.2	21.2	21.3	21.3	21.5	21.6	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	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	21.4	6.0	6.0	6.1	6.0	6.1	6.1	6.0	—	6.0	6.1	6.1
Male	21.1	21.1	21.1	21.2	21.1	20.9	21.0	21.1	21.0	21.1	21.2	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	21.5	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	20.8	4.6	4.5	4.5	4.6	4.6	4.6	4.6	—	4.6	4.9	4.9
Male	21.6	21.8	21.5	21.6	21.6	21.3	21.3	21.3	21.4	21.4	21.4	21.3	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	20.4	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	12	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
17 or below	—	25	25	25	25	27	27	26	26	25	25	26	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Planned major field of study
Business3	13	12	12	11	11	10	10	9	9	9	8	11	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Engineering4	8	8	8	8	7	7	7	6	6	6	5	7	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Social science5	9	9	9	9	9	8	8	7	7	6	5	6	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Education6	8	9	9	9	8	8	7	7	6	6	5	6	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—

— Not available. † Not applicable. 1 Standard deviations not available for 1995. 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 2008. (This table was prepared August 2008.)