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| Table 147. | 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 2009 |
| Score type and test-taker characteristic | 1995 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 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 | 1,480 |
| Percent of graduates | 37.5 | 36.8 | 36.9 | 37.6 | 37.6 | 38.4 | 39.0 | 38.4 | 38.2 | 38.6 | 39.9 | 42.5 | 44.5 |
| Average test score1 | |||||||||||||
| Composite score, 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 | 21.1 |
| 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 | 21.3 |
| 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 | 20.9 |
| 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 | 22.2 |
| Black | — | 17.9 | 17.9 | 17.8 | 16.9 | 16.8 | 16.9 | 17.1 | 17.0 | 17.1 | 17.0 | 16.9 | 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 | 18.7 |
| Asian American/Pacific Islander | — | 22.6 | 22.3 | 22.4 | 21.7 | 21.6 | 21.8 | 21.9 | 22.1 | 22.3 | 22.6 | 22.9 | 23.2 |
| 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 | 18.9 |
| Subject-area scores | |||||||||||||
| 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 | 20.6 |
| 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 | 20.2 |
| 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 | 20.9 |
| 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 | 21.0 |
| 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 | 21.6 |
| 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 | 20.4 |
| 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 | 21.4 |
| 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 | 21.3 |
| 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 | 21.4 |
| 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 | 20.9 |
| 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 | 21.4 |
| 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 | 20.4 |
| Standard deviation2 | |||||||||||||
| Composite score, total | — | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.8 | — | 4.8 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.1 |
| Sex | |||||||||||||
| Male | — | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | — | — | — | — |
| Female | — | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.7 | — | — | — | — |
| Subject-area scores | |||||||||||||
| English | — | 5.4 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.6 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.9 | — | 5.9 | 6.0 | 6.1 | 6.3 |
| Male | — | 5.4 | 5.5 | 5.6 | 5.6 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.9 | 6.0 | — | — | — | — |
| Female | — | 5.4 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.6 | 5.7 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.9 | — | — | — | — |
| Mathematics | — | 5.1 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.1 | 5.0 | — | 5.0 | 5.1 | 5.2 | 5.3 |
| Male | — | 5.3 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.3 | 4.8 | 5.3 | 5.3 | — | — | — | — |
| Female | — | 4.8 | 4.7 | 4.8 | 4.7 | 4.8 | 5.3 | 4.8 | 4.8 | — | — | — | — |
| Reading | — | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.1 | 6.0 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 6.0 | — | 6.0 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 6.2 |
| Male | — | 6.2 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 6.3 | 5.3 | 6.1 | 6.1 | — | — | — | — |
| Female | — | 5.9 | 5.9 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.1 | 4.8 | 5.9 | 6.0 | — | — | — | — |
| Science reasoning | — | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.6 | — | 4.6 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 5.0 |
| Male | — | 4.9 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.9 | — | — | — | — |
| Female | — | 4.3 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.3 | — | — | — | — |
| Percent of ACT test takers | |||||||||||||
| Obtaining composite scores of-- | |||||||||||||
| 28 or above | — | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 |
| 17 or below | — | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
| Planned major field of study | |||||||||||||
| Business3 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 11 | 12 |
| Engineering4 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 8 |
| Social science5 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| Education6 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| —Not available. | |||||||||||||
| 1 Minimum score is 1 and maximum score is 36. | |||||||||||||
| 2 Standard deviations not available for racial/ethnic groups. | |||||||||||||
| 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: Data are for high school graduates who took the ACT during their sophomore, junior, or senior year. If a student took a test more than once, the most recent score was used. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Some data have been revised from previously published figures. | |||||||||||||
| SOURCE: ACT, High School Profile Report, selected years, 1995 through 2009. U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data (CCD), "State Nonfiscal Survey of Public Elementary/Secondary Education," 1995-96 through 2006-07; Private School Universe Survey (PSS), 1995 through 2005; and Projections of Education Statistics to 2017. (This table was prepared August 2009.) |