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Table 226.50. | 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 postsecondary study: Selected years, 1995 through 2014 |
Score type and test-taker characteristic | 1995 | 2000 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
Total test takers | ||||||||||||
Number (in thousands) | 945 | 1,065 | 1,186 | 1,206 | 1,301 | 1,422 | 1,480 | 1,569 | 1,623 | 1,666 | 1,799 | 1,846 |
Percent of graduates | 37.5 | 37.6 | 38.2 | 38.6 | 40.6 | 42.9 | 44.2 | 45.6 | 47.1 | 48.3 | 52.8 | 54.8 |
Average test score1 | ||||||||||||
Composite score, total | 20.8 | 21.0 | 20.9 | 21.1 | 21.2 | 21.1 | 21.1 | 21.0 | 21.1 | 21.1 | 20.9 | 21.0 |
Sex | ||||||||||||
Male | 21.0 | 21.2 | 21.1 | 21.2 | 21.2 | 21.2 | 21.3 | 21.2 | 21.2 | 21.2 | 20.9 | 21.1 |
Female | 20.7 | 20.9 | 20.9 | 21.0 | 21.0 | 21.0 | 20.9 | 20.9 | 21.0 | 21.0 | 20.9 | 20.9 |
Race/ethnicity | ||||||||||||
White | — | 22.7 | 21.9 | 22.0 | 22.1 | 22.1 | 22.2 | 22.3 | 22.4 | 22.4 | 22.2 | 22.3 |
Black | — | 17.8 | 17.0 | 17.1 | 17.0 | 16.9 | 16.9 | 16.9 | 17.0 | 17.0 | 16.9 | 17.0 |
Hispanic | — | — | 18.6 | 18.6 | 18.7 | 18.7 | 18.7 | 18.6 | 18.7 | 18.9 | 18.8 | 18.8 |
Asian/Pacific Islander | — | 22.4 | 22.1 | 22.3 | 22.6 | 22.9 | 23.2 | 23.4 | — | — | — | — |
Asian | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 23.6 | 23.6 | 23.5 | 23.5 |
Pacific Islander | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 19.5 | 19.8 | 19.5 | 18.6 |
American Indian/Alaska Native | — | 20.4 | 18.7 | 18.8 | 18.9 | 19.0 | 18.9 | 19.0 | 18.6 | 18.4 | 18.0 | 18.0 |
Two or more races | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 21.1 | 21.4 | 21.1 | 21.2 |
Subject-area scores | ||||||||||||
English | 20.2 | 20.5 | 20.4 | 20.6 | 20.7 | 20.6 | 20.6 | 20.5 | 20.6 | 20.5 | 20.2 | 20.3 |
Male | 19.8 | 20.0 | 20.0 | 20.1 | 20.2 | 20.1 | 20.2 | 20.1 | 20.2 | 20.2 | 19.8 | 20.0 |
Female | 20.6 | 20.9 | 20.8 | 21.0 | 21.0 | 21.0 | 20.9 | 20.8 | 20.9 | 20.9 | 20.6 | 20.7 |
Mathematics | 20.2 | 20.7 | 20.7 | 20.8 | 21.0 | 21.0 | 21.0 | 21.0 | 21.1 | 21.1 | 20.9 | 20.9 |
Male | 20.9 | 21.4 | 21.3 | 21.5 | 21.6 | 21.6 | 21.6 | 21.6 | 21.6 | 21.7 | 21.4 | 21.4 |
Female | 19.7 | 20.2 | 20.2 | 20.3 | 20.4 | 20.4 | 20.4 | 20.5 | 20.6 | 20.6 | 20.5 | 20.5 |
Reading | 21.3 | 21.4 | 21.3 | 21.4 | 21.5 | 21.4 | 21.4 | 21.3 | 21.3 | 21.3 | 21.1 | 21.3 |
Male | 21.1 | 21.2 | 21.0 | 21.1 | 21.2 | 21.2 | 21.3 | 21.1 | 21.1 | 21.2 | 20.9 | 21.1 |
Female | 21.4 | 21.5 | 21.5 | 21.6 | 21.6 | 21.5 | 21.4 | 21.4 | 21.4 | 21.4 | 21.4 | 21.5 |
Science reasoning | 21.0 | 21.0 | 20.9 | 20.9 | 21.0 | 20.8 | 20.9 | 20.9 | 20.9 | 20.9 | 20.7 | 20.8 |
Male | 21.6 | 21.6 | 21.4 | 21.4 | 21.4 | 21.3 | 21.4 | 21.4 | 21.4 | 21.4 | 21.2 | 21.2 |
Female | 20.5 | 20.6 | 20.5 | 20.5 | 20.5 | 20.4 | 20.4 | 20.5 | 20.5 | 20.5 | 20.4 | 20.5 |
Standard deviation2 | ||||||||||||
Composite score, total | — | 4.7 | — | 4.8 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.1 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.3 | 5.4 | 5.4 |
Sex | ||||||||||||
Male | — | 4.9 | 5.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Female | — | 4.6 | 4.7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Subject-area scores | ||||||||||||
English | — | 5.5 | — | 5.9 | 6.0 | 6.1 | 6.3 | 6.4 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.6 |
Male | — | 5.6 | 6.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Female | — | 5.5 | 5.9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Mathematics | — | 5.0 | — | 5.0 | 5.1 | 5.2 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.3 |
Male | — | 5.2 | 5.3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Female | — | 4.8 | 4.8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Reading | — | 6.1 | — | 6.0 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.3 | 6.3 |
Male | — | 6.1 | 6.1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Female | — | 6.0 | 6.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Science reasoning | — | 4.5 | — | 4.6 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 5.0 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 5.2 | 5.3 | 5.5 |
Male | — | 4.8 | 4.9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Female | — | 4.3 | 4.3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Percent of ACT test takers | ||||||||||||
Composite score | ||||||||||||
28 or above | — | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
17 or below | — | 25 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 30 | 30 |
Planned major field of study | ||||||||||||
Business3 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
Education4 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 |
Engineering5 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 |
Health sciences and technologies | — | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 |
Social sciences6 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 |
—Not available. | ||||||||||||
1Minimum score is 1 and maximum score is 36. | ||||||||||||
2Standard deviations not available for racial/ethnic groups. | ||||||||||||
3For years prior to 2011, includes business and management, business and office, and marketing and distribution. | ||||||||||||
4For years prior to 2011, includes education and teacher education. | ||||||||||||
5Includes engineering and engineering-related technologies. | ||||||||||||
6Includes social sciences and philosophy, religion, and theology. For 2011 and later years, also includes law. | ||||||||||||
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 2014. 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 2005–06; "State Dropout and Completion Data File," 2005-06 through 2011-12; Private School Universe Survey (PSS), 1995 through 2011; and National High School Graduates Projection Model, 1972–73 through 2023–24. (This table was prepared March 2015.) |