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| Table 226.50. | Number and percentage of graduates taking the ACT test; average scores and standard deviations, by sex and race/ethnicity; and percentage of test takers with selected composite scores and planned fields of postsecondary study: Selected years, 1995 through 2015 |
| Score type and test-taker characteristic | 1995 | 2000 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 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 | 1,924 |
| Percent of all graduates1 | 37.5 | 37.6 | 38.2 | 38.6 | 40.6 | 42.9 | 44.2 | 45.6 | 47.0 | 48.2 | 51.7 | 53.0 | 55.3 |
| Average test score2 | |||||||||||||
| 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 | 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 | 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 | 21.0 |
| Race/ethnicity | |||||||||||||
| White | — | 21.8 | 21.9 | 22.0 | 22.1 | 22.1 | 22.2 | 22.3 | 22.4 | 22.4 | 22.2 | 22.3 | 22.4 |
| Black | — | 17.0 | 17.0 | 17.1 | 17.0 | 16.9 | 16.9 | 16.9 | 17.0 | 17.0 | 16.9 | 17.0 | 17.1 |
| Hispanic | — | — | 18.6 | 18.6 | 18.7 | 18.7 | 18.7 | 18.6 | 18.7 | 18.9 | 18.8 | 18.8 | 18.9 |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | — | 21.7 | 22.1 | 22.3 | 22.6 | 22.9 | 23.2 | 23.4 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Asian | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 23.6 | 23.6 | 23.5 | 23.5 | 23.9 |
| Pacific Islander | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 19.5 | 19.8 | 19.5 | 18.6 | 18.8 |
| American Indian/Alaska Native | — | 19.0 | 18.7 | 18.8 | 18.9 | 19.0 | 18.9 | 19.0 | 18.6 | 18.4 | 18.0 | 18.0 | 17.9 |
| Two or more races | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 21.1 | 21.4 | 21.1 | 21.2 | 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 | 20.4 |
| 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 | 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 | 20.8 |
| 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 | 20.8 |
| 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 | 21.3 |
| 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 | 20.4 |
| 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 | 21.4 |
| 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 | 21.2 |
| 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 | 21.6 |
| 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 | 20.9 |
| 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 | 21.3 |
| 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 | 20.6 |
| Standard deviation3 | |||||||||||||
| Composite score, total | — | 4.7 | — | 4.8 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.1 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.3 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.5 |
| 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 | 6.7 |
| 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 | 5.4 |
| 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 | 6.4 |
| 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 | 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 | 14 |
| 17 or below | — | 25 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 30 |
| Planned major field of study | |||||||||||||
| Business4 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Education5 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Engineering6 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 |
| Health sciences and technologies | — | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 |
| Social sciences7 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| —Not available. | |||||||||||||
| 1 Those members of the graduating class who had taken the ACT test as a percentage of all students who graduated in that school year. For example, the 2015 column shows test-taking members of the class of 2015 as a percentage of all 2014-15 high school graduates. | |||||||||||||
| 2 Minimum score is 1 and maximum score is 36. | |||||||||||||
| 3 Standard deviations not available for racial/ethnic groups. | |||||||||||||
| 4 For years prior to 2011, includes business and management, business and office, and marketing and distribution. | |||||||||||||
| 5 For years prior to 2011, includes education and teacher education. | |||||||||||||
| 6 Includes engineering as well as engineering technology and drafting. | |||||||||||||
| 7 Includes 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 test during their sophomore, junior, or senior year. If a student took the ACT test more than once, the composite and subject-area scores from the most recent test were 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 2015. 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 2009-10; "State Dropout and Completion Data File," 2005-06 through 2012-13; Public School Graduates and Dropouts from the Common Core of Data, 2007-08 and 2008-09; Private School Universe Survey (PSS), 1995 through 2013; and National High School Graduates Projection Model, 1972-73 through 2025-26. (This table was prepared January 2016.) |