Average ACT Composite score remains steady; 30% of 2024 graduates meet at least three ACT College Readiness Benchmarks
“Every student deserves to understand their readiness for life after high school,” ACT CEO Janet Godwin said. “When students are able to test during the school day at no cost to them, it opens doors to postsecondary, scholarship, and career opportunities for many students who didn’t know that college could be an option. These states, districts, and schools are removing barriers and helping ensure students remain steadfast on their paths from high school to college and career — and are helping strengthen their communities in the process.”
ACT — the mission-driven provider of assessments, research, and work-ready credentials — has partnerships with state departments of education and local school districts that have helped increase the number of students who participate in school-day testing. These programs help remove financial and access barriers and help students understand their potential for success in college.
“Since 2014, Alabama has ensured that every student has the opportunity to take the ACT,” said Dr. Eric Mackey, state superintendent of the Alabama State Department of Education. “We celebrate the strides we've made in reducing barriers to testing, which has helped open doors for countless students to either pursue postsecondary education or enter the workforce — whatever path they feel is right for them. Although we’ve made progress, we’re committed to addressing the remaining challenges and ensuring every student has the opportunity to get a holistic view of their college and career readiness.”
While the percentage of students testing during the school day grew in comparison to self-selected weekend testing, average scores remained steady. The national average ACT Composite score for the high school class of 2024 — students who were freshmen during the first full year of COVID-19 learning disruptions — was 19.4, comparable to the 19.5 average for the class of 2023.
Additionally, 30% of 2024 high school graduates met three or four of ACT’s College Readiness Benchmarks in English, math, reading, and science, while 57% met one or more benchmark. Students who meet the ACT College Readiness Benchmarks have a roughly 50% chance of earning a B or better in the corresponding first-year college courses and a roughly 75% chance of earning a C or better.
ACT data from prior graduating classes shows that 84% of students who have met all four benchmarks graduate with postsecondary degrees within six years. Only 38% of students who meet zero benchmarks and 56% of students meeting one benchmark graduate in that time.
Additional Research Findings:
- Roughly 1.4 million high school seniors took the ACT test, comparable to last year’s total.
- The average ACT Superscore, which is the average of a student’s best scores from each section across multiple test attempts, was 19.9.
- Twenty-six percent of PreACT test takers who said they didn’t plan to attend college ended up enrolling.
- Fifty-eight percent of high schoolers who took the ACT WorkKeys assessment from 2022-2024 qualified for the ACT WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate at a Silver level or higher, meaning they demonstrated essential foundational skills for the majority of jobs in the U.S.
The data released include ACT test score results from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, including 23 states with required or optional statewide school-day testing programs. View the data using the data visualization tool.
About ACT
ACT is transforming college and career readiness pathways so that everyone can discover and fulfill their potential. Grounded in more than 65 years of educational research, ACT’s assessments, learning resources, and work-ready credentials are trusted by students, job seekers, educators, schools, government agencies, and employers in the U.S. and around the world to help people achieve their education and career goals at every stage of life. Visit us at www.act.org.
Contact: Allie Ciaramella; allie.ciaramella@act.org