Minnesota’s recent graduating class led the 17 states in ACT average composite score for states in which all high school seniors took the test. In results released Thursday, Minnesota students posted an average composite score of 21.5, up from 21.1 for 2016.  Minnesota beat the national average score of 21.0.

Minnesota’s students also ranked fourth of 14 states when compared to states which tested over 50 percent but less than 100 percent of their students, trailing only Ohio, Iowa and Kansas which tested 75 percent, 67 percent and 63 percent of their students respectively. View scores by state

ACT also reports college readiness scores by subject based on standards and predicted college success.  Minnesota’s college readiness scores are below 50% for students tested in both math and science.

Minnesota ACT Scores, 100% of Graduates Tested with ACT

  Average Composite English Reading Math Science
ACT Score 21.5 20.4 21.5 21.8 21.6
Percent meeting ACT college readiness benchmarks 21.5 63% 50% 48% 42%

ACT, in its news release regarding the 2017 scores, highlighted that “Underserved students lag far behind their peers when it comes to college and career readiness.”  Underserved students are defined by ACT as “those who would be first generation in their family to attend college, come from low-income families and/or self-identify their race/ethnicity as minority.”  Read more

Learn more on the ACT scores with The Condition of College and Career Readiness, 2017, ACT