Number of students taking ACT in Utah increased in 2022

SALT LAKE CITY — The number of Utah students taking the ACT college entrance exam increased by 8.6% in 2022, according to a news release from Utah State Board of Education.

However, the average composite score among Utah students dropped from 20.6 to 19.9.

At the national level, ACT participation grew by 4.2%. There was also a drop in the average composite score nationally from 20.3 to 19.8.

The state provides funding to make it possible for all high school juniors to take the ACT. During the pandemic in 2020, schools were closed before students were able to take the test. As a result, many students had to use vouchers to take the test later in the year. 

In 2021, there was an 11% decline in the number of students taking the test in Utah. 

“We are pleased to see a rebound, even if not a full rebound, in the number of Utah students taking the ACT,” said Sydnee Dickson, state superintendent of public instruction in a news release. “It’s important for us as a state to see how college-ready our students are. It is even more important that each student in the state see how college-ready she or he is.”

According to the news release, Utah had the highest composite average score among states with at least 90% of students taking the ACT. Additionally, Utah also had the highest percentage of students reaching the college benchmark among those states with at least 90% participation.

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