- About This Report
- College Readiness Benchmark Attainment
- Participation
- Student Migration and Academic Achievement
- Time of First Testing
- EOS Participation
- Score-Sending Behavior
- Enrollment by College Preference
- Interest-Major Fit
- Predictors of Success
- Key Findings and Recommendations
- Recent ACT Research
Student Migration and Academic Achievement
Distance to College
Of those ACT-tested high school graduates who enrolled in college, the median distance between home and college was 51 miles.
Median Distance to College by ACT Composite Score, 2011
Graph reads: Among ACT-tested college students with an ACT Composite score between 33 and 36, the median distance between home and college was 172 miles.
| ACT Composite Score Range | Distance (in Miles) |
|---|---|
| 1–15 | 18 |
| 16–19 | 27 |
| 20–23 | 45 |
| 24–27 | 78 |
| 28–32 | 112 |
| 33–36 | 172 |
National = 51 miles
The distance between a student’s home and college increased exponentially with ACT Composite score.
- For students with a score of 15 or lower, the median distance to college was less than 20 miles.
- For students with a score between 33 and 36, the median distance to college was just over 170 miles.
Median Distance to College by State Category, 2011
Graph reads: Among ACT-tested college students from “SAT” states, the median distance between home and college was 77 miles.
| State Category | Distance (in Miles) |
|---|---|
| ACT+ | 41 |
| ACT | 44 |
| ACT/SAT | 33 |
| SAT | 77 |
| SAT+ | 87 |
| National | 51 |
The distance between an ACT-tested student’s home and college also differed considerably by the ACT and SAT participation rates in the state.
- A typical ACT-tested student from an “SAT” or “SAT+” state traveled farther to attend college than a student from an “ACT” or “ACT+” state.
- The median distance to college for ACT-tested students from “SAT+” states was 87 miles. This is more than twice the median distance to college traveled by students from “ACT+” states.