- 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
College Readiness Benchmark Attainment
Percent of ACT-Tested High School Graduates by Number of ACT College Readiness Benchmarks Attained, 2011
Graph reads: In 2011, 25% (or 397,712) of ACT-tested high school graduates met all 4 College Readiness Benchmarks.
| Number of Benchmarks Attained | Number of Students | Percent of Students |
|---|---|---|
| No Benchmarks | 458,399 | 28.00% |
| 1 Benchmark | 245,604 | 15.00% |
| 2 Benchmarks | 278,528 | 17.00% |
| 3 Benchmarks | 242,869 | 15.00% |
| All 4 Benchmarks | 397,712 | 25.00% |
More than 1.6 million students of the high school graduating class of 2011 took the ACT during high school.
- Seventy-two percent of these students met at least 1 of the 4 College Readiness Benchmarks.
- There are far too many students—28%—that meet none of the College Readiness Benchmarks. ACT research shows that these students are less likely to enroll in college, persist over time, and complete a degree program within 6 years.
College Type Attended by Number of College Readiness Benchmarks Attained, 2011
Graph reads: 80% of the ACT-tested high school graduating class of 2011 who met all 4 College Readiness Benchmarks enrolled at a 4-year college.
| Number of Benchmarks Attained | 4-Year College | 2-Year College | Not Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|
| No Benchmarks | 23% | 26% | 50% |
| 1 Benchmark | 45% | 24% | 31% |
| 2 Benchmarks | 56% | 20% | 25% |
| 3 Benchmarks | 69% | 13% | 18% |
| All 4 Benchmarks | 80% | 6% | 14% |
Note: Percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding.
Of the ACT-tested high school graduating class of 2011, 53% enrolled in a 4-year college, 18% enrolled in a 2-year college, and 29% did not enroll in college.
- A student’s likelihood of enrolling in a 4-year college increased with the number of College Readiness Benchmarks attained.
- A student’s likelihood of either enrolling in a 2-year college or not enrolling in college decreased as the number of College Readiness Benchmarks attained increased.
- Of those high school graduates who met either 0 or 1 Benchmark, more than 300,000 did not enroll in college.