Information Brief 2012-10
ACT College Readiness Benchmark Attainment by Career Interests
The chart below shows how attainment of the ACT College Readiness Benchmarks in English, mathematics, reading, and science among ACT-tested 2011 high school graduates varies with occupational choice across racial/ethnic groups. The percentage of students who met all 4 ACT College Readiness Benchmarks varies substantially both by occupational choice and by racial/ethnic group.
Percentage Meeting All 4 College Readiness Benchmarks by Occupational Choice
| Occupational Field | African American | Asian | Hispanic | White |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Applied Arts (Visual) | 3 | 21 | 7 | 20 |
| Community Service | 4 | 38 | 10 | 26 |
| Education | 2 | 26 | 7 | 22 |
| Engineering & Technologies | 7 | 44 | 18 | 46 |
| Health Care | 1 | 19 | 4 | 14 |
| Management | 3 | 31 | 9 | 26 |
| Medical Diagnosis & Treatment | 9 | 54 | 19 | 39 |
| Natural Science & Technologies | 8 | 50 | 19 | 42 |
| Social Science | 6 | 40 | 12 | 32 |
| All Students | 4 | 39 | 11 | 29 |
Note: The data for “All Students” are based on approximately 1.6 million students who took the ACT® test in 2011. All other data are based on a subset of 944,366 students who reported an occupational choice and were very sure or fairly sure about their choice. About 6 percent of these students were very sure or fairly sure about their choice but did not specify it.
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