Information Brief 2012-4
ACT College Readiness Benchmark Attainment in English by Race/Ethnicity and Income
The ACT College Readiness Benchmarks indicate readiness for credit-bearing first-year college coursework in English, reading, mathematics, and science. In English, 66% of ACT-tested 2011 high school graduates met the ACT College Readiness Benchmark, while 45% met the Benchmark in mathematics, 52% met the Benchmark in reading, and 30% met the Benchmark in science. The following chart shows how ACT-tested 2011 high school graduates’ college readiness in English varies with family income and race/ethnicity.
Percentage Meeting ACT College Readiness Benchmarks by Race/Ethnicity and Income—English
| Race/Ethnicity | % Meeting Benchmark | % Near Benchmark | % ≥ 3 pts below the Benchmark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian | 93 | 3 | 4 |
| White | 88 | 6 | 6 |
| Hispanic | 80 | 7 | 13 |
| African American | 61 | 12 | 27 |
| Race/Ethnicity | % Meeting Benchmark | % Near Benchmark | % ≥ 3 pts below the Benchmark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian | 82 | 7 | 11 |
| White | 78 | 9 | 13 |
| Hispanic | 60 | 12 | 28 |
| African American | 47 | 14 | 39 |
| Race/Ethnicity | % Meeting Benchmark | % Near Benchmark | % ≥ 3 pts below the Benchmark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian | 61 | 11 | 28 |
| White | 62 | 12 | 26 |
| Hispanic | 38 | 13 | 49 |
| African American | 29 | 14 | 57 |
Note: Based on data from 1,109,900 ACT-tested 2011 high school graduates in these racial/ethnic groups who reported family income. This count reflects a nonresponse rate of about 24% for these groups and may not be representative of the underlying population of ACT-tested high school graduates.
infobrief@act.org for more information or to suggest ideas for future ACT Information Briefs.