ROSEVILLE, Minn. — Minnesota students in the class of 2020 earned the highest average ACT score in the nation – a composite score of 21.3 – compared to all other states where 90% or more of the students took the exam.
According to a press release from the Minnesota Department of Health, 49% of 2020 high school graduates took the ACT nationally, earning an average composite score of 20.6.
“Minnesota’s future depends on the success of our students today and I’m proud of the accomplishments of the class of 2020,” said Education Commissioner Mary Cathryn Ricker in a release. “We must continue to find ways for our school communities to support all of our students, especially as we work to tackle the disparities in our education system that have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. No matter the uncertainties of our present, together we will work to ensure that students of all backgrounds across our state are ready for what’s next in their lives after high school, whether that’s career or college.”
According to the release, the majority of the 2020 class took the ACT by fall of 2019 – before the pandemic began – and it's too early to determine how the pandemic will impact ACT testing for future graduating classes.
Thirty percent of the 2020 graduating class in Minnesota met all four ACT college-readiness benchmarks, which is four percentage points higher than the national average, according to the Minnesota Department of Education.
