Utah increased the number of students taking the ACT college entrance exam by 8.6 percent, or 3,401 students, in 2022 but saw average composite scores decline from 20.6 to 19.9. Nationally, the participation increase was only 4.2 percent and included a decline from 20.3 to 19.8 in average composite score, according to results released today by ACT.
Utah pays for all high school juniors to take the ACT. Because schools closed due to the pandemic before all juniors had taken the ACT in 2020, many students had to use vouchers to take the test at other times during the year. For 2021, then, Utah saw an 11 percent decline in the number of students taking the test. ACT’s data also showed a disproportionate number of students who identify as other than white or Asian and students who are economically disadvantaged who did not participate in 2021.
“We are pleased to see a rebound, even if not a full rebound, in the number of Utah students taking the ACT,” said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Sydnee Dickson. “It’s important for us as a state to see how college-ready our students are. It is even more important that each student in the state see how college-ready she or he is.
Among states with at least 90 percent of students taking the ACT, Utah had the highest average composite score and the highest percentage of students meeting college benchmarks in English, reading, mathematics, and science, ACT noted.
Utah’s ACT results compared to national results:
| Composite | English | Math | Reading | Science | |
| Utah 2022 | 19.9 | 18.9 | 19.4 | 20.6 | 20.2 |
| Nation 2022 | 19.8 | 19.0 | 19.3 | 20.4 | 19.9 |
| Utah 2021 | 20.6 | 19.7 | 20.1 | 21.3 | 20.8 |
| Nation 2021 | 20.3 | 19.6 | 19.9 | 20.9 | 20.4 |
| Utah 2019 | 20.3 | 19.5 | 20.0 | 20.8 | 20.3 |
| Nation 2019 | 20.7 | 20.1 | 20.4 | 21.2 | 20.7 |
Percentage of students who met college readiness benchmarks:
| English | Math | Reading | Science | All Four | |
| Utah 2022 | 55 | 32 | 43 | 33 | 21 |
| Nation 2022 | 53 | 31 | 41 | 32 | 22 |
| Utah 2021 | 59 | 38 | 46 | 37 | 26 |
| Nation 2021 | 56 | 36 | 44 | 35 | 25 |
| Utah 2019 | 57 | 37 | 42 | 34 | 24 |
| Nation 2019 | 59 | 39 | 45 | 36 | 26 |
Utah 2022 disaggregated ACT scores compared to 2021 results:
| 2022 | 2021 | 2019 | |
| All Students | 19.9 | 20.6 | 20.3 |
| American Indian | 16.2 | 16.2 | 16.1 |
| Asian | 21.6 | 21.9 | 21.2 |
| Black/African American | 16.3 | 16.5 | 16.6 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 17.0 | 17.6 | 17.3 |
| Pacific Islander | 16.6 | 16.7 | 16.6 |
| White | 21.1 | 21.5 | 21.3 |
| Two or more races | 20.2 | 21.2 | 20.7 |
