Understanding the Average ACT Score in Mississippi

The ACT (American College Testing) is a standardized test widely used for college admissions in the United States. It assesses high school students' general educational development and their ability to complete college-level work. The ACT covers four academic areas: English, mathematics, reading, and science. Many universities require prospective students to take either the ACT or SAT, as standardized tests are believed to be one of the most effective tools for predicting students’ success in college. Many schools accept both scores, and typically there is no preference for one exam over the other.

Understanding the average ACT score, particularly within a specific state like Mississippi, can offer valuable insights for students, parents, and educators. This article delves into the average ACT scores in Mississippi, examining its significance and providing context for interpreting these scores.

Why State Averages Matter

Why would you care what the average ACT score by state is? A lot of colleges and universities have admissions officers who focus on a particular region. Believe me, they’re more than familiar with what the average score looks like in your area! So if your score is slightly lower than average for the college-but far above average in your state-it might not hurt your chances as much as you think it might. Understanding the average ACT score in Mississippi provides a benchmark for students to gauge their performance. It helps contextualize individual scores and offers a broader perspective on college readiness within the state.

National Context of ACT Scores

The ACT is scored on a scale of 1-36, with 36 being the highest possible score. This scored is calculated by averaging the scaled scores from each of the four subject areas. The scaled scores are translated from each section’s raw score, which is the total number of correct answers. The composite score, which is the average of the four test scores, is rounded to the nearest whole number. Fractions less than one-half are rounded down, and fractions greater than one-half are rounded up. In 2024, the national average ACT score was 19.4 (Source: 2024 National ACT Profile Report). So the overall averages are really not all that helpful in contextualizing your score.

In 2019/2020, 1.67 million students took the ACT. The score a student receives corresponds to a percentile that compares how you did to the rest of the test-takers’ population. Most scores are a little below or a little above the average score. The average ACT score is 20.6. A “good” score depends on the individual since each person usually has a goal score to achieve to get into the school they plan to apply for.

Read also: SAT Requirements for LSU

Mississippi's Average ACT Score

In 2024, Mississippi had 100% of its high school graduates taking the ACT. According to the data, Mississippi's average composite score was 17.7. This is lower than the national average of 19.4.

Factors Influencing ACT Scores

Several factors can influence a state's average ACT score. These include:

Percentage of Students Taking the ACT: States with 100% participation rates often have lower average scores because all students, not just those planning to attend college, are taking the test.
Socioeconomic Factors: Socioeconomic disparities within a state can impact access to quality education and test preparation resources, thereby affecting ACT scores.
Educational Policies and Funding: State-level education policies, funding for schools, and the quality of instruction can significantly influence student performance on standardized tests.
Curriculum Alignment: The alignment of high school curricula with the content covered on the ACT can affect how well students perform.

Benchmarks for College Readiness

Benchmarks are one way of determining college readiness and what constitutes a “good” ACT score, and they’re more reliable than comparing your score to the 19.4 average. The “benchmark” scores for each section show the threshold above which high school graduates can expect to be reasonably prepared for college courses in this subject area.

Individual High School Data

Next, you can look at average ACT scores for your high school. Many students can access this data on their high school’s “Profile” sheet. In fact, this is a really crucial piece of paper. Did you know that this is the info colleges use to understand how your high school compares to other high schools, as well as how you compare with to fellow students? As you might expect, more selective schools have high average scores (even up to the highest possible score of 36!), while less selective schools have lower average scores.

Trends Over Time

The average composite score for all students, irrespective of race, has been on a downward trend for the past five years. In 2024, the national average composite score (19.4) was the lowest since 1990. The overall percentage of graduates who take the ACT appears to be dropping, with the figure down by 21 percentage points from 10 years ago (57% in 2014 vs. 36% in 2024). The average ACT score has been decreasing as well. High school graduating class of 2024, took the ACT. This is much lower than the 58% of high school graduates who took the test in 2016.

Read also: Decoding Princeton Admissions

ACT Scores and College Admissions

Your ACT score can be a very important factor in determining college admissions. Different colleges have varying average ACT score ranges. While some universities may look for students with scores in the 30s, others may consider scores in the mid-20s as competitive.

Ivy League students have some of the highest ACT score averages. To be in the middle 50% of admitted students, you need a near-perfect score. Even then, these colleges all have single-digit acceptance rates. As of the 2024-2025 application cycle, many of the Ivy League schools have reinstated their standardized test requirements.

Schools with higher acceptance rates tend to have lower ACT score averages. Both Brigham Young and Ohio State accept over half of their applicants, and both schools have average ACT composite scores ranging from the high 20s to the low 30s. This is in contrast to colleges with acceptance rates lower than 5%, such as Stanford and MIT, both of which require near-perfect scores to be in the middle 50% of the class.

Improving Your ACT Score

There are a number of ways to approach improving your ACT score. So, if you studied hard and increased your ACT score from a 16 to a 20, that is a huge win! You are now way better prepared than “average you” was before.

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