Massachusetts ACT Scores Highest in Country

Bring on the student loans.

Massachusetts students who took the ACT college entrance exam scored on average higher than students in any other state, according to data released Wednesday by American College Testing.

Massachusetts' 24.8 composite score is the average of four tests, all scored on a scale of 1-36. The national average this year was 20.8. New Hampshire and Connecticut were tied for second with a score of 24.5.

The caveat is that only 28 percent of Massachusetts graduates tested; the national average was 64 percent. On balance, lower scores appear to correlate with higher percentage of graduates tested. The SAT remains the more popular test on the East Coast, though the ACT has gained traction here.

Here's how Massachusetts did in the four subjects tested, scored by the percentage of students who reached the benchmark: (The benchmark indicates a student is 75 percent likely to obtain a C or better in a first-year college course.)

• English: Tied for second with Connecticut, 85 percent of students (National average: 61.)
• Reading: First, 71 percent of students (National average: 44)
• Math: First, 74 percent of students (National average: 41)
• Science: Tied for first with New Hampshire, Connecticut, 61 percent of students (National average: 36)

More than 2.1 million nationwide took the ACT this time around. SAT scores are expected to be released in the fall.

>>>Read more about the ACT here<<<