Oklahoma’s class of 2022 had the third-lowest average ACT score in the nation at 17.9. Only Mississippi and Nevada — where practically every high school senior took the test — had lower scores.
Scores are down nationally, with a national average of 19.8 out of 36. The class of 2022 had the poorest performance on the exam since 1991, the last time the nation’s average was below 20.
It’s a sharp decline from Oklahoma’s class of 2021, which scored an average of 19.7, though far fewer members of that class took the standardized test.
But test administrators cautioned COVID-19 caveats must be weighed against the poor performance.
“Context matters for the graduating class of 2022,” the ACT wrote in its report about the class of 2022. “This cohort endured the effects of a global pandemic spanning across the three years of their education: sophomore, junior and senior years.”
Colleges historically used the ACT as a factor for admission. Though through the pandemic, many — like the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University — have made tests optional.
