Utah Students Outperform National Average on ACT Exams
The state's class of 2026 achieved an average composite score of 20.1, surpassing the national mark of 18.8.
Updated on Oct. 22, 2026 in Secondary Education
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Utah's 2026 high school graduates reached an average ACT composite score of 20.1, showing an improvement from the 19.9 average recorded by the class of 2025. This performance keeps the state ahead of the current national average of 18.8.
Why it matters
High participation rates and state-funded testing resources contribute to Utah's consistent performance metrics. These results provide insight into college readiness across local districts.
Over 44,700 students participated in the 2025-2026 school year, representing more than 90% of the graduating class. Performance varied locally, with Park City High School leading at 22.8, followed by Silver Summit Academy at 21.5 and Wasatch High at 21.2.
The players
Utah State Board of Education
This government entity manages K-12 public education policies and provides funding for student testing initiatives throughout the state.
Shmoop
This company provides educational technology and free test preparation resources to students in Utah.
The details
The Utah State Board of Education supports student participation by funding one ACT attempt for every junior in the state. To assist with test preparation, the state also provides free access to resources through the company Shmoop.
Timeline
During the 2025-2026 school year, Utah students took the ACT exam.
Culture Shift
The state's approach reflects a broader trend of integrating universal testing into the public school experience to standardize college readiness metrics. This shift mirrors initiatives in other states that seek to increase post-secondary access by removing financial barriers to entrance exams.
Families can utilize the state-provided test preparation resources to help their students improve future scores. Because the state funds one attempt for juniors, students should ensure they participate during the designated school year to avoid unnecessary testing costs.
The takeaway
Students should leverage state-funded preparation tools early to maximize their performance on the exam. Understanding local district averages can help families gauge how individual school performance compares within the regional landscape.
Further reading
For additional context on local academic metrics, visit the Secondary Education section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KPCW Radio.
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