PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota’s graduating class of 2025 earned an average ACT composite score of 21.0, well above the national average of 19.4. The ACT is a standardized test used for college admissions in the United States. The test includes four academic skill areas: English, mathematics, reading, and science.

A full 60 percent of South Dakota’s 2025 graduates took the ACT, continuing the state’s upward trend on percent of students tested.

Currently, the ACT is optional for students who are considering pursuing postsecondary education. Beginning in the spring of 2026, all South Dakota juniors at public schools will take the test, as it will replace the previously required state assessment at the high school level. The ACT will be administered as part of the school day.

“These numbers reflect what we know to be true – that South Dakota students who take the ACT are well-prepared to move on following their K-12 careers,” said Secretary of Education Joe Graves. “Providing all public-school juniors the opportunity to demonstrate their readiness this spring is an exciting and important step. Having an ACT score in hand can open doors to opportunities students may never have considered before. I look forward to seeing students who would not typically take the ACT realize what their future may hold.”

The average score of 21.0 reflects a steady three-year trend. Other points of interest include:

• A total of 6,157 South Dakota students took the ACT. Twenty-nine students scored a perfect 36 in English; 64 hit that mark in Reading.

• Of those who indicated their first choice of postsecondary education, 75 percent preferred colleges or universities in South Dakota.
• 41 percent of South Dakota test-takers met college readiness benchmarks in three or four of the four academic skill areas, as compared with 33 percent in the Midwest and 30 percent of students nationally. The benchmark rate indicates a level of achievement to have a 50 percent chance of obtaining a B or higher or about a 75-80 percent chance of earning a C or higher in corresponding credit-bearing courses.

• Similar to last year, of those students who indicated a specific planned educational major, the most common area of preferred study in the state was health science and technologies, followed by business.

Average Composite ACT Scores – South Dakota vs. National*

*Reflects all test-takers, from public and non-public schools, who graduated in the year indicated.

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