North Dakota ACT Scores Down, Below National Average

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota's average composite score on the ACT college-entrance exam had a slight decrease this year compared to 2015.

North Dakota's 20.3 score is lower than the national average of 20.8 and below the state's score of 20.6 from last year. The testing company says 7,379 North Dakota students took the ACT, that's an increase of 272 students from 2015.

Twenty-two percent of students who took the exam hit the college-prepared benchmark in the four core subjects tested — reading, English, math and science. Reaching three or more benchmarks indicates a strong readiness for college course work.

Nationwide, Nearly 2.1 million graduating seniors took the ACT, up from 1.9 million in the last school year. North Dakota is of the 20 states that funded ACT testing for all public school students in the 2016 graduating class.