ACT and SAT participation trends, 2006 to 2013
This table examines the number of students who took college admission tests in the 50 states and the District of Columbia in the high school classes of 2006 and 2013. Shown are data for the ACT test and for the SAT test, as well as the change from one class to the other in total and percentage terms. Data are from College Board and ACT reports.
Analysis: Where SAT usage fell, and possible reasons
Interactive: Explore the SAT trends from the country
Jurisdiction | ACT 2006 | ACT 2013 | Change | Percent change | SAT 2006 | SAT 2013 | Change | Percent change | ACT share 2006 | ACT share 2013 | SAT share 2006 | SAT share 2013 | SAT share change (percentage points) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alabama | 32,860 | 38,122 | 5,262 | 16% | 3,879 | 3,558 | -321 | -8% | 89% | 91% | 11% | 9% | -2 |
Alaska | 1,987 | 2,724 | 737 | 37% | 3,945 | 3,867 | -78 | -2% | 33% | 41% | 67% | 59% | -8 |
Arizona | 10,740 | 31,658 | 20,918 | 195% | 18,615 | 22,283 | 3,668 | 20% | 37% | 59% | 63% | 41% | -22 |
Arkansas | 21,005 | 25,875 | 4,870 | 23% | 1,489 | 1,172 | -317 | -21% | 93% | 96% | 7% | 4% | -2 |
California | 55,733 | 107,243 | 51,510 | 92% | 191,740 | 234,767 | 43,027 | 22% | 23% | 31% | 77% | 69% | -9 |
Colorado | 47,105 | 56,027 | 8,922 | 19% | 11,806 | 7,518 | -4,288 | -36% | 80% | 88% | 20% | 12% | -8 |
Connecticut | 5,093 | 11,551 | 6,458 | 127% | 34,522 | 36,053 | 1,531 | 4% | 13% | 24% | 87% | 76% | -11 |
Delaware | 471 | 1,423 | 952 | 202% | 6,406 | 9,669 | 3,263 | 51% | 7% | 13% | 93% | 87% | -6 |
District of Columbia | 1077 | 1,647 | 570 | 53% | 3,593 | 3,977 | 384 | 11% | 23% | 29% | 77% | 71% | -6 |
Florida | 66,299 | 124,131 | 57,832 | 87% | 94,601 | 112,554 | 17,953 | 19% | 41% | 52% | 59% | 48% | -11 |
Georgia | 25,064 | 48,505 | 23,441 | 94% | 58,309 | 72,119 | 13,810 | 24% | 30% | 40% | 70% | 60% | -10 |
Hawaii | 2,260 | 5,345 | 3,085 | 137% | 7,821 | 8,590 | 769 | 10% | 22% | 38% | 78% | 62% | -16 |
Idaho | 9,602 | 8,624 | -978 | -10% | 3,163 | 17,352 | 14,189 | 449% | 75% | 33% | 25% | 67% | 42 |
Illinois | 137,399 | 160,066 | 22,667 | 16% | 12,694 | 6,893 | -5,801 | -46% | 92% | 96% | 8% | 4% | -4 |
Indiana | 13,237 | 26,227 | 12,990 | 98% | 41,568 | 48,476 | 6,908 | 17% | 24% | 35% | 76% | 65% | -11 |
Iowa | 22,233 | 22,526 | 293 | 1% | 1,477 | 1,054 | -423 | -29% | 94% | 96% | 6% | 4% | -2 |
Kansas | 23,056 | 24,268 | 1,212 | 5% | 2,545 | 1,823 | -722 | -28% | 90% | 93% | 10% | 7% | -3 |
Kentucky | 29,786 | 49,551 | 19,765 | 66% | 4,417 | 2,158 | -2,259 | -51% | 87% | 96% | 13% | 4% | -9 |
Louisiana | 33,139 | 45,305 | 12,166 | 37% | 2,622 | 2,461 | -161 | -6% | 93% | 95% | 7% | 5% | -2 |
Maine | 1,536 | 1,283 | -253 | -16% | 10,895 | 14,501 | 3,606 | 33% | 12% | 8% | 88% | 92% | 4 |
Maryland | 7,758 | 13,820 | 6,062 | 78% | 45,231 | 48,106 | 2,875 | 6% | 15% | 22% | 85% | 78% | -8 |
Massachusetts | 8,865 | 16,058 | 7,193 | 81% | 59,529 | 60,791 | 1,262 | 2% | 13% | 21% | 87% | 79% | -8 |
Michigan | 72,751 | 120,451 | 47,700 | 66% | 10,405 | 4,300 | -6,105 | -59% | 87% | 97% | 13% | 3% | -9 |
Minnesota | 41,650 | 44,676 | 3,026 | 7% | 6,106 | 3,749 | -2,357 | -39% | 87% | 92% | 13% | 8% | -5 |
Mississippi | 23,765 | 27,749 | 3,984 | 17% | 1,151 | 996 | -155 | -13% | 95% | 97% | 5% | 3% | -1 |
Missouri | 42,885 | 49,217 | 6,332 | 15% | 4,266 | 2,743 | -1,523 | -36% | 91% | 95% | 9% | 5% | -4 |
Montana | 6,033 | 6,631 | 598 | 10% | 3,024 | 2,308 | -716 | -24% | 67% | 74% | 33% | 26% | -8 |
Nebraska | 15,892 | 17,745 | 1,853 | 12% | 1,498 | 827 | -671 | -45% | 91% | 96% | 9% | 4% | -4 |
Nevada | 4,935 | 7,602 | 2,667 | 54% | 7,120 | 11,403 | 4,283 | 60% | 41% | 40% | 59% | 60% | 1 |
New Hampshire | 1,779 | 2,987 | 1,208 | 68% | 12,354 | 11,338 | -1,016 | -8% | 13% | 21% | 87% | 79% | -8 |
New Jersey | 7,823 | 24,202 | 16,379 | 209% | 82,990 | 83,489 | 499 | 1% | 9% | 22% | 91% | 78% | -14 |
New Mexico | 11,539 | 13,423 | 1,884 | 16% | 2,549 | 2,303 | -246 | -10% | 82% | 85% | 18% | 15% | -3 |
New York | 29,967 | 53,287 | 23,320 | 78% | 153,518 | 157,989 | 4,471 | 3% | 16% | 25% | 84% | 75% | -9 |
North Carolina | 10,359 | 95,782 | 85,423 | 825% | 52,690 | 58,100 | 5,410 | 10% | 16% | 62% | 84% | 38% | -46 |
North Dakota | 6,335 | 7,102 | 767 | 12% | 291 | 174 | -117 | -40% | 96% | 98% | 4% | 2% | -2 |
Ohio | 81,564 | 92,813 | 11,249 | 14% | 34,970 | 22,205 | -12,765 | -37% | 70% | 81% | 30% | 19% | -11 |
Oklahoma | 26,425 | 28,988 | 2,563 | 10% | 2,549 | 1,879 | -670 | -26% | 91% | 94% | 9% | 6% | -3 |
Oregon | 4,409 | 12,857 | 8,448 | 192% | 18,357 | 18,440 | 83 | 0% | 19% | 41% | 81% | 59% | -22 |
Pennsylvania | 12,651 | 26,171 | 13,520 | 107% | 103,445 | 101,368 | -2,077 | -2% | 11% | 21% | 89% | 79% | -10 |
Rhode Island | 920 | 1,612 | 692 | 75% | 8,130 | 8,025 | -105 | -1% | 10% | 17% | 90% | 83% | -7 |
South Carolina | 14,816 | 20,868 | 6,052 | 41% | 23,556 | 26,320 | 2,764 | 12% | 39% | 44% | 61% | 56% | -6 |
South Dakota | 6,807 | 6,723 | -84 | -1% | 335 | 262 | -73 | -22% | 95% | 96% | 5% | 4% | -1 |
Tennessee | 44,985 | 69,641 | 24,656 | 55% | 7,091 | 5,296 | -1,795 | -25% | 86% | 93% | 14% | 7% | -7 |
Texas | 73,524 | 109,841 | 36,317 | 49% | 129,784 | 172,870 | 43,086 | 33% | 36% | 39% | 64% | 61% | -3 |
Utah | 21,561 | 34,514 | 12,953 | 60% | 2,090 | 1,835 | -255 | -12% | 91% | 95% | 9% | 5% | -4 |
Vermont | 1,528 | 2,005 | 477 | 31% | 5,505 | 4,720 | -785 | -14% | 22% | 30% | 78% | 70% | -8 |
Virginia | 11,519 | 22,165 | 10,646 | 92% | 56,336 | 60,640 | 4,304 | 8% | 17% | 27% | 83% | 73% | -10 |
Washington | 9,685 | 14,316 | 4,631 | 48% | 34,150 | 40,254 | 6,104 | 18% | 22% | 26% | 78% | 74% | -4 |
West Virginia | 10,990 | 11,426 | 436 | 4% | 3,508 | 2,774 | -734 | -21% | 76% | 80% | 24% | 20% | -5 |
Wisconsin | 44,275 | 46,574 | 2,299 | 5% | 4,012 | 2,632 | -1,380 | -34% | 92% | 95% | 8% | 5% | -3 |
Wyoming | 3,871 | 5,896 | 2,025 | 52% | 570 | 223 | -347 | -61% | 87% | 96% | 13% | 4% | -9 |
SOURCE: Washington Post analysis of College Board and ACT data. GRAPHIC: Nick Anderson and Dan Keating - The Washington Post. Published March 14, 2014.