Enrolling in College

Chart Table

Percent of ACT-Tested Students Who Enrolled in College by ACT Composite Score and Gender

ACT Composite Score Range	Female	Male
1–15	42%	33%
16–19	66%	58%
20–23	81%	74%
24–27	87%	82%
28–32	89%	86%
33–36	85%	85%

Graph reads: 42% of females with an ACT Composite score in the range of 1–15 enrolled in college during fall 2013.

Note: Based on 99.5% of the ACT-tested high school graduating class of 2013 who reported gender.

As ACT Composite score increases, the percentage of students who enrolled in college increases. The one exception is for students in the score range of 33–36, who attended college at lower rates than their peers in the score range of 28–32. This decrease is due, in part, to the absence of some highly selective colleges within National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) data.
With the exception of students in the score range of 33–36, a larger percentage of females than males enrolled in college.
The college enrollment rate gap between females and males decreases as ACT Composite score increases.

Chart Table

Percent of ACT-Tested Students Who Enrolled in College by ACT Composite Score and Parent Education Level

No College	Some College	Bachelor’s Degree	Graduate Degree
1–15	33%	42%	50%	52%
16–19	54%	64%	71%	74%
20–23	69%	76%	82%	84%
24–27	79%	83%	87%	87%
28–32	85%	87%	89%	88%
33–36	87%	88%	87%	85%

Graph reads: 33% of students with an ACT Composite score in the range of 1–15 whose parents did not attend college enrolled in college during fall 2013.

Note: Based on 82% of the ACT-tested high school graduating class of 2013 who reported parent education level.

Within each level of parent education, the percentage of students who enrolled in college increases with ACT Composite score, with the exception of students in the 33–36 score range whose parents have a graduate degree.
There are differences in college-going rates by parent education level within the lower ranges of the ACT Composite score scale. In particular, enrollment rates increase with an increase in parents’ education levels. These enrollment rate gaps by parent education level diminish as ACT Composite score increases.

Chart Table

Percent of ACT-Tested Students Who Enrolled in College by ACT Composite Score and Degree Plans

Less Than Bachelor’s Degree	Bachelor’s Degree	Graduate Degree
1–15	23%	46%	48%
16–19	38%	66%	70%
20–23	49%	78%	82%
24–27	56%	84%	87%
28–32	64%	88%	88%
33–36	69%	87%	85%

Graph reads: 23% of students with an ACT Composite score in the range of 1–15 who planned to earn less than a bachelor’s degree enrolled in college during fall 2013.

Note: Based on 87% of the ACT-tested high school graduating class of 2013 who reported degree plans.

When students register for the ACT, they can select a college major that they plan to enter upon enrolling in college. Among ACT-tested high school graduates, 79% selected a specific major, whereas 15% indicated that they were undecided about their planned major.

Students who planned to earn less than a bachelor’s degree entered college at far lower rates than students who planned to earn either a bachelor’s or graduate degree, regardless of ACT Composite score range.
For students who planned to earn less than a bachelor’s degree, the percentage of students who enrolled in college increases in a linear fashion with ACT Composite score. For students with higher degree aspirations, enrollment rates flatten out in the upper ranges of the score scale. The largest enrollment rate gaps among these groups are therefore in the middle ranges of the score scale.

Chart Table

Percent of ACT-Tested Students Who Enrolled in College by ACT Composite Score and Planned Major Status

ACT Composite Score Range	Selected a Planned Major	Undecided about Planned Major
1–15	42%	41%
16–19	64%	65%
20–23	78%	78%
24–27	85%	85%
28–32	88%	87%
33–36	86%	83%

Graph reads: 41% of students with an ACT Composite score in the range of 1–15 who were undecided about their planned major enrolled in college during fall 2013.

Note: Based on 94% of the ACT-tested high school graduating class of 2013 who either selected a planned major or indicated that they were undecided when they registered for the ACT.

At the time of ACT registration, students can select a specific planned major from a list of 294 alternatives. These alternatives can be grouped into 18 planned major areas.

For most of the ACT Composite score range, there is essentially no difference in the college enrollment rates of students who selected a planned major and those who were undecided about their choice of planned major.
Among both groups of students, the percentage of students who enrolled in college increases with ACT Composite score (again, with the exception of students in the score range of 33–36).

Chart Table

Percent of ACT-Tested Students Who Enrolled in College by ACT Composite Score and a Subset of Planned Major Areas

ACT Composite Score Range	Repair, Production, and Construction	Architecture	Communications
1–15	21%	39%	53%
16–19	36%	62%	73%
20–23	49%	77%	84%
24–27	62%	86%	88%
28–32	69%	89%	90%
33–36	64%	86%	87%

Graph reads: 21% of students with an ACT Composite score in the range of 1–15 who planned to major in the area of Repair, Production, and Construction enrolled in college during fall 2013.

Note: Based on 79% of the ACT-tested high school graduating class of 2013 who selected a planned major when they registered for the ACT.

The chart shows enrollment rates by ACT Composite score for students in a subset of planned major areas. As the chart illustrates, the percentage who enrolled in college differed considerably by their planned major area.
Students who planned to major in the area of Repair, Production, and Construction had the lowest enrollment rates, whereas students who planned to major in the area of Communications had the highest enrollment rates.

Chart Table

Percent of ACT-Tested Students Who Enrolled in College by Gender and Planned Major Area

Planned Major	Female	Male
Engineering	84%	74%
Communications	83%	74%
Sciences: Biological & Physical	83%	78%
Architecture	78%	66%
Education	78%	70%
Comp. Sci. & Mathematics	77%	71%
English & Foreign Lang.	77%	68%
Health Sci. & Techno.	76%	75%
Social Sciences & Law	76%	70%
Business	75%	74%
Area, Eth. & Multidiscip. Studies	72%	56%
Agric. & Nat. Res. Cons	72%	62%
Eng. Tech. & Drafting	67%	57%
Philosophy, Religion, & Theology	66%	61%
Arts: Visual & Performing	65%	55%
Health Admin. & Assisting	63%	65%
Commun, Fam., & Personal Svcs	53%	46%
Repair, Production, & Construction	43%	34%

Graph reads: 84% of females and 74% of males who selected a planned major in the area of Engineering enrolled in college during fall 2013.

Note: Based on 79% of the ACT-tested high school graduating class of 2013 who reported gender and selected a planned major when they registered for the ACT.