JACKSON, Miss. ( WJTV ) – The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) released ACT results of all public high school juniors who took the test during the spring 2024 statewide administration.

According to MDE, the average composite score for 30,206 juniors was 17.4, which is a slight decrease from the 2023 average score of 17.5.

Previous years' scores were 17.4 in 2022 and 17.3 in 2021. The percentage of juniors meeting the benchmark scores for all four tested ACT subjects was 8.8%, which is a decrease from 9.3% in both 2023 and 2022. Compared to 2023, an increase of 1,924 juniors were assessed in 2024.

Among 2024 Mississippi public school graduates, the most recent average score was 17.5. The overall highest average score was 18.4, and the average superscore was 18.7. According to MDE, superscores are generated when a student takes the ACT multiple times, and the student's best scores from each of the four tested ACT subjects – English, mathematics, reading and science – are combined.

The national average ACT score for all public-school students in the class of 2024 was 19, compared to 19.1 in 2023. Officials said ACT scores nationwide have dropped in recent years as the population of students taking the test has broadened.

The MDE provides districts with two opportunities – ACT/SAT Prep I and ACT/SAT Prep II – to provide ACT preparation courses. In addition, school districts offer two specialized classes, the Essentials for College Literacy and the Essentials for College Math, as an option to help seniors who need to improve their ACT scores to qualify for early release.

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