Georgia’s graduating class of 2025 did slightly better than students the prior school year on the ACT college entrance exam, according to data released this week by state officials.

Here are five things to know about the numbers.

Georgia’s nine year streak

The average composite score for Georgia students was 21.4 — an increase from 21.2 in 2024. The national average was 19.4. It was the ninth consecutive year Georgia students fared above the national average, state officials said.

Well-read

Georgia students did well in the reading category, with an average composite score of 22.4. That was the highest of any subject area.

Benchmark performance

Sixty-three percent of Georgia students met the ACT benchmark in English, which was the highest in any subject. The lowest benchmark performance was in math, which was 42%.

Head of the class

The Forsyth, Buford and Decatur city school districts ranked first, second and third statewide in average composite scores. Three other metro Atlanta school districts — Cobb, Fayette and Gwinnett — also ranked among the top 10 statewide. The Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology had the highest average composite score of any Georgia school, 29.5. It also ranked first statewide in recently released SAT scores.

Fewer test-takers

About 30,000 students took the ACT during the past school year, according to Georgia Department of Education officials. Slightly more than 33,000 did during the 2023-24 school year.

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