Georgia students still outpacing national average on ACT. See results by school.
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.
About the Author
Eric Stirgus joined The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2001. He is the newsroom's education editor. Born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., Eric is active in the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists and the Education Writers Association and enjoys mentoring aspiring journalists.
