Most high school students in the U.S. are not ready for college; they just don’t think so. That’s what a new study on college readiness revealed about high school graduates. Data showed that 43% of 2023 graduates failed to meet at least one of the ACT college readiness benchmarks. Benchmark scores in English, reading, math, and science are the minimum ACT scores required for students to have a high probability of college success. Students who meet a benchmark have a 50% chance of getting a B or better in college courses and a 75% chance of earning a C or better in the same course or courses.

Unfortunately, Louisiana high school students have some of the lowest benchmark rates in the nation. Only 47% of 2023 graduates met the English benchmark, tying for tenth lowest nationwide. In math, 19% met the benchmark, tying for the fifth lowest; in reading, 32%, tying for the seventh lowest; and in science, 22%, tying for the sixth lowest rank in the country.  

Learn more about the disconnect between student readiness and reality in Elizabeth Heubeck’s article High School Students Think They Are Ready for College. But They Aren’t, in Education Week.