Alabama public high school students’ performance on the ACT was down slightly in 2018, after hitting a high point in 2017. Alabama students’ average score was 19.1 on a 36-point scale, compared to 19.2 in 2017. Over the past four years, Alabama scores have been stable, roughly paralleling the slight up and down of national scores.
Interactive charts in this report allow you to explore the results by system, and school, by subject, and by year.
How Does Alabama Compare?
The ACT is a test of college readiness and is used by colleges as a factor in the evaluation of applicants’ qualifications for admission. Alabama is one of 17 states that gives the ACT to all public high school students, whether they plan to apply for college or not. Among the states that give the test to all public high school students, Alabama ranks 13th, tied with North Carolina. The average scale score among the 100 percent states is 19.5.
More Alabama students, a higher percentage of enrolled seniors, and more students of color took the ACT in 2018, according to data provided by ACT and the Alabama Department of Education. This was particularly notable among Hispanic students. Though small in total numbers compared to whites and blacks, the number of Hispanics taking the ACT increased from 1,867 in 2015 to 2,886 in 2018 (55% increase). Black students taking the ACT increased over this period from 16,602 to 16,968 (2% increase), and whites slightly decreased from 29,337 to 29,100 (less than 0% change). Alabama public schools give the ACT in the junior year of high school. The final reported results here are for the students who graduated in 2018. Those students would have taken the ACT in 2017 at their own high school. If a student took the test subsequent to the administration at their high school, the student’s highest scores in each subject would be counted.
School Systems That Have Shown Improvement
In 2018, 85 out of 137 school systems in Alabama posted higher average composite scores on the ACT than they did in 2015. The top 10 systems in terms of improvement on students’ average composite score between 2015 and 2018 are listed below. A more complete listing can be found in the interactive charts.
| System | FY19 Title I Allocation | FY19 Title I Share | CARES Act Funding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autauga County | $2,015,111 | 0.85% | $1,665,034 |
| Baldwin County | $7,181,966 | 3.04% | $5,934,272 |
| Barbour County | $1,117,813 | 0.47% | $923,620 |
| Bibb County | $1,136,562 | 0.48% | $939,112 |
| Blount County | $1,857,742 | 0.79% | $1,535,004 |
| Bullock County | $1,057,211 | 0.45% | $873,546 |
| Butler County | $1,465,008 | 0.62% | $1,210,498 |
| Calhoun County | $2,343,197 | 0.99% | $1,936,123 |
| Chambers County | $1,468,129 | 0.62% | $1,213,077 |
| Cherokee County | $1,160,665 | 0.49% | $959,027 |
| Chilton County | $2,209,472 | 0.94% | $1,825,629 |
| Choctaw County | $706,284 | 0.30% | $583,584 |
| Clarke County | $1,136,753 | 0.48% | $939,270 |
| Clay County | $620,997 | 0.26% | $513,114 |
| Cleburne County | $661,121 | 0.28% | $546,267 |
| Coffee County | $622,300 | 0.26% | $514,190 |
| Colbert County | $973,628 | 0.41% | $804,484 |
| Conecuh County | $984,934 | 0.42% | $813,825 |
| Coosa County | $461,028 | 0.20% | $380,935 |
| Covington County | $1,024,845 | 0.43% | $846,803 |
| Crenshaw County | $726,604 | 0.31% | $600,374 |
| Cullman County | $2,646,898 | 1.12% | $2,187,063 |
| Dale County | $735,925 | 0.31% | $608,076 |
| Dallas County | $2,532,394 | 1.07% | $2,092,452 |
| DeKalb County | $3,605,443 | 1.53% | $2,979,084 |
| Elmore County | $2,431,596 | 1.03% | $2,009,165 |
| Escambia County | $1,773,008 | 0.75% | $1,464,991 |
| Etowah County | $2,360,861 | 1.00% | $1,950,718 |
| Fayette County | $741,250 | 0.31% | $612,476 |
| Franklin County | $1,118,280 | 0.47% | $924,006 |
| Geneva County | $1,233,656 | 0.52% | $1,019,338 |
| Greene County | $1,096,304 | 0.46% | $905,848 |
| Hale County | $1,064,770 | 0.45% | $879,792 |
| Henry County | $816,278 | 0.35% | $674,469 |
| Houston County | $1,818,814 | 0.77% | $1,502,839 |
| Jackson County | $1,605,980 | 0.68% | $1,326,980 |
| Jefferson County | $8,623,572 | 3.65% | $7,125,434 |
| Lamar County | $689,411 | 0.29% | $569,642 |
| Lauderdale County | $1,645,375 | 0.70% | $1,359,531 |
| Lawrence County | $1,378,657 | 0.58% | $1,139,149 |
| Lee County | $2,303,335 | 0.97% | $1,903,186 |
| limestone County | $1,980,946 | 0.84% | $1,636,804 |
| Lowndes County | $1,201,538 | 0.51% | $992,800 |
| Macon County | $1,469,401 | 0.62% | $1,214,128 |
| MadisonCounty | $2,735,265 | 1.16% | $2,260,079 |
| Marengo County | $964,944 | 0.41% | $797,308 |
| Marion County | $1,265,587 | 0.54% | $1,045,722 |
| Marshall County | $2,812,138 | 1.19% | $2,323,597 |
| Mobile County | $22,543,548 | 9.54% | $18,627,150 |
| Monroe County | $1,488,653 | 0.63% | $1,230,035 |
| Montgomery County | $15,736,948 | 6.66% | $13,003,032 |
| Morgan County | $1,575,570 | 0.67% | $1,301,853 |
| Perry County | $1,180,134 | 0.50% | $975,114 |
| Pickens County | $1,219,068 | 0.52% | $1,007,284 |
| Pike County | $968,610 | 0.41% | $800,337 |
| Randolph County | $883,343 | 0.37% | $729,883 |
| Russell County | $1,581,181 | 0.67% | $1,306,489 |
| Saint Clair County | $1,617,559 | 0.68% | $1,336,547 |
| Shelby County | $1,995,808 | 0.84% | $1,649,084 |
| Sumter County | $1,100,628 | 0.47% | $909,420 |
| Talladega County | $2,248,227 | 0.95% | $1,857,652 |
| Tallapoosa County | $1,083,587 | 0.46% | $895,340 |
| Tuscaloosa County | $4,139,916 | 1.75% | $3,420,705 |
| Walker County | $2,713,622 | 1.15% | $2,242,196 |
| Washington County | $854,779 | 0.36% | $706,282 |
| Wilcox County | $1,417,196 | 0.60% | $1,170,992 |
| Winston County | $667,959 | 0.28% | $551,917 |
| Albertville City | $2,159,918 | 0.91% | $1,784,684 |
| Alexander City | $1,162,522 | 0.49% | $960,562 |
| Alabaster City | $934,562 | 0.40% | $772,204 |
| Andalusia City | $679,008 | 0.29% | $561,047 |
| Anniston City | $1,704,666 | 0.72% | $1,408,521 |
| Arab City | $373,266 | 0.16% | $308,420 |
| Athens City | $727,673 | 0.31% | $601,257 |
| Attalla City | $354,765 | 0.15% | $293,133 |
| Auburn City | $1,063,225 | 0.45% | $878,515 |
| Bessemer City | $2,550,636 | 1.08% | $2,107,524 |
| Birmingham City | $17,588,570 | 7.44% | $14,532,980 |
| Boaz City | $555,277 | 0.23% | $458,811 |
| Brewton City | $367,449 | 0.16% | $303,614 |
| Chickasaw City | $565,231 | 0.24% | $467,036 |
| Cullman City | $719,803 | 0.30% | $594,755 |
| Daleville City | $666,872 | 0.28% | $551,019 |
| Decatur City | $2,734,986 | 1.16% | $2,259,848 |
| Demopolis City | $880,009 | 0.37% | $727,129 |
| Dothan City | $3,661,421 | 1.55% | $3,025,337 |
| Elba City | $290,085 | 0.12% | $239,690 |
| Enterprise City | $1,028,982 | 0.44% | $850,221 |
| Eufaula City | $1,199,278 | 0.51% | $990,932 |
| Fairfield City | $792,165 | 0.34% | $654,545 |
| Florence City | $1,622,056 | 0.69% | $1,340,263 |
| Fort Payne City | $951,215 | 0.40% | $785,964 |
| Gadsden City | $2,880,901 | 1.22% | $2,380,414 |
| Geneva City | $405,829 | 0.17% | $335,326 |
| Guntersville City | $382,409 | 0.16% | $315,975 |
| Haleyville City | $431,798 | 0.18% | $356,783 |
| Hartselle City | $298,079 | 0.13% | $246,295 |
| Homewood City | $403,335 | 0.17% | $333,265 |
| Hoover City | $1,182,873 | 0.50% | $977,377 |
| Huntsville City | $7,662,294 | 3.24% | $6,331,155 |
| Jacksonville City | $616,769 | 0.26% | $509,620 |
| Jasper City | $752,768 | 0.32% | $621,993 |
| Lanett City | $613,171 | 0.26% | $506,647 |
| Leeds City | $423,056 | 0.18% | $349,560 |
| Linden City | $415,449 | 0.18% | $343,275 |
| Madison City | $716,635 | 0.30% | $592,137 |
| Midfield City | $468,073 | 0.20% | $386,757 |
| Mountain Brook City | $0 | ||
| Muscle Shoals City | $363,248 | 0.15% | $300,142 |
| Pelham City | $337,930 | 0.14% | $279,223 |
| Oneonta City | $208,955 | 0.09% | $172,654 |
| Opelika City | $1,750,445 | 0.74% | $1,446,347 |
| Opp City | $692,277 | 0.29% | $572,011 |
| Oxford City | $995,444 | 0.42% | $822,510 |
| Ozark City | $990,775 | 0.42% | $818,652 |
| Pell City | $906,665 | 0.38% | $749,154 |
| Phenix City | $2,566,928 | 1.09% | $2,120,986 |
| Piedmont City | $437,003 | 0.18% | $361,084 |
| Pike Road City | $261,130 | 0.11% | $215,765 |
| Saraland City | $437,797 | 0.19% | $361,740 |
| Roanoke City | $394,710 | 0.17% | $326,139 |
| Russellville City | $1,009,058 | 0.43% | $833,758 |
| Scottsboro City | $555,563 | 0.24% | $459,047 |
| Selma City | $2,628,811 | 1.11% | $2,172,118 |
| Sheffield City | $599,061 | 0.25% | $494,989 |
| Sylacauga City | $769,982 | 0.33% | $636,216 |
| Talladega City | $962,681 | 0.41% | $795,438 |
| Tallassee City | $359,592 | 0.15% | $297,122 |
| Satsuma City | $261,824 | 0.11% | $216,338 |
| Tarrant City | $803,790 | 0.34% | $664,151 |
| Thomasville City | $264,894 | 0.11% | $218,875 |
| Troy City | $1,101,888 | 0.47% | $910,462 |
| Tuscaloosa City | $3,968,936 | 1.68% | $3,279,429 |
| Tuscumbia City | $350,474 | 0.15% | $289,588 |
| Vestavia Hills City | $0 | ||
| Winfield City | $214,734 | 0.09% | $177,429 |
| Trussville City | $283,837 | 0.12% | $234,527 |
| Accel Academy | $136,332 | 0.06% | $112,648 |
| University Charter School | $103,931 | 0.04% | $85,875 |
| TOTAL | $236,305,106 | 100.00% | $195,252,786 |
Keeping Demographics in Mind
On average, students from economically disadvantaged families tend to score lower on standardized tests than students who are not at an economic disadvantage. Similarly, schools where a higher percentage of the student body is economically disadvantaged, the average test score tends to be lower. Comparing schools that have similar demographics is a fairer way to evaluate relative performance. Scatterplot charts, like the one featured below, present score data and student poverty levels at the same time. The vertical position of the school or system is determined by the average test score, while the horizontal location of the school or system is determined by the percentage of the student body directly eligible for a free lunch under the national free lunch program.
ACT Scores and College Admission
Keep in mind that a composite score of 18 is considered a minimum threshold score for college admission at several state colleges. Others have lower thresholds, including open admissions. On the other end, a score of 25 or higher is expected at more competitive colleges, while 30 is the minimum threshold at some of the nationally elite schools such as Princeton. The table below lists the median entering ACT composite score students at Alabama colleges. Historically black colleges consider it part of their mission to admit students who may not have had the academic preparation to perform well on the ACT. The average ACT score for black students in Alabama is 16.5.
