ACT scores hit 30-year low, COVID learning gap to blame: experts

ACT scores have joined a list of test scores that are seeing decades lows. Experts blame it on a COVID-19 pandemic learning loss.

MEQUON, Wis. - ACT scores have fallen to the lowest level in 30 years. For the first time since the early 1990s, the average composite score fell below 20.

The college admissions test is often used an indicator for collegiate success. This is the latest in a list of test scores that are seeing decades lows. Experts blame it on a COVID-19 pandemic learning loss.

At Concordia University in Mequon, one of the busiest spots on campus is found upstairs near the library: the Academic Resource Center. It has been attracting students eager to get some extra help.

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"When I came here I’m like, ‘This is a rude awakening,’" said student Miranda Maciejewski.

Maciejewski is getting some one-on-one tutoring in chemistry, and she's not alone. In the past year, students have sought help at the center more than 5,500 times – a number that has more than tripled since before the pandemic.

Students at Concordia University Wisconsin Academic Resource Center

"I think students are understanding more of what they need to be successful," said Jan Chapman, the Academic Resource Center's director.

Chapman said, in a post-pandemic world, more students seem to be seeking more than what's taught in the classroom.

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"They’ve become more resilient. They understand what they need, and they can articulate that," she said.

Nationwide, test scores are seeing some of the lowest levels in decades. The ACT composite now sits at 19.8 – the lowest since 1991. While the number might seem alarming, Chapman said she's not concerned.

"There are so many different measures and indicators of what a student knows and how they learn and how they’re going to fare in college," said Chapman.

Concordia University

Students like Maciejewski are doing what they can to stay on top, measuring their own success by more than a number.

"You should not judge a student based off a test score," Maciejewski said.

Concordia University moved to a test optional admissions model, something that happened before the pandemic. The ACT report showed another alarming state: 42% of students met none of the ACT readiness benchmarks, and only 22% met all four benchmarks.