Nebraska Students Outscore Peer States on Act

Nebraska students earned the highest composite score nationally compared with states that test all their students on the ACT exam that measures college readiness in English, reading, mathematics, and science.

All Nebraska public school juniors are required to take the ACT as part of the Nebraska Student-Centered Assessment System (NSCAS). Overall Nebraska had 100 percent of public and private school graduates participate in the ACT.

Nebraska’s average 2025 ACT composite score is 19.2, up one tenth of a point from 19.1 in 2024. The average composite score of the states that also test 100% of students is 18.2. The highest possible ACT score is 36.

Nebraska also continues to stand out compared to states with more than 90 percent of graduates taking the ACT. The average score of those 15 states is 18.4. This is a significant comparison as states that test a high percentage of graduates tend to have lower averages as the scores include more students who are not on a college course-taking track.

The average of all students who take the ACT nationwide remained the same from last year at 19.4. Only 36 percent of students take the ACT nationally compared to the 100% of Nebraska graduates.

Nebraska students scored an average of 18.2 in English, up from 18.1 in 2024. In reading, Nebraska students scored an average of 19.6, up from 19.5 in 2024.  In math, Nebraska students scored an average of 18.9, up from 18.8 in 2024. And in science Nebraska students scored an average of 19.4, the same as last year.

Next year there will be a change in the way the ACT is administered. Nationally, the science portion will be optional while Nebraska will still require science as part of our state assessment. The writing portion will remain the same, currently it is optional nationally and required for the Nebraska state assessment.

The national and state ACT press release and reports can be viewed and downloaded on the ACT website at: https://www.act.org/content/act/en/research/services-and-resources/data-and-visualization/grad-class-database-2025.html.