Columbia High School students continue to score above the national and state averages on the ACT, according to data released earlier this month. Nearly 70 Columbia students took the exam last school year, which tests college readiness in English, math, reading and science.
Columbia students had a mean composite score of 26.7 compared to the state average of 24.5 and the national average of 20.8.
According to the Princeton Review, the higher the ACT score, the more options students have when applying to colleges.
| Year | CHS Composite Score | NYS Composite Score |
| 2015 | 25.9 | 23.7 |
| 2016 | 24.8 | 23.9 |
| 2017 | 25.6 | 24.2 |
| 2018 | 27.2 | 24.5 |
| 2019 | 26.7 | 24.5 |
A closer look at the data reveals that enrolling in more rigorous high school classes leads to better results on the ACT and, subsequently, more success in college.
“We have found that students who take Algebra I, Algebra 2, and Geometry typically achieve higher ACT Mathematics scores than students who take less than three years of Mathematics,” said James McHugh, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction. “The same can be said for science, in which students taking Biology and Chemistry in combination with Physics typically achieve higher ACT scores than students taking less than three years of science courses.”
Generally, students take the ACT for the first time in the spring of their junior year, and scores typically come back in two to eight weeks. This allows students to retake the test during the fall of their senior year if they are not satisfied with their score.
ACT registration costs $50.50 without the essay and $67.00 with the essay. Certain 11th and 12th grade students who meet income-based eligibility criteria may be eligible for a fee waiver.