Test score distributions, 2014

We tend to think a lot about a college's average test scores, despite the many ways colleges can and do manipulate them for their own benefit. After my last post on the relatively low number of students who enroll in the most selective institutions, someone asked if I could do the same for test scores. So here they are.

I've calculated very close mean ACT Composite and SAT CR+M means by taking the midpoint of the 25th and 75th percentiles. They're almost certainly not perfectly accurate, but are very close, in all probability. Then I've broken up enrollment to show where students attend college.

The first view is based on the earlier visualization; the second is a scatter showing both the ACT and SAT averages. The first has just three filters; the second has more, plus a "Color By" parameter that allows you to color the colleges by one of several factors.

I hope this helps people think about and put score ranges in some context.

(Note: IPEDS does not collect test scores from test-optional colleges, or those that are open admissions.)

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