Only about a third of Utah's ACT test-takers cleared the math college-readiness benchmark this year, a gap that hits close to home for Canyons School District juniors chasing an Honors Diploma.

Canyons requires Honors Diploma candidates to meet specific ACT benchmark scores: 18 in English, 22 in reading, 22 in math and 23 in science. Statewide, just 34% of the class of 2026 met the math benchmark and 33% met the science threshold, according to a Utah State Board of Education news release dated Oct. 14. That climb is steep.

The statewide composite score did improve. Utah's average rose to 20.1, up from 19.9 in 2025, well above the national average of 18.8, as first reported by the Deseret News. A total of 44,756 Utah public school students took the exam, representing 91% of high school graduates.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Molly Hart, a former principal at Albion Middle School in Sandy and Mount Jordan Middle School in the district, said in the USBE release that she is "proud of the growth shown by Utah students, teachers, and schools as we focus on ensuring every student is prepared for postsecondary success."

Utah was one of 16 states that tested 90% or more of its graduates. Among that group, Utah ranked first in composite score, ahead of Wisconsin and Montana, both at 19.4, and led the nation in benchmark attainment across all four subjects, according to the USBE release.

Still, the subject-level numbers show how much ground remains. Among Utah public school graduates in the class of 2026:

  • 57% met the English benchmark.
  • 45% met the reading benchmark, up from 43% in 2025.
  • 34% met the math benchmark, up from 32% in 2025.
  • 33% met the science benchmark.
  • 27% met all three core benchmarks in English, math and reading, up two percentage points from 2025.

The ACT results follow a broader pattern of post-pandemic recovery in Utah classrooms. Statewide assessments released in September by USBE showed year-over-year gains in English language arts and math, with science proficiency reaching a record high of 49.8% since the state began tracking in 2019, the Deseret News reported.

Four Canyons District high schools earned "Best High Schools" recognition in the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings. Corner Canyon High climbed to No. 5 in Utah, and Alta, Brighton and Hillcrest high schools also earned the designation, according to a district announcement. Tom Sherwood, Canyons District's director of high schools, said in that announcement, "This recognition speaks to the exceptional work happening across all Canyons schools every day."

Students who retook the ACT showed significant improvement, averaging a 25.8 "superscore," which averages a student's best section scores across multiple attempts, according to the USBE release. Utah funds ACT testing for every public school junior each spring at no cost to families.