"I didn't have a hands-on, in-person class, and the information wasn't really there," said Virginia-based Diego Fonseca, 19, a computer science major struggling to pass a calculus placement exam, according to AP News. "I really struggled when it came to higher-level algebra because I just didn't know anything."

Highest average ACT score per state		Lowest average ACT score per state
Connecticut	26.4	Nevada	17.2
Massachusetts	26.4	Mississippi	17,6
California	25.7	Arizona	17.7
New York	25.3	Oklahoma	17.8
Delaware	24.8	Hawaii	17.9
Maine	24.8	Alabama	18.0
Virginia	24.6	Louisiana	18.2
Colorado	24.5	Tennessee	18.4
Illinois	24.5	North Carolina	18.5
Maryland	24.5	Arkansas	18.6
Rhode Island	24.5	Kentucky	18.7
Washington	24.5	Montana	18.8

How low student test scores impact higher education

The swell of students falling behind in ACT scores may foreshadow students' lack of preparation for the rigor of college courses. College students are increasingly placed in pre-college math courses as they find themselves struggling with basic fractions and exponents. One Temple University intermediate algebra class has seen its enrollment nearly double since the pandemic, AP reports.

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ACT scores are at a 30-year low. How does this impact higher ed?

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