Michigan slipped once again this year in college readiness, as measured by how well high school students perform on the SAT.
asserted
students → slip → SAT
According to the latest results, only a fourth of 11th graders in Michigan are college ready, a slight dip from 26.6% last year.
uncertain
fourth → accord → %
“It’s true that SAT scores are only one predictor of college readiness,” said Charlotte Pierce, senior policy analyst at EdTrust-Midwest, which released a report earlier this year about the need for more rigorous coursework.
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which → ’ → coursework
“However, these results align with other concerning opportunity gaps we see across Michigan schools, particularly those serving students with the greatest needs.”
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we → align → needs
The decline in college readiness comes as the state continues to struggle in other academic performance measures, including low reading scores and an absenteeism rate that remains above 27%.
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that → come → %
Success in college is critical as Michigan strives to remain competitive.
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Michigan → strive → college
The state’s goal is that 60% of its population have a post-secondary credential by 2030.
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% → have → 2030
As of 2024, less than 52% had one, according to one report.
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% → have → report
The College Board, the group behind the SAT, says a student is college ready if they score above a certain level on the math test and the reading and writing test.
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they → say → test
Statewide, 26.5% of students met the math benchmark during the 2025-2026 school year and 52.1% met the reading and writing mark.
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% → meet → mark
In interviews with Bridge, high school principals and others acknowledged the low scores, but cautioned that the SAT is only one metric to measure student success.
“
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SAT → acknowledge → success
A student might not score college ready, but if they’re hard workers and we’ve made them leaders and good individuals that work hard, they’re going to be ready to go off to college,” said Sarah Allen, principal at Grayling High School.
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Allen → score → School
“That one score doesn’t necessarily determine if they are or are not — although I understand we have to have a benchmark that we strive for.”
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we → determine → that
The College Board defines college ready as having a 75% chance of getting at least a C “in first-semester, credit-bearing college courses” in specific subjects.
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Board → define → subjects
For example, a student who is college ready in math by the SAT has a 75% chance of earning at least a C in algebra, statistics, precalculus or calculus, according to the College Board.
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who → have → Board
“It’s important to note that college readiness is a continuum — students scoring below the SAT benchmarks can still be successful in college, especially with additional preparation and perseverance,” the College Board says on its website.
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Board → ’ → website
College ready or not, Michigan high school students are graduating at a record rate.
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students → graduate → rate
The four-year graduation rate in 2025 hit 84%.
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rate → hit → %
Meanwhile, about 54.6% of graduates enroll in college within six months.
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% → enroll → months
Emily McEvoy, director of data and assessment at the Anchor Bay School District, pointed to state data that shows that more students earn college credit within a year or four years of graduating high school than the share of students deemed college ready.
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students → point → students
“For that reason, I would argue that college credit attainment is a stronger indicator of whether Michigan students are prepared to succeed after high school.
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students → argue → school
While SAT results provide useful information about academic preparedness at a single point in time, actual college performance provides evidence of what students can accomplish in real-world postsecondary settings.”
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students → provide → settings
Still, Michigan scores are trending downward.
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scores → trend → ?
In the last decade, Michigan students’ college readiness has dropped from 34.9% to 25.3%, according to state data.
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readiness → drop → data
In that time, the test switched from paper to online, the pandemic deeply disrupted school and some colleges made submitting test scores optional.
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submitting → switch → scores
It’s unclear what led to the drop in scores.
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what → ’ → scores
Students’ socioeconomic status has long correlated with test scores.
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status → correlate → scores
Statewide, only 11.5% of students who are economically disadvantaged are considered college-ready compared to 36% of students who are not economically disadvantaged.
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who → consider → students
US News & World Report ranks Michigan 32nd for college readiness.
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Report → rank → readiness
Michigan is one of only a handful of states that require juniors to take the SAT.
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that → require → SAT
Many other states use the ACT.
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states → use → ACT
As Michigan leaders wrestle with how to measure success in educating K-12 students for life after high school, other states are also making changes.
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states → wrestle → changes
Massachusetts eliminated a high stakes test that was used to determine if a student graduates and New York is aiming to end a similar type of test and phasing in new graduation requirements.
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York → eliminate → requirements
Meanwhile, Indiana is implementing new graduation standards aimed at giving students needed skills.
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Indiana → implement → skills
The SAT, administered to juniors, is one of three components of the Michigan Merit Exam, which “provide a measure of individual performance based on Michigan’s high school content standards as well as college and career readiness.”
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which → administer → standards
The scores are also used in Michigan’s school accountability system.
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scores → use → system
While the majority of colleges are test-optional, some Michigan high schools are taking steps to help their students prepare for the test.
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students → take → test
At Grayling High School, the vast majority of juniors take a test prep course for one trimester, where teachers “try to talk through the importance of the test, even if you’re not going to college” and keep students motivated to persist through the test, said Allen, the principal.
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Allen → take → test
Later this month, ninth, 10th and 11th graders will take the PSAT/NMSQT, a practice test that allows the district to track students’ progress over time and gives students options to qualify for scholarships.
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district → take → scholarships
In Belding High School in Ionia County, juniors also take a prep course.
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juniors → take → course
…and 26 more, not listed.
The Aporia
