ACT National High School Graduating Class Report
The table below compares average ACT scores for students who reported they completed or planned to complete a
college preparatory high school curriculum with those students who had not.
Suggested Course Requirements for Admission to
Various Colleges
| State Universities
in Illinois - ISU, NIU, WIU, SIU, EIU (competition for admissions) |
Most Competitive Colleges - Harvard, Yale, MIT (great competition for admissions) |
Highly Competitive Colleges - U of I, Northwestern (some competition for admissions) |
Open Enrollment /
Enrichment - ICC, Lincoln College (2 year jr. college or non-competitive; classes for personal enjoyment) |
Vocational - Cosmetology schools, diesel mechanics, travel (going directly into workforce) | |
|
English |
4 years (emphasizing written and oral communication, literature) |
4 years |
4 years |
3 years |
3 years |
|
Math |
3 years (through advanced algebra, geometry, trigonometry or fundamentals of computer programming |
4 years |
4 years |
3 years |
3 years |
|
Social Studies |
2 or 3 years |
3 to 4 years |
3 years |
2 1/2 years |
2 1/2 years |
|
Science |
2 or 3 year laboratory science |
3 to 4 years |
3 years |
2 years |
2 years |
|
Foreign |
2 years - music art, and vocational education are possible alternatives at some universities*** |
4 years |
3 to 4 years |
Not usually required |
Not usually required |
***Some state schools may require four years of the same foreign language for college graduation. If you take two years in high school, you may need to take more in college, depending on how you place on their entrance exam. If you take four years in high school and pass their entrance exams, you may be exempt from further foreign language study in college