LARAMIE, Wyo. (AP) - The average ACT score of incoming University of Wyoming freshmen increased between fall 2016 and 2017.
The scores rose from 24.4 in the fall of 2016 to 24.7 in 2017, marking a five-year high. The better scores come even as the university increased its first-year class size by 9.3 percent, the Laramie Boomerang reported .
“We remain a selective institution, so the increase in the test scores just goes to show that there is an increasing interest and desire for what the University of Wyoming has to offer in terms of higher education,” said Kyle Moore, the university’s vice president for enrollment management.
The average ACT score for graduating Wyoming high school seniors also rose between 2016 and 2017, from 20 to 20.2. That score has barely fluctuated since 2011, when the state began administering the ACT to all students.
Under the university’s admission requirements, a first-year student must have a score of at least 21 - or an SAT score of 1060 - as well as a 3.0 grade point average. Students with an ACT score of 20 can be admitted under special circumstances.
Moore said the boost in ACT scores was no accident.
“It shows an intentionality from the university to continue to attract high academic achieving students to the institution and have the ability to market and promote the great opportunities at the university,” he said. “Through those efforts, we’re able to attract students to the institution without lowering our standards.”
The University of Wyoming enrolled 12,397 undergraduate and graduate students in fall 2017. It hopes to enroll 13,500 by 2022, according to the university’s strategic plan.
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Information from: Laramie Boomerang, http://www.laramieboomerang.com
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