Just 1 in 4 Michigan juniors are ‘college ready,’ SAT scores indicate

Michigan slipped once again this year in college readiness, as measured by how well high school students perform on the 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. “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.

“However, these results align with other concerning opportunity gaps we see across Michigan schools, particularly those serving students with the greatest 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%. Success in college is critical as Michigan strives to remain competitive. The state’s goal is that 60% of its population have a post-secondary credential by 2030.

As of 2024, less than 52% had one, according to one 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. Statewide, 26.5% of students met the math benchmark during the 2025-2026 school year and 52.1% met the reading and writing 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. “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. “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.” 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.

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. “It’s important to note that college readiness is a continuum — students scoring below the SAT benchmarks can still be successful in co…