Only one in four 2026 Michigan high school graduates met the SAT college ready threshold. In an economy where career success increasingly is defined by earning a post secondary credential, particularly a BA or more, this widespread lack of college readiness should be setting off alarm bells. And to make matters even more alarming Michigan high school graduates college readiness is declining.
Recent data from the College Board, the creators of the SAT, provide the details. The SAT has two components: math and reading and writing. The college ready threshold measures:
- The SAT Math benchmark is the section score associated with a 75% chance of earning at least a C in first-semester, credit-bearing, college-level courses in algebra, statistics, precalculus, or calculus.
- The SAT Reading and Writing (RW) benchmark is associated with a 75% chance of earning at least a C in first-semester, credit-bearing, college-level courses in history, literature, social science, or writing.
The math college ready threshold is a score 530 out of a possible 800. The reading and writing thresholds is a score of 480 out of a possible 800.
All Michigan high school students are required to take the SAT in the 11th grade. Many take it more than one time. The College Board reports on the best test score for each student. 27 percent of Michigan 2026 high school graduates met the SAT college ready threshold on both the math and reading and writing tests. 56 percent met the reading and writing threshold. 28 percent met the math threshold. And 43 percent met neither thresholds.
The proportion meeting the SAT thresholds is down substantially from the first graduating class where all Michigan high students were required to take the SAT. 36 percent of Michigan 2017 high school graduates met the SAT college ready threshold on both the math and reading and writing tests. 61 percent met the reading and writing threshold. 37 percent met the math threshold. And 38 percent met neither thresholds.
The college ready rate is particularly low for African American high schools graduates, those from households with lower incomes and those with parents without a post secondary credential
- Eight percent of Michigan 2026 African American high school graduates met the SAT college ready threshold on both the math and reading and writing tests. 29 percent met the reading and writing threshold. Eight percent met the math threshold. And 71 percent met neither thresholds.
- 12 percent of Michigan 2026 high school graduates from households with income of less than $63,151 met the SAT college ready threshold on both the math and reading and writing tests. 37 percent met the reading and writing threshold. 13 percent met the math threshold. And 62 percent met neither thresholds.
- 16 percent of Michigan 2026 high school graduates where the highest level of parental education is a high school diploma met the SAT college ready threshold on both the math and reading and writing tests. 47 percent met the reading and writing threshold. 17 percent met the math threshold. And 52 percent met neither thresholds.
Maybe more surprising is the relatively low college ready rates among high school graduates from households with higher income and households with the most educated parents:
- 59 percent of Michigan 2026 high school graduates from households with at least income of $131,210 met the SAT college ready threshold on both the math and reading and writing tests. 83 percent met the reading and writing threshold. 60 percent met the math threshold. And 12 percent met neither thresholds.
- 56 percent of Michigan 2026 high school graduates with at least one parent with a graduate degree met the SAT college ready threshold on both the math and reading and writing tests. 80 percent met the reading and writing threshold. 57 percent met the math threshold. And 19 percent met neither thresholds.
The inescapable conclusion: this is an all Michigan problem.
More evidence that this is an all Michigan challenge comes from looking at college ready rates among high school 11th graders in Michigan’s most affluent counties. (This data comes from the state’s education outcomes data site so it is for 11th grade test takers only.)
- Oakland: 2026 36 percent college ready; 2016 44 percent college ready
- Macomb: 2026 24 percent college ready; 2016 34 percent college ready
- Washtenaw: 2026 42 percent college ready; 2016 56 percent college ready
- Livingston: 2026 33 percent college ready; 2016 44 percent college ready
- Kent: 2026 34 percent college ready; 2016 40 percent college ready
- Ottawa: 2026 36 percent college ready; 2016 43 percent college ready
- Midland: 2026 41 percent college ready; 2016 52 percent college ready
