MITCHELL, S.D. (MITCHELLNOW) South Dakota students are maintaining their lead against national peers for the average ACT composite score.  According to TTWN, 60 percent of the 2025 graduating class took the ACT and earned an average score of 21, which is nearly two points above the national average of 19-point-four.  The ACT remains optional for students considering higher education, but all South Dakota juniors at public schools will have to take the test in spring 2026.  South Dakota Secretary of Education Joe Graves says “having an ACT score in hand can open doors to opportunities students may never have considered before.” For more Government stories from MitchellNow.com, Click Here.