Arizona high school ACT results are low statewide. On the spring 2025 state ACT, the most recent year published, only 40% of juniors scored proficient in English language arts and 30% in math. The top schools look very different: University High School in Tucson led all schools that tested at least 100 juniors, at 98% in both subjects. Arizona College Prep in Chandler was next, at 86% and 85%.
Arizona uses the ACT as its high school state test, taken by juniors. The figures below come from the Arizona Department of Education's (ADE) 2025 assessment file, covering the juniors who were the class of 2026. ADE hasn't yet posted 2026 results. It reports the share of students who scored "proficient" or higher, using its own cut scores, not average ACT scores.
Statewide, spring 2025
| Juniors tested | Passed ELA | Passed math | |
|---|---|---|---|
| All public schools | 78,765 (ELA) / 83,811 (math) | 40% | 30% |
| District schools | 65,286 / 69,179 | 41% | 32% |
| Charter schools | 13,479 / 14,632 | 38% | 28% |
Source: Arizona Department of Education, 2025 AASA, ACT and MSAA Assessment Results, State sheet. "Passed" means Proficiency Level 3 (Proficient) or 4 (Highly Proficient).
Top 25 Arizona high schools
Ranked by the average of the ELA and math pass rates, among the 176 non-alternative public high schools with at least 100 juniors tested in each subject.
| Rank | School | District or charter | County | Passed ELA | Passed math | Tested (math) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University High School | Tucson Unified | Pima | 98% | 98% | 231 |
| 2 | Arizona College Prep High School | Chandler Unified | Maricopa | 86% | 85% | 663 |
| 3 | Benjamin Franklin High School | Benjamin Franklin Charter School (Queen Creek) | Maricopa | 76% | 68% | 188 |
| 4 | Desert Mountain High School | Scottsdale Unified | Maricopa | 77% | 66% | 436 |
| 5 | Mountain Ridge High School | Deer Valley Unified | Maricopa | 75% | 65% | 645 |
| 6 | Pinnacle High School | Paradise Valley Unified | Maricopa | 69% | 70% | 551 |
| 7 | Tanque Verde High School | Tanque Verde Unified | Pima | 79% | 60% | 182 |
| 8 | Empire High School | Vail Unified | Pima | 74% | 63% | 214 |
| 9 | Heritage Academy Gateway | Heritage Academy Gateway (charter) | Maricopa | 70% | 66% | 114 |
| 10 | Sandra Day O'Connor High School | Deer Valley Unified | Maricopa | 76% | 60% | 603 |
| 11 | Chaparral High School | Scottsdale Unified | Maricopa | 70% | 63% | 420 |
| 12 | Desert Vista High School | Tempe Union | Maricopa | 71% | 62% | 680 |
| 13 | Canyon Del Oro High School | Amphitheater Unified | Pima | 68% | 63% | 396 |
| 14 | Dr. Camille Casteel High School | Chandler Unified | Maricopa | 71% | 60% | 510 |
| 15 | Catalina Foothills High School | Catalina Foothills Unified | Pima | 75% | 55% | 451 |
| 16 | Basha High School | Chandler Unified | Maricopa | 66% | 63% | 572 |
| 17 | Hamilton High School | Chandler Unified | Maricopa | 70% | 58% | 836 |
| 18 | Perry High School | Chandler Unified | Maricopa | 65% | 61% | 549 |
| 19 | Corona Del Sol High School | Tempe Union | Maricopa | 67% | 59% | 634 |
| 20 | Cactus Shadows High School | Cave Creek Unified | Maricopa | 68% | 58% | 346 |
| 21 | Heritage Academy Maricopa | Heritage Academy Maricopa (charter) | Pinal | 69% | 57% | 128 |
| 22 | Horizon High School | Paradise Valley Unified | Maricopa | 70% | 55% | 404 |
| 23 | Boulder Creek High School | Deer Valley Unified | Maricopa | 69% | 53% | 561 |
| 24 | Aspire, Deer Valley's Online Academy | Deer Valley Unified | Maricopa | 70% | 52% | 264 |
| 25 | Saguaro High School | Scottsdale Unified | Maricopa | 65% | 56% | 311 |
Source: ADE, 2025 assessment file, School sheet (ACT, grade 11, all students). ADE never reports a percentage above 98%, so 98% is the highest value shown.
Five of the top 25 are in Chandler Unified. Only 36 of the 176 schools had at least half their juniors pass math.
Many well-known charters aren't on this list because they test fewer than 100 juniors. At several BASIS and Great Hearts campuses, ADE suppressed some or all results to protect student privacy. Where results were shown, Great Hearts' Scottsdale Prep, for example, reported 97% in ELA and 93% in math with about 70 juniors.
The 15 largest districts
| District | Juniors tested (math) | Passed ELA | Passed math |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix Union High School District | 5,984 | 19% | 14% |
| Mesa Unified | 4,106 | 37% | 27% |
| Chandler Unified | 4,049 | 66% | 58% |
| Glendale Union High School District | 3,697 | 45% | 34% |
| Tolleson Union High School District | 3,320 | 25% | 20% |
| Peoria Unified | 3,045 | 46% | 36% |
| Tucson Unified | 2,857 | 35% | 23% |
| Tempe Union High School District | 2,836 | 57% | 42% |
| Gilbert Unified | 2,620 | 53% | 47% |
| Yuma Union High School District | 2,595 | 26% | 14% |
| Deer Valley Unified | 2,589 | 63% | 51% |
| Agua Fria Union High School District | 2,419 | 41% | 26% |
| Paradise Valley Unified | 2,053 | 57% | 48% |
| Dysart Unified | 1,844 | 46% | 37% |
| Scottsdale Unified | 1,737 | 63% | 55% |
Source: ADE, 2025 assessment file, District sheet.
What "passing" means here
ADE sorts juniors' ACT results into four levels (Minimally Proficient, Partially Proficient, Proficient and Highly Proficient) using its own cut scores. "Passing" is the top two. These are state proficiency levels, not the ACT's own college-readiness benchmarks, so the rates can't be compared directly with other states' benchmark figures.
What this means for you
- Your state ACT score is optional at Arizona's public universities. ASU, UA and NAU don't require one; see ASU, UA and NAU admission requirements.
- ASU still counts a 22 ACT (1120 SAT) as one way to meet its aptitude requirement, along with a 3.00 core GPA or top-25% rank.
- Aiming for National Merit? That runs on the PSAT, not the ACT; see Arizona's National Merit cutoff.