The average ACT score in Tennessee was 19.3 for the class of 2025, unchanged from 2024, per the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE). Because Tennessee tests nearly everyone, that covers 99% of the graduating class. 37.2% scored 21 or higher, which matters here because 21 is the ACT score that qualifies a student for the HOPE Scholarship. Central Magnet School in Rutherford County posted the highest average of any Tennessee high school with at least 100 graduates tested: 31.4.
The school and district figures come from TDOE's 2024-25 ACT data files, which report each graduating student's highest ACT or SAT score (not a superscore). Results for small groups are suppressed, shown as ">95%" or "<5%".
Top 30 Tennessee high schools by ACT average, class of 2025
High schools with at least 100 graduates tested.
| # | High school | District | Tested | Average composite | Scored 21 or higher |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Central Magnet School | Rutherford County | 193 | 31.4 | >95% |
| 2 | Hume-Fogg High | Davidson County (Nashville) | 220 | 28.4 | >95% |
| 3 | Brentwood High | Williamson County | 417 | 27.3 | 89.2% |
| 4 | Ravenwood High | Williamson County | 480 | 27.3 | 87.5% |
| 5 | Martin Luther King Jr. School | Davidson County (Nashville) | 242 | 27.1 | >95% |
| 6 | Franklin High | Williamson County | 448 | 26.1 | 86.4% |
| 7 | Fred J. Page High | Williamson County | 346 | 26.0 | 83.5% |
| 8 | L&N STEM Academy | Knox County | 123 | 25.7 | 83.7% |
| 9 | Signal Mountain Middle/High | Hamilton County | 182 | 24.9 | 78.6% |
| 10 | Independence High | Williamson County | 513 | 24.9 | 78.9% |
| 11 | Farragut High | Knox County | 501 | 24.7 | 75.8% |
| 12 | Nolensville High | Williamson County | 323 | 24.5 | 78% |
| 13 | Houston High | Germantown | 468 | 24.4 | 74.6% |
| 14 | Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences | Hamilton County | 104 | 23.7 | 66.3% |
| 15 | Collierville High | Collierville | 716 | 23.7 | 69.4% |
| 16 | Summit High | Williamson County | 372 | 23.7 | 69.1% |
| 17 | Centennial High | Williamson County | 322 | 23.3 | 64.3% |
| 18 | Madison Academic Magnet High | Madison County | 102 | 23.1 | 64.7% |
| 19 | Arlington High | Arlington | 511 | 22.7 | 63.4% |
| 20 | Maryville High | Maryville | 361 | 22.5 | 58.7% |
| 21 | East High | Memphis-Shelby County | 124 | 22.4 | 58.9% |
| 22 | Valor Flagship Academy | Davidson County (Nashville) | 198 | 22.3 | 61.1% |
| 23 | South Gibson County High | Gibson County Special District | 173 | 22.2 | 59% |
| 24 | Hendersonville High | Sumner County | 300 | 22.2 | 57.7% |
| 25 | Station Camp High | Sumner County | 270 | 22.1 | 58.9% |
| 26 | Bearden High | Knox County | 451 | 22.0 | 58.8% |
| 27 | Hardin Valley Academy | Knox County | 440 | 22.0 | 57.5% |
| 28 | Oak Ridge High | Oak Ridge | 343 | 21.6 | 53.4% |
| 29 | Fairview High | Williamson County | 141 | 21.6 | 55.3% |
| 30 | Dyer County High | Dyer County | 246 | 21.5 | 52.8% |
Source: TDOE, 2024-25 ACT school file (all students). 235 high schools had at least 100 graduates tested; their median average was 18.8.
Williamson County dominates: 9 of the top 30 schools are in Williamson County, and Knox County has 4. Three suburban Shelby County districts (Germantown, Collierville and Arlington) also appear, along with Memphis-Shelby County's East High.
Some small magnet and early college schools score even higher. With 30 to 99 graduates tested, Sumner County's Merrol Hyde Magnet averaged 29.7, and Middle College at Austin Peay State University 26.9.
How many students hit HOPE's 21
Among the 235 high schools with at least 100 graduates tested:
- 39 had at least half their graduates score 21 or higher.
- 66 had fewer than a quarter score 21 or higher.
For students below 21, the HOPE Scholarship's other route is a 3.0 high school GPA, which needs no test score. And because HOPE uses a single test date rather than a superscore, the ACT score that counts for HOPE can be lower than the one a college like UT Knoxville uses for admission.
ACT averages in Tennessee's largest school districts
Districts with at least 900 graduates tested in the class of 2025.
| District | Tested | Average composite | Scored 21 or higher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Williamson County | 3,446 | 25.3 | 79% |
| Sumner County | 2,187 | 20.8 | 49.2% |
| Wilson County | 1,812 | 20.4 | 45.5% |
| Knox County | 4,145 | 20.1 | 44.1% |
| Putnam County | 902 | 19.9 | 41.8% |
| Rutherford County | 4,509 | 19.8 | 40.8% |
| Montgomery County | 2,556 | 19.3 | 38.2% |
| Sevier County | 1,004 | 19.0 | 36% |
| Hamilton County | 3,153 | 18.9 | 36.8% |
| Davidson County (Nashville) | 5,196 | 17.5 | 24.6% |
| Memphis-Shelby County | 6,579 | 16.4 | 15.8% |
Source: TDOE, 2024-25 ACT district file (all students).
What this means for you
- Tennessee's school averages are comparable across schools. Nearly every graduate tests, so a school's average reflects its whole class, as in North Carolina.
- Aim for 21 on a single test date if your GPA is under 3.0. That's the HOPE Scholarship threshold; a 29 with a 3.75 GPA adds the General Assembly Merit Scholarship.
- For UT Knoxville guaranteed admission, the bar is 24 with at least a 19 in math and English; see UT Knoxville guaranteed admission.
- Tennessee's class of 2027 National Merit Semifinalist cutoff is 214, which is based on the PSAT/NMSQT, not the ACT.