Georgia high school students earned an average ACT score of 21.6 this year, beating the national average of 19.8, according to new data from the state Department of Education. 

Some low-income and rural high school students in Georgia face challenges related to cost and distance when it comes to taking the SAT or the ACT exams to get into college. The University System of Georgia has historically required at least one test score for admission.

Because of the pandemic, many students will be applying without standardized test scores and several other metrics selective schools have long relied on to make admissions decisions.