{"id":8499,"date":"2022-04-26T11:00:08","date_gmt":"2022-04-26T16:00:08","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2025-04-23T23:55:59","modified_gmt":"2025-04-24T03:55:59","slug":"u-s-public-continues-to-view-grades-test-scores-as-top-factors-in-college-admissions","status":"publish","type":"short-read","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2022\/04\/26\/u-s-public-continues-to-view-grades-test-scores-as-top-factors-in-college-admissions\/","title":{"rendered":"As courts weigh affirmative action, grades and test scores seen as top factors in college admissions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

With the college admissions process under increasing scrutiny \u2013 by colleges themselves<\/a> and the U.S. Supreme Court<\/a> \u2013 more Americans say high school grades and standardized test scores should matter in the admissions process than say the same about other factors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

More than nine-in-ten Americans (93%) say high school grades should be at least a minor factor in admissions decisions, including 61% who say they should be a major factor. Grades are, by far, the criteria the public says should most factor into admissions decisions. This is followed by standardized test scores (39% major factor, 46% minor factor) and community service involvement (19% major, 48% minor), according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted March 7-13, 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nearly half of Americans (46%) say someone being the first in their family to go to college should be either a major (18%) or minor (28%) factor in admissions decisions, while a similar share say athletic ability should factor into these decisions (9% major, 36% minor).<\/p>\n\n\n

How we did this<\/div>