UTM saw average ACT scores for incoming freshmen drop from 22.15 to 22.05 in the past year.

However, ACT scores at five other public four-year universities in Tennessee saw a rise in ACT scores.

UTK’s average ACT score for incoming freshmen rose from 24.7 to 25.6 because of the HOPE lottery scholarship, which started awarding money last year. Since the rise, UTK has become harder to gain admission to because students with a higher ACT score are staying in Tennessee to receive the HOPE scholarship. This makes the entrance requirements at UTK increase.

“21 or 22 is the cutoff. Last year was the first year in which we had to turn away a large number of students. There were a lot of people who weren’t very happy with that,” said UT vice chancellor of academic affairs Anne Mayhew.

Fortunately, experts say that ACT scores will begin to rise at Martin and other Tennessee schools in a few years because students who didn’t make the required ACT score will come to their second or third choice school.

“I buy into the trickle-down theory. I believe that will happen,” said Houston Davis, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs for the Tennessee Board of Regents. “I do believe that all of our universities are going to be in a position to be able to admit a better cohort of students down the road, if they choose to do that.”

UTM, Tennessee State, and East Tennessee State saw ACT scores for incoming freshman decrease. UTK,Austin Peay, Tennessee Tech, and UTC saw an increase in their ACT scores, and Middle Tennessee State ACT score stayed the same.