Students in both Rome City Schools and Floyd County Schools posted outstanding college entrance exam results this year.
Rome High School students continued a three-year rise in ACT performance, posting an average composite score of 21.9 on the ACT. That score was one point higher than Georgia’s average of 20.9 and 2.7 points above the national average of 19.2. Rome students outperformed state and national averages in all four subject areas, with particularly strong gains in science, where scores jumped nearly three points to 24.3.
Meanwhile, Floyd County Schools students extended a remarkable seven-year streak of outperforming state and national averages on the SAT. The Class of 2026 earned an average SAT score of 1103, which was 72 points higher than Georgia’s average and 92 points above the national public school average. Floyd County also improved its overall SAT score by 26 points from the previous year despite an increase in the number of students taking the exam.
Because the ACT and SAT use different scoring systems, a direct comparison between the two districts is difficult. However, when measured against their respective benchmarks, Floyd County’s margin above state and national averages was larger than Rome’s. Floyd students scored approximately 7 percent above the state average and 9 percent above the national average on the SAT, while Rome students scored about 5 percent above the state average and 14 percent above the national average on the ACT.
Rome’s achievement is notable because students exceeded state and national averages in every ACT subject area while posting their highest composite score in recent years. The district also credited expanded opportunities in Advanced Placement courses, dual enrollment and career-focused programs for helping drive student success.
Floyd County’s results, however, demonstrate greater long-term consistency. The district has now outperformed state and national SAT averages for seven consecutive years and increased its average score even as participation grew. Floyd students also exceeded state and national averages in both Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and Mathematics.
Overall, both districts can claim significant success, but Floyd County holds the stronger case when comparing performance against state and national SAT benchmarks, while Rome High School showed perhaps the most significant recent growth and improvement on the ACT. Rather than one clear winner, the results highlight two school systems that are producing college-ready students through different academic pathways.
