Five Canyons School District students have accomplished something extraordinarily rare: earning a perfect composite score of 36 on the ACT college entrance exam.

Only 0.22 percent of ACT test-takers nationwide achieve that distinction — and the good news doesn’t stop there.

Newly released results for the Class of 2026 show Canyons continuing to lead Salt Lake County’s five school districts in ACT performance, with 71.7 percent of students earning a composite score of 18 or higher.

That’s more than seven percentage points ahead of the next-highest Salt Lake County district.

Canyons also outperformed two local charter school systems included in the data: American Preparatory Academy, where 56.5 percent of students scored 18 or higher across English, reading, and math. Summit Academy, where 55.5 percent reached that benchmark.

The results continue a pattern of strong academic performance in Canyons, and are especially noteworthy considering they come at a time when ACT scores are improving statewide, according to the Utah State Board of Education (USBE).

Also of note is Utah’s enviable participation rate in the ACT. Nearly all Utah graduates take the exam, placing Utah among 16 high-participation states. Among those states, Utah boasted the highest average composite score, reports USBE.

The results reflect both exceptional individual achievement and strong academic performance across Canyons District, where students have access to a wide range of educational opportunities to prepare them for college, careers and beyond.

Find Yourself in Canyons. Learn more about Canyons schools, programs and enrollment opportunities at canyonsdistrict.org.