The February 26 edition of Inside Higher Ed spotlights a new study by LSA economist Susan Dynarski, showing that when states require all high schoolers to take the SAT or ACT test, the number of low-income students who go on to college increases. Dynarski’s study focused on Michigan, which in 2007 started requiring all high school juniors to take the ACT.

While many worry that college admissions tests are biased against low-income and non-white students, Dynarski reports, “the reality is that these tests are the gatekeeper to selective colleges in the U.S. The evidence indicates that if taking these tests is voluntary, many talented, disadvantaged students will go undetected.”

Click here to read more about Susan Dynarski’s analysis of state policy on the SAT and ACT.