Table 143.

SAT mean scores of college-bound seniors, by selected student characteristics: Selected years, 1995–96 through 2007–08

Selected student characteristic	1995–96			1999–2000			2005–06				2006–07				2007–08
	Critical reading score1	Mathe-matics score	Percentage distribution	Critical reading score1	Mathe-matics score	Percentage distribution	Critical reading score1	Mathe-matics score	Writing score2	Percentage distribution	Critical reading score1	Mathe-matics score	Writing score2	Percentage distribution	Critical reading score1	Mathe-matics score	Writing score2	Percentage distribution
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19
All students	505	508	100	505	514	100	503	518	497	100	502	515	494	100	502	515	494	100
High school rank
Top decile	591	606	22	589	608	‡	580	604	577	31	580	602	575	32	573	598	569	31
Second decile	530	539	22	528	543	‡	516	537	511	25	516	534	508	26	511	531	505	27
Second quintile	494	496	28	493	500	‡	484	498	476	20	484	497	474	20	481	495	472	20
Third quintile	455	448	24	455	453	‡	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Fourth quintile	429	418	4	425	419	‡	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Fifth quintile	411	401	1	408	401	‡	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Bottom three quintiles3	—	—	—	—	—	—	443	449	435	23	444	450	434	22	441	447	431	22
High school grade point average
A+ (97–100)	617	632	6	610	628	7	602	621	599	7	604	620	599	7	595	615	592	6
A (93–96)	573	583	14	567	582	16	563	582	559	18	565	581	559	18	559	578	555	18
A- (90–92)	545	554	15	540	553	17	534	552	529	18	534	550	528	18	529	547	523	19
B (80–89)	486	485	49	482	486	47	479	489	471	46	478	486	469	45	474	484	465	47
C (70–79)	432	426	15	428	426	12	426	428	414	11	424	427	411	11	421	423	408	11
D, E, or F (below 70)	414	408	#	405	406	#	406	413	389	#	403	412	388	#	402	411	390	#
High school type
Public	502	506	83	501	510	83	500	514	492	83	498	509	488	84	497	510	488	84
Religiously affiliated	525	510	12	529	523	12	531	529	528	11	531	526	527	11	532	531	529	11
Independent	547	556	5	547	566	5	544	573	550	5	546	569	548	5	550	574	553	5
Intended college major4
Agriculture/natural resources	491	484	2	490	486	1	481	485	469	1	476	480	463	1	478	481	465	1
Architecture/environmental design	492	519	3	494	524	2	488	528	485	3	492	535	486	3	488	532	483	2
Area, ethnic, cultural and gender studies	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	547	514	533	#	554	521	541	#
Arts: visual/performing	520	497	6	518	502	8	516	502	507	9	517	503	507	9	516	502	506	8
Biological sciences	546	545	6	544	548	5	540	554	532	6	540	552	531	6	537	551	528	5
Business and commerce	483	500	13	487	510	14	486	511	481	15	485	510	479	15	481	509	477	15
Communications	527	497	4	526	505	4	522	504	520	4	523	501	519	4	522	502	519	4
Computer or information sciences	497	522	3	499	533	6	503	534	482	4	505	533	481	3	502	529	477	3
Construction trades	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	415	447	402	#	424	460	409	#
Education	487	477	8	483	481	9	480	484	478	8	480	483	476	8	478	482	475	7
Engineering	525	569	8	523	573	8	519	577	506	8	524	579	510	8	522	579	508	8
Engineering technologies/techniques	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	451	491	435	1	462	508	447	1
Foreign/classical languages	556	534	#	558	539	1	572	549	563	1	581	549	569	1	576	545	564	1
General/interdisciplinary	576	553	#	562	545	#	542	532	532	#	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†
Health and allied services	500	505	19	497	505	16	485	498	483	18	487	498	484	19	486	498	483	19
History	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	556	518	528	1	548	515	518	1
Home economics5	458	452	#	462	462	#	462	466	461	#	463	464	458	#	466	467	462	#
Language and literature	605	545	1	608	552	1	597	541	584	2	596	536	581	2	592	533	577	2
Legal professions and studies	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	516	505	504	2	509	505	500	3
Liberal arts and sciences, general studies, and humanities	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	531	509	516	1	554	532	544	1
Library and archival sciences	554	512	#	556	511	#	579	509	542	#	592	517	544	#	587	517	537	#
Mathematics	552	628	1	551	630	1	539	624	537	1	533	614	529	1	525	609	532	1
Mechanic and repair technologies/technician	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	423	449	405	#	420	449	403	#
Military sciences	503	505	#	505	512	#	510	521	487	1	517	524	492	#	516	518	486	#
Multi/interdisciplinary studies	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	582	584	570	#	598	586	586	#
Natural resources and conservation	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	499	502	481	#	522	519	503	#
Parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	449	462	437	#	455	478	448	1
Personal and culinary services	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	444	440	432	#	459	459	446	#
Philosophy/religion/theology	560	536	#	560	539	1	557	537	535	1	563	538	541	#	569	548	546	#
Physical sciences	575	595	1	569	592	1	557	589	542	2	560	589	545	2	556	586	539	1
Precision production	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	442	462	409	#	436	462	412	#
Psychology	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	506	488	496	4	503	488	496	5
Public affairs and services	458	448	3	459	454	3	462	461	454	3	497	480	488	1	467	452	461	#
Security and protective services	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	455	457	444	2	451	458	440	2
Social sciences and history	532	509	11	532	513	11	539	519	525	9	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†
Social sciences	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	569	544	551	3	567	546	551	2
Technical and vocational	435	441	1	442	452	1	437	454	421	1	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†
Theology and religious vocations	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	541	524	521	#	544	525	522	#
Transportation and materials moving	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	476	495	461	#	461	490	445	#
Other	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	443	445	430	#	466	472	456	1
Undecided	500	507	7	512	521	7	512	530	502	3	519	535	508	3	525	540	516	3
Degree-level goal
Certificate program	434	439	1	439	453	1	443	462	435	1	442	461	434	1	438	455	430	1
Associate's degree	422	415	2	420	419	2	416	420	409	1	415	419	407	1	416	419	407	1
Bachelor's degree	476	476	23	478	483	25	477	487	469	25	476	485	467	26	475	485	466	27
Master's degree	514	518	29	515	526	31	512	525	505	30	510	522	502	30	505	519	498	31
Doctor's or related degree	548	552	24	547	554	22	539	553	532	20	540	550	531	20	531	542	524	19
Other	430	438	1	442	454	1	439	456	436	1	436	452	432	1	433	449	430	#
Undecided	502	503	20	508	514	19	515	528	508	22	517	527	508	22	512	523	504	21
Family income
Less than $20,000	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	434	456	430	10
$20,000, but less than $40,000	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	462	473	453	15
$40,000, but less than $60,000	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	488	496	477	16
$60,000, but less than $80,000	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	502	510	490	16
$80,000, but less than $100,000	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	514	525	504	13
$100,000, but less than $120,000	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	522	534	512	11
$120,000, but less than $140,000	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	526	537	517	5
$140,000, but less than $160,000	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	533	546	525	4
$160,000, but less than $200,000	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	535	548	529	4
More than $200,000	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	554	570	552	6
Highest level of parental education
No high school diploma	414	439	4	413	442	4	418	445	418	4	421	445	418	4	419	441	417	5
High school diploma	475	474	35	472	477	33	467	478	460	31	466	476	457	31	464	474	455	32
Associate's degree	489	487	8	488	491	9	484	493	474	8	484	492	473	9	482	490	471	9
Bachelor's degree	525	529	28	525	533	29	522	536	514	30	522	533	513	30	518	531	510	30
Graduate degree	556	558	25	558	566	25	558	571	552	27	560	569	552	26	553	565	546	25

— Not available. † Not applicable. # Rounds to zero. ‡ Reporting standards not met. 1 Prior to 2006, the critical reading section was known as the verbal section. 2 Writing data are based on students who took the SAT writing section, which was introduced in March 2005. 3 Beginning in 2005–06, the College Board has reported third, fourth, and fifth quintiles as the bottom three quintiles instead of reporting them separately as in previous years. 4 Data may not be comparable over time because of additions to the list of majors and changes in subspecialties within majors. 5 Home economics was changed to Family and consumer sciences/human sciences as of 2006–07. NOTE: Data are for seniors who took the SAT any time during their high school years through March of their senior year. If a student took a test more than once, the most recent score was used. The SAT was formerly known as the Scholastic Assessment Test and the Scholastic Aptitude Test. Possible scores on each part of the SAT range from 200 to 800. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding and survey item nonresponse. SOURCE: College Entrance Examination Board, College-Bound Seniors: Total Group Profile [National] Report, selected years, 1995–96 through 2007–08, retrieved August 26, 2008, from http://professionals.collegeboard.com/data-reports-research/sat/cb-seniors-2008. (This table was prepared August 2008.)