Table 144.

SAT mean scores of college-bound seniors and percentage of graduates taking SAT, by state or jurisdiction: Selected years, 1987–88 through 2007–08

State or jurisdiction	1987–88		1995–96		2000–01		2005–06			2006–07			2007–08			Percent of graduates taking SAT, 2006–071		Percent of graduates taking SAT, 2007–081
	Critical reading	Mathe-matics	Critical reading	Mathe-matics	Critical reading	Mathe-matics	Critical reading	Mathe-matics	Writing2	Critical reading	Mathe-matics	Writing2	Critical reading	Mathe-matics	Writing2
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17		18
United States	505	501	505	508	506	514	503	518	497	502	515	494	502	515	494	48		45
Alabama	554	540	565	558	559	554	565	561	565	563	556	554	565	557	554	9		8
Alaska	518	501	521	513	514	510	517	517	493	519	517	491	520	520	493	48		45
Arizona	531	523	525	521	523	525	521	528	507	519	525	502	516	522	500	32		26
Arkansas	554	536	566	550	562	550	574	568	567	578	566	565	575	567	559	5		5
California	500	508	495	511	498	517	501	518	501	499	516	498	499	515	498	49		48
Colorado	537	532	536	538	539	542	558	564	548	560	565	549	564	570	553	24		21
Connecticut	513	498	507	504	509	510	512	516	511	510	512	511	509	513	513	84		83
Delaware	510	493	508	495	501	499	495	500	484	497	496	486	499	498	490	72		70
District of Columbia	479	461	489	473	482	474	487	472	482	478	462	471	470	455	465	78	3	84
Florida	499	495	498	496	498	499	496	497	480	497	496	479	496	497	481	65		54
Georgia	480	473	484	477	491	489	494	496	487	494	495	483	491	493	482	69		70
Hawaii	484	505	485	510	486	515	482	509	472	484	506	473	481	502	470	61		58
Idaho	543	523	543	536	543	542	543	545	525	541	539	519	540	540	517	19		18
Illinois	540	540	564	575	576	589	591	609	586	594	611	588	583	601	578	8		7
Indiana	490	486	494	494	499	501	498	509	486	497	507	483	496	508	481	62		62
Iowa	587	588	590	600	593	603	602	613	591	608	613	586	603	612	582	4		3
Kansas	568	557	579	571	577	580	582	590	566	583	590	569	580	589	564	8		7
Kentucky	551	535	549	544	550	550	562	562	555	567	565	553	568	570	554	10		8
Louisiana	551	533	559	550	564	562	570	571	571	569	567	563	566	564	558	7		7
Maine4	508	493	504	498	506	500	501	501	491	466	465	457	469	466	461	100		87
Maryland	509	501	507	504	508	510	503	509	499	500	502	496	499	502	497	70		69
Massachusetts	508	499	507	504	511	515	513	524	510	513	522	511	514	525	513	85		83
Michigan	532	533	557	565	561	572	568	583	555	568	579	553	581	598	572	9		6
Minnesota	546	549	582	593	580	589	591	600	574	596	603	577	596	609	579	9		8
Mississippi	557	539	569	557	566	551	556	541	562	568	549	560	574	556	566	4		3
Missouri	547	539	570	569	577	577	587	591	582	594	594	587	594	597	584	6		5
Montana	547	547	546	547	539	539	538	545	524	538	543	522	541	548	523	28		24
Nebraska	562	561	567	568	562	568	576	583	566	579	585	562	581	585	567	6		5
Nevada	517	510	508	507	509	515	498	508	481	500	506	480	498	506	478	41		40
New Hampshire	523	511	520	514	520	516	520	524	509	521	521	512	521	523	511	83		74
New Jersey	500	495	498	505	499	513	496	515	496	495	510	494	495	513	496	82		76
New Mexico	553	543	554	548	551	542	557	549	543	555	546	540	557	548	540	12		12
New York	497	495	497	499	495	505	493	510	483	491	505	482	488	504	481	89		84
North Carolina	478	470	490	486	493	499	495	513	485	495	509	482	496	511	482	71		63
North Dakota	572	569	596	599	592	599	610	617	588	584	596	562	594	604	568	4		3
Ohio	529	521	536	535	534	539	535	544	521	536	542	522	534	544	521	27		24
Oklahoma	558	542	566	557	567	561	576	574	563	578	571	559	572	572	557	6		6
Oregon	517	507	523	521	526	526	523	529	503	522	526	502	523	527	502	54		53
Pennsylvania	502	489	498	492	500	499	493	500	483	493	499	482	494	501	483	75		71
Rhode Island	508	496	501	491	501	499	495	502	490	496	498	492	495	498	493	68		66
South Carolina	477	468	480	474	486	488	487	498	480	488	496	475	488	497	476	62		61
South Dakota	585	573	574	566	577	582	590	604	578	589	602	567	595	596	575	3		3
Tennessee	560	543	563	552	562	553	573	569	572	574	569	568	571	570	566	13		11
Texas	494	490	495	500	493	499	491	506	487	492	507	482	488	505	480	52		50
Utah	572	553	583	575	575	570	560	557	550	558	556	544	561	557	543	6		6
Vermont	514	499	506	500	511	506	513	519	502	516	518	508	519	523	507	67		64
Virginia	507	498	507	496	510	501	512	513	500	511	511	498	511	512	499	73		68
Washington	525	517	519	519	527	527	527	532	511	526	531	510	526	533	509	53		52
West Virginia	528	519	526	506	527	512	519	510	515	516	507	505	512	501	498	20		19
Wisconsin	549	551	577	586	584	596	588	600	577	587	598	575	587	604	577	6		5
Wyoming	550	545	544	544	547	545	548	555	537	565	571	544	562	574	541	8		6

1 Participation rate is based on the projection of high school graduates by the Western Inter-state Commission for Higher Education (WICHE), and the number of seniors who took the SAT in each state. 2 Writing data are based on students who took the SAT writing section, which was introduced in March 2005. 3 Participation rate is based on self-reported 12th-grade enrollment from D.C.'s public and nonpublic schools because WICHE estimated fewer graduating seniors than actual SAT test takers. 4 Beginning with the spring SAT administration in 2006, all Maine high school juniors, including all students in their third year of high school, are required to take SAT tests in critical reading, writing, and mathematics. 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. The critical reading section was formerly known as the verbal section. SOURCE: College Entrance Examination Board, College-Bound Seniors Tables and Related Items, selected years, 1987–88 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.)