Table 154.

SAT mean scores of college-bound seniors and percentage of graduates taking SAT, by state or jurisdiction: Selected years, 1995-96 through 2009-10

State or jurisdiction	1995-96		2000-01		2005-06			2007-08			2008-09			2009-10			Percent of graduates taking SAT, 2008-091	Percent of graduates taking SAT, 2009-101
	Critical reading	Mathe- matics	Critical reading	Mathe- matics	Critical reading	Mathe- matics	Writing2	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	19
United States	505	508	506	514	503	518	497	502	515	494	501	515	493	501	516	492	46	47
Alabama	565	558	559	554	565	561	565	565	557	554	557	552	549	556	550	544	7	7
Alaska	521	513	514	510	517	517	493	520	520	493	520	516	492	518	515	491	46	48
Arizona	525	521	523	525	521	528	507	516	522	500	516	521	497	519	525	500	26	25
Arkansas	566	550	562	550	574	568	567	575	567	559	572	572	556	566	566	552	5	4
California	495	511	498	517	501	518	501	499	515	498	500	513	498	501	516	500	49	50
Colorado	536	538	539	542	558	564	548	564	570	553	568	575	555	568	572	555	20	18
Connecticut	507	504	509	510	512	516	511	509	513	513	509	513	512	509	514	513	83	84
Delaware	508	495	501	499	495	500	484	499	498	490	495	498	484	493	495	481	71	71
District of Columbia	489	473	482	474	487	472	482	470	455	465	466	451	461	474	464	466	79	76
Florida	498	496	498	499	496	497	480	496	497	481	497	498	480	496	498	479	59	59
Georgia	484	477	491	489	494	496	487	491	493	482	490	491	479	488	490	475	71	74
Hawaii	485	510	486	515	482	509	472	481	502	470	479	502	469	483	505	470	58	58
Idaho	543	536	543	542	543	545	525	540	540	517	541	540	520	543	541	517	18	19
Illinois	564	575	576	589	591	609	586	583	601	578	588	604	583	585	600	577	6	6
Indiana	494	494	499	501	498	509	486	496	508	481	496	507	480	494	505	477	63	64
Iowa	590	600	593	603	602	613	591	603	612	582	610	615	588	603	613	582	3	3
Kansas	579	571	577	580	582	590	566	580	589	564	581	589	564	590	595	567	7	6
Kentucky	549	544	550	550	562	562	555	568	570	554	573	573	561	575	575	563	7	6
Louisiana	559	550	564	562	570	571	571	566	564	558	563	558	555	555	550	547	7	7
Maine3	504	498	506	500	501	501	491	469	466	461	468	467	455	468	467	454	90	92
Maryland	507	504	508	510	503	509	499	499	502	497	500	502	495	501	506	495	69	70
Massachusetts	507	504	511	515	513	524	510	514	525	513	514	526	510	512	526	509	84	86
Michigan	557	565	561	572	568	583	555	581	598	572	584	603	575	585	605	576	5	5
Minnesota	582	593	580	589	591	600	574	596	609	579	595	609	578	594	607	580	7	7
Mississippi	569	557	566	551	556	541	562	574	556	566	567	554	559	566	548	552	4	3
Missouri	570	569	577	577	587	591	582	594	597	584	595	600	584	593	595	580	5	4
Montana	546	547	539	539	538	545	524	541	548	523	541	542	519	538	538	517	22	24
Nebraska	567	568	562	568	576	583	566	581	585	567	587	594	572	585	593	568	4	4
Nevada	508	507	509	515	498	508	481	498	506	478	501	505	479	496	501	473	42	43
New Hampshire	520	514	520	516	520	524	509	521	523	511	523	523	510	520	524	510	75	77
New Jersey	498	505	499	513	496	515	496	495	513	496	496	513	496	495	514	497	76	76
New Mexico	554	548	551	542	557	549	543	557	548	540	553	546	534	553	549	534	11	11
New York	497	499	495	505	493	510	483	488	504	481	485	502	478	484	499	478	85	85
North Carolina	490	486	493	499	495	513	485	496	511	482	495	511	480	497	511	477	63	63
North Dakota	596	599	592	599	610	617	588	594	604	568	590	593	566	580	594	559	3	4
Ohio	536	535	534	539	535	544	521	534	544	521	537	546	523	538	548	522	22	21
Oklahoma	566	557	567	561	576	574	563	572	572	557	575	571	557	569	568	547	5	5
Oregon	523	521	526	526	523	529	503	523	527	502	523	525	499	523	524	499	52	54
Pennsylvania	498	492	500	499	493	500	483	494	501	483	493	501	483	492	501	480	71	71
Rhode Island	501	491	501	499	495	502	490	495	498	493	498	496	494	494	495	488	66	67
South Carolina	480	474	486	488	487	498	480	488	497	476	486	496	470	484	495	468	67	66
South Dakota	574	566	577	582	590	604	578	595	596	575	589	600	569	592	603	571	3	3
Tennessee	563	552	562	553	573	569	572	571	570	566	571	565	565	576	571	565	10	10
Texas	495	500	493	499	491	506	487	488	505	480	486	506	475	484	505	473	51	53
Utah	583	575	575	570	560	557	550	561	557	543	559	558	540	568	559	547	6	6
Vermont	506	500	511	506	513	519	502	519	523	507	518	518	506	519	521	506	64	66
Virginia	507	496	510	501	512	513	500	511	512	499	511	512	498	512	512	497	68	67
Washington	519	519	527	527	527	532	511	526	533	509	524	531	507	524	532	508	53	54
West Virginia	526	506	527	512	519	510	515	512	501	498	511	501	499	515	507	500	18	16
Wisconsin	577	586	584	596	588	600	577	587	604	577	594	608	582	595	604	579	5	4
Wyoming	544	544	547	545	548	555	537	562	574	541	567	568	550	570	567	546	5	5

1 Participation rate is based on the projection of high school graduates by the Western Interstate 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 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, 1995-96 through 2009-10, retrieved September 14, 2010, from http://professionals.collegeboard.com/profdownload/2010-sat-trends.pdf. (This table was prepared September 2010.)