Table 155.

SAT mean scores and percentage distribution of college-bound seniors, by selected student characteristics: Selected years, 1995-96 through 2010-11

Selected student characteristic	1995-96			2000-01			2005-06				2009-10				2010-11
	Critical reading score1	Mathe- matics score	Percent- age distri- bution	Critical reading score1	Mathe- matics score	Percent- age distri- bution	Critical reading score1	Mathe- matics score	Writing score2	Percent- age distri- bution	Critical reading score1	Mathe- matics score	Writing score2	Percent- age distri- bution	Critical reading score1	Mathe- matics score	Writing score2	Percent- age distri- bution
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19
All students	505	508	100	506	514	100	503	518	497	100	501	516	492	100	497	514	489	100
High school rank
Top decile	591	606	22	588	607	24	580	604	577	31	578	606	575	34	575	606	572	35
Second decile	530	539	22	526	540	23	516	537	511	25	514	535	505	27	510	535	503	27
Second quintile	494	496	28	490	497	26	484	498	476	20	484	499	472	19	482	498	470	18
Third quintile	455	448	24	454	452	22	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Fourth quintile	429	418	4	423	417	4	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Fifth quintile	411	401	1	407	401	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Bottom three quintiles3	—	—	—	—	—	—	443	449	435	23	441	450	429	20	438	448	426	20
High school grade point average
A+ (97-100)	617	632	6	609	626	7	602	621	599	7	599	621	596	6	596	620	595	6
A (93-96)	573	583	14	566	581	17	563	582	559	18	563	584	558	19	560	583	556	19
A- (90-92)	545	554	15	540	552	17	534	552	529	18	531	550	525	19	528	548	521	19
B (80-89)	486	485	49	482	486	47	479	489	471	46	473	483	462	45	469	480	458	45
C (70-79)	432	426	15	428	425	12	426	428	414	11	418	424	405	10	416	421	401	10
D, E, or F (below 70)	414	408	#	403	404	#	406	413	389	#	411	422	399	#	409	425	398	#
High school type
Public	502	506	83	502	510	83	500	514	492	83	498	511	488	84	494	506	483	84
Private, religiously affiliated	525	510	12	530	523	12	531	529	528	11	533	534	530	11	531	533	528	10
Private, independent	547	556	5	549	567	5	544	573	550	5	557	583	560	6	541	579	550	6
Intended college major4
Agriculture and related sciences	491	484	2	487	484	1	481	485	469	1	476	485	464	1	475	484	461	1
Architecture/environmental design	492	519	3	493	521	2	488	528	485	3	492	536	487	2	490	534	485	2
Area, ethnic, cultural and gender      studies	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	555	523	540	#	545	513	531	#
Arts: visual/performing	520	497	6	518	501	8	516	502	507	9	513	501	503	8	508	497	499	8
Biological sciences	546	545	6	545	549	5	540	554	532	6	544	560	536	6	540	557	533	6
Business and commerce	483	500	13	489	511	14	486	511	481	15	490	523	487	12	488	522	484	11
Communications and journalism	527	497	4	527	506	4	522	504	520	4	524	506	520	3	519	502	516	3
Computer or information sciences	497	522	3	501	533	7	503	534	482	4	510	539	486	2	511	539	485	2
Construction trades	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	416	452	398	#	422	451	399	#
Education	487	477	8	483	481	9	480	484	478	8	481	486	477	6	480	487	476	6
Engineering	525	569	8	523	572	9	519	577	506	8	531	587	516	8	528	584	513	8
Engineering technologies/      technicians	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	463	509	446	2	464	511	447	2
English language and literature/      letters	605	545	1	606	549	1	597	541	584	2	587	532	572	2	584	529	570	1
Family and consumer sciences/      human sciences5	458	452	#	459	458	#	462	466	461	#	459	465	455	#	456	461	452	#
Foreign languages, literatures,      and linguistics	556	534	#	557	540	1	572	549	563	1	572	545	562	1	567	542	557	1
General/interdisciplinary	576	553	#	554	539	#	542	532	532	#	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†
Health and allied services	500	505	19	494	502	15	485	498	483	18	489	503	485	18	487	502	484	19
History	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	545	516	516	1	542	510	511	1
Legal professions and studies	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	511	506	499	3	512	507	500	3
Liberal arts and sciences, general      studies, and humanities	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	559	539	549	1	552	532	541	1
Library and archival sciences	554	512	#	574	504	#	579	509	542	#	558	505	519	#	564	505	516	#
Mathematics	552	628	1	549	625	1	539	624	537	1	522	606	522	1	518	603	519	1
Mechanic and repair technologies/      technician	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	419	452	402	#	421	451	400	#
Military sciences	503	505	#	507	511	#	510	521	487	1	501	504	469	#	467	471	433	#
Multi/interdisciplinary studies	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	605	598	592	#	582	580	570	#
Natural resources and conservation	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	528	528	510	1	525	524	506	1
Parks, recreation, leisure, and      fitness studies	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	448	474	439	1	444	468	435	1
Personal and culinary services	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	457	460	443	#	457	456	440	#
Philosophy/religious studies	560	536	#	561	539	1	557	537	535	1	563	540	540	#	557	535	530	#
Physical sciences	575	595	1	568	588	1	557	589	542	2	558	588	540	1	553	582	537	1
Precision production	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	436	464	417	#	436	468	422	#
Psychology	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	505	492	496	5	505	494	497	5
Public affairs and services	458	448	3	461	455	2	462	461	454	3	469	459	462	#	467	459	462	#
Security and protective services	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	448	459	438	2	445	454	432	2
Social sciences and history	532	509	11	531	512	10	539	519	525	9	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†
Social sciences	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	574	558	559	2	573	558	559	2
Technical and vocational	435	441	1	444	451	1	437	454	421	1	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†
Theology and religious vocations	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	539	524	515	#	539	522	513	#
Transportation and materials moving	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	464	496	451	#	465	496	446	#
Other	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	456	465	447	2	453	462	443	2
Undecided	500	507	7	515	524	7	512	530	502	3	532	548	524	7	530	545	522	8
Degree-level goal
Certificate program	434	439	1	443	455	1	443	462	435	1	442	463	432	1	445	464	434	1
Associate's degree	422	415	2	419	416	2	416	420	409	1	414	421	405	1	412	416	400	1
Bachelor's degree	476	476	23	478	483	25	477	487	469	25	477	488	466	28	478	490	467	30
Master's degree	514	518	29	516	526	31	512	525	505	30	509	524	501	30	506	524	499	29
Doctor's or related degree	548	552	24	547	554	21	539	553	532	20	537	551	529	21	534	550	527	21
Other	430	438	1	438	449	1	439	456	436	1	431	452	427	1	425	451	423	1
Undecided	502	503	20	511	517	19	515	528	508	22	516	529	507	18	509	522	499	16
Family income
Less than $20,000	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	437	460	432	11	434	460	429	13
$20,000, but less than $40,000	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	465	479	455	16	464	480	454	16
$40,000, but less than $60,000	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	490	500	478	15	487	499	475	15
$60,000, but less than $80,000	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	504	514	492	14	502	512	489	14
$80,000, but less than $100,000	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	518	529	505	12	515	527	503	12
$100,000, but less than $120,000	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	528	541	518	10	526	539	515	10
$120,000, but less than $140,000	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	533	546	523	5	530	544	520	5
$140,000, but less than $160,000	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	540	554	531	4	538	552	529	4
$160,000, but less than $200,000	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	547	561	540	5	543	557	536	5
More than $200,000	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	568	586	567	7	568	586	567	7
Highest level of parental education
No high school diploma	414	439	4	411	438	4	418	445	418	4	422	446	419	5	421	449	418	6
High school diploma	475	474	35	472	476	32	467	478	460	31	464	475	453	31	463	476	452	31
Associate's degree	489	487	8	489	491	9	484	493	474	8	482	491	469	9	480	489	466	8
Bachelor's degree	525	529	28	525	533	29	522	536	514	30	521	536	512	30	522	538	514	31
Graduate degree	556	558	25	559	567	26	558	571	552	27	561	575	554	26	559	574	554	25

—Not available.

†Not applicable.

#Rounds to zero.

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 Prior to 2006-07, family and consumer sciences/human sciences was called home economics.

NOTE: Data for 2009-10 and earlier years are for seniors who took the SAT any time during their high school years through March of their senior year. Data for 2010-11 are for seniors who took the SAT any time during their high school years through June 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. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: College Entrance Examination Board, College-Bound Seniors: Total Group Profile [National] Report, selected years, 1995-96 through 2010-11, retrieved September 15, 2011, from http://professionals.collegeboard.com/data-reports-research/sat/cb-seniors-2011. (This table was prepared September 2011.)