Table 226.30.

SAT mean scores and percentage distribution of college-bound seniors, by selected student characteristics: Selected years, 1995-96 through 2014-15

Selected student characteristic	1995-96			2000-01			2005-06				2010-11				2014-15
	Critical reading score	Mathe- matics score	Percent-age distri-bution	Critical reading score	Mathe- matics score	Percent-age distri-bution	Critical reading score	Mathe- matics score	Writing score	Percent-age distri-bution	Critical reading score	Mathe- matics score	Writing score	Percent-age distri-bution	Critical reading score	Mathe- matics score	Writing score	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	497	514	489	100	495	511	484	100
High school rank
Top decile	591	606	22	588	607	24	580	604	577	31	575	606	572	35	574	605	568	35
Second decile	530	539	22	526	540	23	516	537	511	25	510	535	503	27	511	532	499	26
Second quintile	494	496	28	490	497	26	484	498	476	20	482	498	470	18	482	494	467	18
Bottom three quintiles1	—	—	—	—	—	—	443	449	435	23	438	448	426	20	438	443	423	21
Third quintile	455	448	24	454	452	22	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Fourth quintile	429	418	4	423	417	4	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Fifth quintile	411	401	1	407	401	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
High school grade point average
A+ (97-100)	617	632	6	609	626	7	602	621	599	7	596	620	595	6	592	617	587	7
A (93-96)	573	583	14	566	581	17	563	582	559	18	560	583	556	19	558	578	551	21
A- (90-92)	545	554	15	540	552	17	534	552	529	18	528	548	521	19	523	540	513	20
B (80-89)	486	485	49	482	486	47	479	489	471	46	469	480	458	45	463	472	450	43
C (70-79)	432	426	15	428	425	12	426	428	414	11	416	421	401	10	407	412	393	9
D, E, or F (below 70)	414	408	#	403	404	#	406	413	389	#	409	425	398	#	386	404	372	#
High school type
Public	502	506	83	502	510	83	500	514	492	83	494	506	483	84	489	498	475	84
Private, religiously affiliated	525	510	12	530	523	12	531	529	528	11	531	533	528	10	533	536	527	9
Private, independent	547	556	5	549	567	5	544	573	550	5	541	579	550	6	532	579	538	7
Intended college major2
Agriculture, agriculture operations,       and related sciences	491	484	2	487	484	1	481	485	469	1	475	484	461	1	470	474	455	1
Architecture and related services	492	519	3	493	521	2	488	528	485	3	490	534	485	2	482	522	474	1
Area, ethnic, cultural, and gender       studies	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	545	513	531	#	537	505	521	#
Arts: visual/performing	520	497	6	518	501	8	516	502	507	9	508	497	499	8	503	490	490	7
Biological and biomedical sciences	546	545	6	545	549	5	540	554	532	6	540	557	533	6	537	549	527	7
Business management, marketing, and       related support services	483	500	13	489	511	14	486	511	481	15	488	522	484	11	494	520	486	12
Communication, journalism,       and related programs	527	497	4	527	506	4	522	504	520	4	519	502	516	3	516	496	509	3
Computer and information sciences       and support services	497	522	3	501	533	7	503	534	482	4	511	539	485	2	530	559	505	3
Construction trades	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	422	451	399	#	429	450	403	#
Education	487	477	8	483	481	9	480	484	478	8	480	487	476	6	481	480	473	4
Engineering	525	569	8	523	572	9	519	577	506	8	528	584	513	8	526	575	509	11
Engineering technologies/       technicians	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	464	511	447	2	475	523	458	1
English language and literature/       letters	605	545	1	606	549	1	597	541	584	2	584	529	570	1	573	519	557	1
Family and consumer sciences/       human sciences3	458	452	#	459	458	#	462	466	461	#	456	461	452	#	450	451	445	#
Foreign languages, literatures,       and linguistics	556	534	#	557	540	1	572	549	563	1	567	542	557	1	555	530	540	1
General/interdisciplinary	576	553	#	554	539	#	542	532	532	#	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†
Health professions and related       clinical services	500	505	19	494	502	15	485	498	483	18	487	502	484	19	484	492	477	19
History	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	542	510	511	1	539	504	507	1
Legal professions and studies	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	512	507	500	3	520	509	505	2
Liberal arts and sciences, general       studies, and humanities	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	552	532	541	1	549	530	538	1
Library science and administration	554	512	#	574	504	#	579	509	542	#	564	505	516	#	550	502	511	#
Mathematics and statistics	552	628	1	549	625	1	539	624	537	1	518	603	519	1	541	616	538	1
Mechanic and repair technologies/       technician	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	421	451	400	#	416	441	396	#
Military technologies and applied       sciences	503	505	#	507	511	#	510	521	487	1	467	471	433	#	483	490	455	1
Multi/interdisciplinary studies	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	582	580	570	#	579	585	567	1
Natural resources and conservation	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	525	524	506	1	523	519	502	#
Parks, recreation, leisure, and       fitness studies	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	444	468	435	1	436	455	427	1
Personal and culinary services	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	457	456	440	#	444	440	426	#
Philosophy and religious studies	560	536	#	561	539	1	557	537	535	1	557	535	530	#	542	523	518	#
Physical sciences	575	595	1	568	588	1	557	589	542	2	553	582	537	1	559	584	539	1
Precision production	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	436	468	422	#	461	467	419	#
Psychology	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	505	494	497	5	500	484	489	5
Public administration and social       services	458	448	3	461	455	2	462	461	454	3	467	459	462	#	466	455	458	#
Security and protective services	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	445	454	432	2	445	448	432	3
Social sciences and history	532	509	11	531	512	10	539	519	525	9	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†
Social sciences	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	573	558	559	2	560	545	544	2
Technical and vocational	435	441	1	444	451	1	437	454	421	1	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†
Theology and religious vocations	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	539	522	513	#	533	515	509	#
Transportation and materials moving	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	465	496	446	#	463	481	441	#
Other	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	453	462	443	2	450	456	439	2
Undecided	500	507	7	515	524	7	512	530	502	3	530	545	522	8	532	543	520	7
Degree-level goal
Certificate program	434	439	1	443	455	1	443	462	435	1	445	464	434	1	435	454	424	1
Associate's degree	422	415	2	419	416	2	416	420	409	1	412	416	400	1	408	409	395	1
Bachelor's degree	476	476	23	478	483	25	477	487	469	25	478	490	467	30	482	490	468	31
Master's degree	514	518	29	516	526	31	512	525	505	30	506	524	499	29	510	525	499	31
Doctor's or related degree	548	552	24	547	554	21	539	553	532	20	534	550	527	21	535	547	525	21
Other	430	438	1	438	449	1	439	456	436	1	425	451	423	1	408	437	405	1
Undecided	502	503	20	511	517	19	515	528	508	22	509	522	499	16	504	517	492	14
Family income
Less than $20,000	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	434	460	429	13	433	455	426	14
$20,000, but less than $40,000	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	464	480	454	16	466	479	454	16
$40,000, but less than $60,000	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	487	499	475	15	488	497	473	14
$60,000, but less than $80,000	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	502	512	489	14	503	510	487	12
$80,000, but less than $100,000	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	515	527	503	12	517	526	501	11
$100,000, but less than $120,000	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	526	539	515	10	528	539	514	10
$120,000, but less than $140,000	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	530	544	520	5	531	542	518	5
$140,000, but less than $160,000	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	538	552	529	4	539	551	526	4
$160,000, but less than $200,000	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	543	557	536	5	545	557	534	5
More than $200,000	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	568	586	567	7	570	587	563	8
Highest level of parental education
No high school diploma	414	439	4	411	438	4	418	445	418	4	421	449	418	6	420	443	415	7
High school diploma	475	474	35	472	476	32	467	478	460	31	463	476	452	31	461	471	448	29
Associate's degree	489	487	8	489	491	9	484	493	474	8	480	489	466	8	479	483	462	8
Bachelor's degree	525	529	28	525	533	29	522	536	514	30	522	538	514	31	521	537	509	31
Graduate degree	556	558	25	559	567	26	558	571	552	27	559	574	554	25	560	575	550	25

—Not available.

†Not applicable.

#Rounds to zero.

1 Beginning in 2005-06, the College Board has reported the third, fourth, and fifth quintiles as the bottom three quintiles instead of reporting them separately as in previous years.

2 Data may not be comparable over time because of additions to the list of majors and changes in subspecialties within majors.

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

NOTE: Prior to 2010-11, data are for seniors who took the SAT any time during their high school years through March of their senior year. Data for 2010-11 onwards are for seniors who took the SAT any time during their high school years through June of their senior year. If a student took the SAT more than once, the most recent score on each section was used. Possible scores on each section of the SAT range from 200 to 800. Prior to 2006, the critical reading section was known as the verbal section. The writing section was introduced in March 2005. The SAT was formerly known as the Scholastic Assessment Test and the Scholastic Aptitude Test. 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 2014-15, retrieved September 11, 2015, from https://secure-media.collegeboard.org/digitalServices/pdf/sat/total-group-2015.pdf. (This table was prepared September 2015.)