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| Table 226.10. | SAT mean scores of college-bound seniors, by race/ethnicity: Selected years, 1986-87 through 2015-16 |
| Race/ethnicity | 1986-87 | 1990-91 | 1996-97 | 2000-01 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | 2014-15 | 2015-161 | Score change1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990-91 to 2004-05 |
2004-05 to 2014-15 |
2009-10 to 2014-15 |
2013-14 to 2014-15 |
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| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| SAT—Critical reading | ||||||||||||||||||||
| All students | 507 | 499 | 505 | 506 | 508 | 503 | 502 | 502 | 501 | 501 | 497 | 496 | 496 | 497 | 495 | 494 | 9 | -13 | -6 | -2 |
| White | 524 | 518 | 526 | 529 | 532 | 527 | 527 | 528 | 528 | 528 | 528 | 527 | 527 | 529 | 529 | 528 | 14 | -3 | 1 | 0 |
| Black | 428 | 427 | 434 | 433 | 433 | 434 | 433 | 430 | 429 | 429 | 428 | 428 | 431 | 431 | 431 | 430 | 6 | -2 | 2 | 0 |
| Hispanic | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 448 | — | — | — | — |
| Mexican American | 457 | 454 | 451 | 451 | 453 | 454 | 455 | 454 | 453 | 454 | 451 | 448 | 449 | 450 | 448 | — | -1 | -5 | -6 | -2 |
| Puerto Rican | 436 | 436 | 454 | 457 | 460 | 459 | 459 | 456 | 452 | 454 | 452 | 452 | 456 | 456 | 456 | — | 24 | -4 | 2 | 0 |
| Other Hispanic | 464 | 458 | 466 | 460 | 463 | 458 | 459 | 455 | 455 | 454 | 451 | 447 | 450 | 451 | 449 | — | 5 | -14 | -5 | -2 |
| Asian/Pacific Islander |
479 | 485 | 496 | 501 | 511 | 510 | 514 | 513 | 516 | 519 | 517 | 518 | 521 | 523 | 525 | — | 26 | 14 | 6 | 2 |
| Asian | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 529 | — | — | — | — |
| Pacific Islander | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 432 | — | — | — | — |
| American Indian/ Alaska Native |
471 | 470 | 475 | 481 | 489 | 487 | 487 | 485 | 486 | 485 | 484 | 482 | 480 | 483 | 481 | 468 | 19 | -8 | -4 | -2 |
| Other | 480 | 486 | 512 | 503 | 495 | 494 | 497 | 496 | 494 | 494 | 493 | 491 | 492 | 493 | 490 | — | 9 | -5 | -4 | -3 |
| Other race | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 496 | — | — | — | — |
| Two or more races | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 511 | — | — | — | — |
| SAT—Mathematics | ||||||||||||||||||||
| All students | 501 | 500 | 511 | 514 | 520 | 518 | 515 | 515 | 515 | 516 | 514 | 514 | 514 | 513 | 511 | 508 | 20 | -9 | -5 | -2 |
| White | 514 | 513 | 526 | 531 | 536 | 536 | 534 | 537 | 536 | 536 | 535 | 536 | 534 | 534 | 534 | 533 | 23 | -2 | -2 | 0 |
| Black | 411 | 419 | 423 | 426 | 431 | 429 | 429 | 426 | 426 | 428 | 427 | 428 | 429 | 429 | 428 | 425 | 12 | -3 | 0 | -1 |
| Hispanic | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 453 | — | — | — | — |
| Mexican American | 455 | 459 | 458 | 458 | 463 | 465 | 466 | 463 | 463 | 467 | 466 | 465 | 464 | 461 | 457 | — | 4 | -6 | -10 | -4 |
| Puerto Rican | 432 | 439 | 447 | 451 | 457 | 456 | 454 | 453 | 450 | 452 | 452 | 452 | 453 | 450 | 449 | — | 18 | -8 | -3 | -1 |
| Other Hispanic | 462 | 462 | 468 | 465 | 469 | 463 | 463 | 461 | 461 | 462 | 462 | 461 | 461 | 459 | 457 | — | 7 | -12 | -5 | -2 |
| Asian/Pacific Islander |
541 | 548 | 560 | 566 | 580 | 578 | 578 | 581 | 587 | 591 | 595 | 595 | 597 | 598 | 598 | — | 32 | 18 | 7 | 0 |
| Asian | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 602 | — | — | — | — |
| Pacific Islander | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 438 | — | — | — | — |
| American Indian/ Alaska Native |
463 | 468 | 475 | 479 | 493 | 494 | 494 | 491 | 493 | 492 | 488 | 489 | 486 | 484 | 482 | 471 | 25 | -11 | -10 | -2 |
| Other | 482 | 492 | 514 | 512 | 513 | 513 | 512 | 512 | 514 | 514 | 517 | 516 | 519 | 520 | 519 | — | 21 | 6 | 5 | -1 |
| Other race | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 519 | — | — | — | — |
| Two or more races | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 505 | — | — | — | — |
| SAT—Writing | ||||||||||||||||||||
| All students | † | † | † | † | † | 497 | 494 | 494 | 493 | 492 | 489 | 488 | 488 | 487 | 484 | 482 | † | † | -8 | -3 |
| White | † | † | † | † | † | 519 | 518 | 518 | 517 | 516 | 516 | 515 | 515 | 513 | 513 | 511 | † | † | -3 | 0 |
| Black | † | † | † | † | † | 428 | 425 | 424 | 421 | 420 | 417 | 417 | 418 | 418 | 418 | 415 | † | † | -2 | 0 |
| Hispanic | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 436 | — | — | — | — |
| Mexican American | † | † | † | † | † | 452 | 450 | 447 | 446 | 448 | 445 | 443 | 442 | 443 | 438 | — | † | † | -10 | -5 |
| Puerto Rican | † | † | † | † | † | 448 | 447 | 445 | 443 | 443 | 442 | 442 | 445 | 443 | 442 | — | † | † | -1 | -1 |
| Other Hispanic | † | † | † | † | † | 450 | 450 | 448 | 448 | 447 | 444 | 442 | 443 | 443 | 439 | — | † | † | -8 | -4 |
| Asian/Pacific Islander |
† | † | † | † | † | 512 | 513 | 516 | 520 | 526 | 528 | 528 | 527 | 530 | 531 | — | † | † | 5 | 1 |
| Asian | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 534 | — | — | — | — |
| Pacific Islander | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 423 | — | — | — | — |
| American Indian/ Alaska Native |
† | † | † | † | † | 474 | 473 | 470 | 469 | 467 | 465 | 462 | 461 | 461 | 460 | 447 | † | † | -7 | -1 |
| Other | † | † | † | † | † | 493 | 493 | 494 | 493 | 492 | 492 | 491 | 490 | 491 | 487 | — | † | † | -5 | -4 |
| Other race | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 491 | — | — | — | — |
| Two or more races | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 488 | — | — | — | — |
| —Not available. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| †Not applicable. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 Data for 2015-16 seniors cannot be compared to data for previous graduating cohorts because the 2015-16 data include testing only through January of the senior year and graduating cohort membership was also calculated differently. In addition, the categories used to collect and report data on race/ethnicity in 2015-16 are not comparable to those used in prior years. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| NOTE: Data for 2009-10 and earlier years are for seniors who took the SAT at any time during their high school years through March of their senior year. Data for 2010-11 through 2014-15 are for seniors who took the SAT at any time during their high school years through June of their senior year. Data for 2015-16 are for seniors who took the SAT at any time during their high school years through the January 2016 administration, which was the final administration prior to a major test redesign; because of the smaller number of test administrations and other differences, the 2015-16 data are not comparable to data for earlier years. For all data years, 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. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| SOURCE: College Entrance Examination Board, College-Bound Seniors: Total Group Profile [National] Report, selected years, 1986-87 through 2015-16, retrieved January 31, 2017, from https://secure-media.collegeboard.org/digitalServices/pdf/sat/total-group-2016.pdf. (This table was prepared February 2017.) |