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Digest of Education Statistics
2016 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest


Table 226.20. SAT mean scores of college-bound seniors, by sex: 1966-67 through 2015-16
School year SAT1 Scholastic Aptitude Test (old scale)
Critical reading score Mathematics score Writing score2 Verbal score Mathematics score
Total Male Female Total Male Female Total Male Female Total Male Female Total Male Female
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
1966-67 543 540 545 516 535 495 466 463 468 492 514 467
1967-68 543 541 543 516 533 497 466 464 466 492 512 470
1968-69 540 536 543 517 534 498 463 459 466 493 513 470
1969-70 537 536 538 512 531 493 460 459 461 488 509 465
1970-71 532 531 534 513 529 494 455 454 457 488 507 466
                               
1971-72 530 531 529 509 527 489 453 454 452 484 505 461
1972-73 523 523 521 506 525 489 445 446 443 481 502 460
1973-74 521 524 520 505 524 488 444 447 442 480 501 459
1974-75 512 515 509 498 518 479 434 437 431 472 495 449
1975-76 509 511 508 497 520 475 431 433 430 472 497 446
                               
1976-77 507 509 505 496 520 474 429 431 427 470 497 445
1977-78 507 511 503 494 517 474 429 433 425 468 494 444
1978-79 505 509 501 493 516 473 427 431 423 467 493 443
1979-80 502 506 498 492 515 473 424 428 420 466 491 443
1980-81 502 508 496 492 516 473 424 430 418 466 492 443
                               
1981-82 504 509 499 493 516 473 426 431 421 467 493 443
1982-83 503 508 498 494 516 474 425 430 420 468 493 445
1983-84 504 511 498 497 518 478 426 433 420 471 495 449
1984-85 509 514 503 500 522 480 431 437 425 475 499 452
1985-86 509 515 504 500 523 479 431 437 426 475 501 451
                               
1986-87 507 512 502 501 523 481 430 435 425 476 500 453
1987-88 505 512 499 501 521 483 428 435 422 476 498 455
1988-89 504 510 498 502 523 482 427 434 421 476 500 454
1989-90 500 505 496 501 521 483 424 429 419 476 499 455
1990-91 499 503 495 500 520 482 422 426 418 474 497 453
                               
1991-92 500 504 496 501 521 484 423 428 419 476 499 456
1992-93 500 504 497 503 524 484 424 428 420 478 502 457
1993-94 499 501 497 504 523 487 423 425 421 479 501 460
1994-95 504 505 502 506 525 490 428 429 426 482 503 463
1995-96 505 507 503 508 527 492
                               
1996-97 505 507 503 511 530 494
1997-98 505 509 502 512 531 496
1998-99 505 509 502 511 531 495
1999-2000 505 507 504 514 533 498
2000-01 506 509 502 514 533 498
                               
2001-02 504 507 502 516 534 500
2002-03 507 512 503 519 537 503
2003-04 508 512 504 518 537 501
2004-05 508 513 505 520 538 504
2005-06 503 505 502 518 536 502 497 491 502
                               
2006-07 502 504 502 515 533 499 494 489 500
2007-08 502 504 500 515 533 500 494 488 501
2008-09 501 503 498 515 534 499 493 486 499
2009-10 501 503 498 516 534 500 492 486 498
2010-11 497 500 495 514 531 500 489 482 496
                               
2011-12 496 498 493 514 532 499 488 481 494
2012-13 496 499 494 514 531 499 488 482 493
2013-14 497 499 495 513 530 499 487 481 492
2014-15 495 497 493 511 527 496 484 478 490
2015-163 494 495 493 508 524 494 482 475 487
—Not available.
†Not applicable.
1 Data for 1966-67 to 1985-86 were converted to the recentered scale by using a formula applied to the original mean and standard deviation. For 1986-87 to 1994-95, individual student scores were converted to the recentered scale and then the mean was recomputed. For 1995-96 to 1998-99, nearly all students received scores on the recentered scale; any score on the original scale was converted to the recentered scale prior to recomputing the mean. From 1999-2000 on, all scores have been reported on the recentered scale.
2 The SAT writing section was introduced in March 2005.
3 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.
NOTE: Data for 1966-67 through 1970-71 are estimates derived from the test scores of all participants. Data for 1971-72 through 2009-10 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 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, 1966-67 through 2015-16, retrieved January 31, 2017, from https://secure-media.collegeboard.org/digitalServices/pdf/sat/total-group-2016.pdf. (This table was prepared January 2017.)

2016 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest