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Table 226.40. | Mean SAT scores of college-bound seniors and percentage of graduates taking the SAT, by state: Selected years, 1995-96 through 2015-16 |
State | 1995-96 | 2000-01 | 2005-06 | 2010-11 | 2014-15 | 2015-161 | Percent taking SAT2 | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Critical reading score | Mathe- matics score |
Critical reading score | Mathe- matics score |
Critical reading score | Mathe- matics score |
Writing score | Critical reading score | Mathe- matics score |
Writing score | Critical reading score | Mathe- matics score |
Writing score | Critical reading score | Mathe- matics score |
Writing score | 2005-06 | 2014-15 | ||
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 | 497 | 514 | 489 | 495 | 511 | 484 | 494 | 508 | 482 | 48 | 49 | |
Alabama | 565 | 558 | 559 | 554 | 565 | 561 | 565 | 546 | 541 | 536 | 545 | 538 | 533 | 557 | 551 | 543 | 9 | 6 | |
Alaska | 521 | 513 | 514 | 510 | 517 | 517 | 493 | 515 | 511 | 487 | 509 | 503 | 482 | 485 | 479 | 460 | 51 | 52 | |
Arizona | 525 | 521 | 523 | 525 | 521 | 528 | 507 | 517 | 523 | 499 | 523 | 527 | 502 | 528 | 532 | 505 | 32 | 34 | |
Arkansas | 566 | 550 | 562 | 550 | 574 | 568 | 567 | 568 | 570 | 554 | 568 | 569 | 551 | 570 | 569 | 553 | 5 | 4 | |
California | 495 | 511 | 498 | 517 | 501 | 518 | 501 | 499 | 515 | 499 | 495 | 506 | 491 | 491 | 500 | 485 | 49 | 60 | |
Colorado | 536 | 538 | 539 | 542 | 558 | 564 | 548 | 570 | 573 | 556 | 582 | 587 | 567 | 587 | 589 | 571 | 26 | 12 | |
Connecticut | 507 | 504 | 509 | 510 | 512 | 516 | 511 | 509 | 513 | 513 | 504 | 506 | 504 | 500 | 500 | 497 | 84 | 89 | |
Delaware3 | 508 | 495 | 501 | 499 | 495 | 500 | 484 | 489 | 490 | 476 | 462 | 461 | 445 | 458 | 453 | 440 | 73 | 100 | |
District of | |||||||||||||||||||
Columbia3 | 489 | 473 | 482 | 474 | 487 | 472 | 482 | 469 | 457 | 459 | 441 | 440 | 432 | 433 | 433 | 419 | 78 | 4 | 100 |
Florida | 498 | 496 | 498 | 499 | 496 | 497 | 480 | 487 | 489 | 471 | 486 | 480 | 468 | 481 | 475 | 462 | 65 | 74 | |
Georgia | 484 | 477 | 491 | 489 | 494 | 496 | 487 | 485 | 487 | 473 | 490 | 485 | 475 | 493 | 490 | 476 | 70 | 77 | |
Hawaii | 485 | 510 | 486 | 515 | 482 | 509 | 472 | 479 | 500 | 469 | 487 | 508 | 477 | 491 | 511 | 476 | 60 | 61 | |
Idaho3 | 543 | 536 | 543 | 542 | 543 | 545 | 525 | 542 | 539 | 517 | 467 | 463 | 442 | 465 | 453 | 446 | 19 | 100 | |
Illinois | 564 | 575 | 576 | 589 | 591 | 609 | 586 | 599 | 617 | 591 | 599 | 616 | 587 | 605 | 622 | 592 | 9 | 4 | |
Indiana | 494 | 494 | 499 | 501 | 498 | 509 | 486 | 493 | 501 | 475 | 496 | 499 | 478 | 496 | 499 | 477 | 62 | 71 | |
Iowa | 590 | 600 | 593 | 603 | 602 | 613 | 591 | 596 | 606 | 575 | 589 | 600 | 566 | 602 | 611 | 572 | 4 | 3 | |
Kansas | 579 | 571 | 577 | 580 | 582 | 590 | 566 | 580 | 591 | 563 | 588 | 592 | 568 | 594 | 604 | 571 | 8 | 5 | |
Kentucky | 549 | 544 | 550 | 550 | 562 | 562 | 555 | 576 | 572 | 563 | 588 | 587 | 574 | 604 | 599 | 586 | 11 | 4 | |
Louisiana | 559 | 550 | 564 | 562 | 570 | 571 | 571 | 555 | 550 | 546 | 563 | 559 | 553 | 584 | 577 | 571 | 6 | 5 | |
Maine5 | 504 | 498 | 506 | 500 | 501 | 501 | 491 | 469 | 469 | 453 | 468 | 473 | 451 | 486 | 485 | 472 | 73 | 96 | |
Maryland | 507 | 504 | 508 | 510 | 503 | 509 | 499 | 499 | 502 | 491 | 491 | 493 | 478 | 490 | 490 | 476 | 70 | 79 | |
Massachusetts | 507 | 504 | 511 | 515 | 513 | 524 | 510 | 513 | 527 | 509 | 516 | 529 | 507 | 517 | 530 | 506 | 85 | 86 | |
Michigan | 557 | 565 | 561 | 572 | 568 | 583 | 555 | 583 | 604 | 573 | 594 | 609 | 585 | 594 | 608 | 581 | 10 | 4 | |
Minnesota | 582 | 593 | 580 | 589 | 591 | 600 | 574 | 593 | 608 | 577 | 595 | 607 | 576 | 607 | 620 | 588 | 10 | 5 | |
Mississippi | 569 | 557 | 566 | 551 | 556 | 541 | 562 | 564 | 543 | 553 | 580 | 563 | 570 | 595 | 584 | 585 | 4 | 3 | |
Missouri | 570 | 569 | 577 | 577 | 587 | 591 | 582 | 592 | 593 | 579 | 596 | 599 | 582 | 605 | 608 | 589 | 7 | 4 | |
Montana | 546 | 547 | 539 | 539 | 538 | 545 | 524 | 539 | 537 | 516 | 561 | 556 | 538 | 565 | 557 | 539 | 28 | 15 | |
Nebraska | 567 | 568 | 562 | 568 | 576 | 583 | 566 | 585 | 591 | 569 | 589 | 590 | 576 | 590 | 595 | 573 | 7 | 4 | |
Nevada | 508 | 507 | 509 | 515 | 498 | 508 | 481 | 494 | 496 | 470 | 494 | 494 | 470 | 511 | 509 | 488 | 40 | 50 | |
New Hampshire | 520 | 514 | 520 | 516 | 520 | 524 | 509 | 523 | 525 | 511 | 525 | 530 | 511 | 527 | 531 | 510 | 82 | 70 | |
New Jersey | 498 | 505 | 499 | 513 | 496 | 515 | 496 | 495 | 516 | 497 | 500 | 521 | 499 | 495 | 514 | 492 | 82 | 81 | |
New Mexico | 554 | 548 | 551 | 542 | 557 | 549 | 543 | 548 | 541 | 529 | 551 | 544 | 528 | 553 | 545 | 525 | 13 | 12 | |
New York | 497 | 499 | 495 | 505 | 493 | 510 | 483 | 485 | 499 | 476 | 489 | 502 | 478 | 489 | 501 | 477 | 88 | 75 | |
North Carolina | 490 | 486 | 493 | 499 | 495 | 513 | 485 | 493 | 508 | 474 | 498 | 504 | 476 | 502 | 508 | 475 | 71 | 63 | |
North Dakota | 596 | 599 | 592 | 599 | 610 | 617 | 588 | 586 | 612 | 561 | 597 | 608 | 586 | 585 | 594 | 560 | 4 | 2 | |
Ohio | 536 | 535 | 534 | 539 | 535 | 544 | 521 | 539 | 545 | 522 | 557 | 563 | 537 | 556 | 563 | 534 | 28 | 14 | |
Oklahoma | 566 | 557 | 567 | 561 | 576 | 574 | 563 | 571 | 565 | 547 | 576 | 569 | 548 | 582 | 573 | 553 | 7 | 4 | |
Oregon | 523 | 521 | 526 | 526 | 523 | 529 | 503 | 520 | 521 | 499 | 523 | 521 | 502 | 525 | 520 | 500 | 55 | 47 | |
Pennsylvania | 498 | 492 | 500 | 499 | 493 | 500 | 483 | 493 | 501 | 479 | 499 | 504 | 482 | 500 | 506 | 481 | 74 | 71 | |
Rhode Island | 501 | 491 | 501 | 499 | 495 | 502 | 490 | 495 | 493 | 489 | 494 | 494 | 484 | 490 | 491 | 480 | 69 | 77 | |
South Carolina | 480 | 474 | 486 | 488 | 487 | 498 | 480 | 482 | 490 | 464 | 488 | 487 | 467 | 494 | 493 | 471 | 62 | 65 | |
South Dakota | 574 | 566 | 577 | 582 | 590 | 604 | 578 | 584 | 591 | 562 | 592 | 597 | 564 | 586 | 581 | 558 | 4 | 3 | |
Tennessee | 563 | 552 | 562 | 553 | 573 | 569 | 572 | 575 | 568 | 567 | 581 | 574 | 568 | 586 | 582 | 571 | 15 | 7 | |
Texas | 495 | 500 | 493 | 499 | 491 | 506 | 487 | 479 | 502 | 465 | 470 | 486 | 454 | 466 | 478 | 449 | 52 | 64 | |
Utah | 583 | 575 | 575 | 570 | 560 | 557 | 550 | 563 | 559 | 545 | 579 | 575 | 554 | 579 | 579 | 558 | 7 | 5 | |
Vermont | 506 | 500 | 511 | 506 | 513 | 519 | 502 | 515 | 518 | 505 | 523 | 524 | 507 | 520 | 520 | 501 | 67 | 61 | |
Virginia | 507 | 496 | 510 | 501 | 512 | 513 | 500 | 512 | 509 | 495 | 518 | 516 | 499 | 520 | 517 | 498 | 73 | 72 | |
Washington | 519 | 519 | 527 | 527 | 527 | 532 | 511 | 523 | 529 | 508 | 502 | 510 | 484 | 501 | 506 | 481 | 54 | 66 | |
West Virginia | 526 | 506 | 527 | 512 | 519 | 510 | 515 | 514 | 501 | 497 | 509 | 497 | 495 | 525 | 511 | 502 | 20 | 15 | |
Wisconsin | 577 | 586 | 584 | 596 | 588 | 600 | 577 | 590 | 602 | 575 | 591 | 605 | 575 | 605 | 618 | 588 | 6 | 4 | |
Wyoming | 544 | 544 | 547 | 545 | 548 | 555 | 537 | 572 | 569 | 551 | 589 | 586 | 562 | 603 | 600 | 587 | 10 | 3 |
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. | |||||||||||||||||||
2 Members of the graduating class who had taken the SAT as a percentage of the total number of high school graduates. State percentages were calculated by the College Entrance Examination Board based on the number of high school graduates in each state as projected by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE). The total percentage for the United States was calculated by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) based on NCES projections of the total number of U.S. high school graduates. The percentage of the 2015-16 graduating class taking the SAT was not calculated because the data for 2015-16 are not comparable to the data for prior years. | |||||||||||||||||||
3 The SAT is administered to all public high school juniors in Delaware (as of spring 2011), the District of Columbia (as of spring 2013), and Idaho (as of spring 2012). | |||||||||||||||||||
4 Participation rate is based on self-reported 12th-grade enrollment from the District of Columbia's public and nonpublic schools because WICHE estimated fewer graduating seniors than actual SAT test takers. | |||||||||||||||||||
5 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 the SAT. | |||||||||||||||||||
NOTE: Data for 2005-06 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 or the Scholastic Aptitude Test. | |||||||||||||||||||
SOURCE: College Entrance Examination Board, College-Bound Seniors Tables and Related Items, selected years, 1995-96 through 2015-16, retrieved March 6, 2017, from http://research.collegeboard.org/programs/sat/data/cb-seniors-2016. (This table was prepared March 2017.) |