The majority of four year colleges and universities in America – about 80% of them – no longer require applicants to submit SAT scores. Before the pandemic, nearly half of them had already adopted SAT-optional or -free admission policies. In 2020, 700 more institutions joined the list, partly due to the difficulty of administering the test during lockdowns. (With tests or not, these are the hardest colleges and universities to get into.)
The SAT or Scholastic Aptitude Test – which is divided into two parts, math and “evidence-based reading and writing” (basically English use and comprehension) – has been under fire for years anyway as a tool for college admission, as evidence has emerged of gender, racial, and socioeconomic biases in scoring.
(Similar criticism has been leveled against the SAT’s competitor, the ACT – short for American College Testing – which tests students in English, mathematics, reading, and scientific reasoning. Here’s how high school students did on the ACT last year in every state.)
Even though the test is far less important today than it was decades ago and fewer students are taking it post-COVID, some 1.7 million high school seniors from the class of 2022 took the SAT at least once, with a mean score of 1050 out of a possible 1600.
To compile a ranking showing how every state’s students scored on average last year on the SAT, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data provided by the College Board, the non-profit organization that developed and administers the SAT. The report presents data on students in the class of 2022 who took the SAT as high school students. Test takers are counted only once even if they took the test multiple times, and only their latest scores are summarized.
The states with the lowest scores are West Virginia, Oklahoma, Delaware, and Rhode Island, all with total scores under 975, while the states with the highest scores are Utah, Kansas, Wyoming, and Wisconsin, all with total scores over 1,230.
50. West Virginia
> Total mean score: 938
> Evidence-based reading and writing (ERW) score: 481 — the lowest
> Math score: 456 — the lowest
> Total test takers: 15,265
49. Oklahoma
> Total mean score: 951
> Evidence-based reading and writing (ERW) score: 485 — 2nd lowest
> Math score: 467 — 2nd lowest
> Total test takers: 7,967
48. Delaware
> Total mean score: 968
> Evidence-based reading and writing (ERW) score: 491 — 3rd lowest
> Math score: 477 — 4th lowest
> Total test takers: 10,232
47. Rhode Island
> Total mean score: 971
> Evidence-based reading and writing (ERW) score: 494 — 4th lowest
> Math score: 477 — 5th lowest
> Total test takers: 10,667
46. New Mexico
> Total mean score: 976
> Evidence-based reading and writing (ERW) score: 496 — 6th lowest
> Math score: 480 — 6th lowest
> Total test takers: 8,875
45. Illinois
> Total mean score: 981
> Evidence-based reading and writing (ERW) score: 495 — 5th lowest
> Math score: 485 — 7th lowest
> Total test takers: 144,216
44. Florida
> Total mean score: 983
> Evidence-based reading and writing (ERW) score: 510 — 10th lowest
> Math score: 473 — 3rd lowest
> Total test takers: 190,427
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43. Idaho
> Total mean score: 986
> Evidence-based reading and writing (ERW) score: 499 — 7th lowest
> Math score: 488 — 8th lowest
> Total test takers: 20,965
42. Michigan
> Total mean score: 1,000
> Evidence-based reading and writing (ERW) score: 506 — 8th lowest
> Math score: 495 — 9th lowest
> Total test takers: 90,642
41. Texas
> Total mean score: 1,001
> Evidence-based reading and writing (ERW) score: 506 — 9th lowest
> Math score: 495 — 10th lowest
> Total test takers: 243,410
40. Colorado
> Total mean score: 1,021
> Evidence-based reading and writing (ERW) score: 518 — 11th lowest
> Math score: 503 — 11th lowest
> Total test takers: 52,906
39. Connecticut
> Total mean score: 1,025
> Evidence-based reading and writing (ERW) score: 520 — 12th lowest
> Math score: 505 — 13th lowest
> Total test takers: 38,903
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38. South Carolina
> Total mean score: 1,030
> Evidence-based reading and writing (ERW) score: 526 — 13th lowest
> Math score: 504 — 12th lowest
> Total test takers: 27,111
37. New Hampshire
> Total mean score: 1,050
> Evidence-based reading and writing (ERW) score: 530 — 15th lowest
> Math score: 521 — 15th lowest
> Total test takers: 12,562
36. Ohio
> Total mean score: 1,053
> Evidence-based reading and writing (ERW) score: 528 — 14th lowest
> Math score: 525 — 16th lowest
> Total test takers: 23,253
35. Georgia
> Total mean score: 1,060
> Evidence-based reading and writing (ERW) score: 541 — 18th lowest
> Math score: 520 — 14th lowest
> Total test takers: 64,886
34. New York
> Total mean score: 1,067
> Evidence-based reading and writing (ERW) score: 534 — 16th lowest
> Math score: 533 — 20th lowest
> Total test takers: 122,170
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33. Indiana
> Total mean score: 1,073
> Evidence-based reading and writing (ERW) score: 540 — 17th lowest
> Math score: 533 — 19th lowest
> Total test takers: 37,425
32. Maryland
> Total mean score: 1,075
> Evidence-based reading and writing (ERW) score: 546 — 20th lowest
> Math score: 529 — 17th lowest
> Total test takers: 39,083
31. New Jersey
> Total mean score: 1,079
> Evidence-based reading and writing (ERW) score: 543 — 19th lowest
> Math score: 537 — 22nd lowest
> Total test takers: 72,338
30. Maine
> Total mean score: 1,081
> Evidence-based reading and writing (ERW) score: 549 — 21st lowest
> Math score: 532 — 18th lowest
> Total test takers: 6,203
29. Pennsylvania
> Total mean score: 1,091
> Evidence-based reading and writing (ERW) score: 551 — 23rd lowest
> Math score: 540 — 23rd lowest
> Total test takers: 70,065
28. Vermont
> Total mean score: 1,095
> Evidence-based reading and writing (ERW) score: 558 — 24th lowest
> Math score: 537 — 21st lowest
> Total test takers: 3,077
27. Washington
> Total mean score: 1,096
> Evidence-based reading and writing (ERW) score: 551 — 22nd lowest
> Math score: 542 — 24th lowest
> Total test takers: 24,333
26. Alaska
> Total mean score: 1,110
> Evidence-based reading and writing (ERW) score: 565 — 25th highest
> Math score: 545 — 25th lowest
> Total test takers: 2,131
25. California
> Total mean score: 1,115
> Evidence-based reading and writing (ERW) score: 560 — 25th lowest
> Math score: 555 — 24th highest
> Total test takers: 102,028
24. Virginia
> Total mean score: 1,124
> Evidence-based reading and writing (ERW) score: 572 — 22nd highest
> Math score: 552 — 25th highest
> Total test takers: 46,594
23. Hawaii
> Total mean score: 1,124
> Evidence-based reading and writing (ERW) score: 566 — 24th highest
> Math score: 558 — 23rd highest
> Total test takers: 4,702
22. Massachusetts
> Total mean score: 1,129
> Evidence-based reading and writing (ERW) score: 567 — 23rd highest
> Math score: 561 — 21st highest
> Total test takers: 43,576
21. North Carolina
> Total mean score: 1,136
> Evidence-based reading and writing (ERW) score: 573 — 21st highest
> Math score: 562 — 20th highest
> Total test takers: 28,656
20. Oregon
> Total mean score: 1,143
> Evidence-based reading and writing (ERW) score: 580 — 20th highest
> Math score: 563 — 19th highest
> Total test takers: 9,340
19. Alabama
> Total mean score: 1,146
> Evidence-based reading and writing (ERW) score: 586 — 18th highest
> Math score: 560 — 22nd highest
> Total test takers: 1,807
18. Arizona
> Total mean score: 1,159
> Evidence-based reading and writing (ERW) score: 583 — 19th highest
> Math score: 577 — 17th highest
> Total test takers: 11,152
17. Louisiana
> Total mean score: 1,171
> Evidence-based reading and writing (ERW) score: 597 — 16th highest
> Math score: 574 — 18th highest
> Total test takers: 1,374
16. Nevada
> Total mean score: 1,172
> Evidence-based reading and writing (ERW) score: 592 — 17th highest
> Math score: 580 — 16th highest
> Total test takers: 1,873
15. Arkansas
> Total mean score: 1,191
> Evidence-based reading and writing (ERW) score: 610 — 11th highest
> Math score: 581 — 15th highest
> Total test takers: 783
14. Iowa
> Total mean score: 1,196
> Evidence-based reading and writing (ERW) score: 602 — 15th highest
> Math score: 594 — 12th highest
> Total test takers: 996
13. Tennessee
> Total mean score: 1,200
> Evidence-based reading and writing (ERW) score: 610 — 10th highest
> Math score: 589 — 14th highest
> Total test takers: 3,459
12. Missouri
> Total mean score: 1,200
> Evidence-based reading and writing (ERW) score: 606 — 14th highest
> Math score: 594 — 13th highest
> Total test takers: 2,300
11. Montana
> Total mean score: 1,206
> Evidence-based reading and writing (ERW) score: 609 — 12th highest
> Math score: 597 — 11th highest
> Total test takers: 613
10. North Dakota
> Total mean score: 1,212
> Evidence-based reading and writing (ERW) score: 610 — 9th highest
> Math score: 603 — 8th highest
> Total test takers: 80
9. Kentucky
> Total mean score: 1,219
> Evidence-based reading and writing (ERW) score: 618 — 6th highest
> Math score: 600 — 10th highest
> Total test takers: 1,123
8. South Dakota
> Total mean score: 1,219
> Evidence-based reading and writing (ERW) score: 608 — 13th highest
> Math score: 611 — 6th highest
> Total test takers: 162
7. Nebraska
> Total mean score: 1,222
> Evidence-based reading and writing (ERW) score: 613 — 7th highest
> Math score: 609 — 7th highest
> Total test takers: 408
6. Minnesota
> Total mean score: 1,225
> Evidence-based reading and writing (ERW) score: 613 — 8th highest
> Math score: 612 — 5th highest
> Total test takers: 2,142
5. Mississippi
> Total mean score: 1,226
> Evidence-based reading and writing (ERW) score: 623 — 2nd highest
> Math score: 602 — 9th highest
> Total test takers: 417
4. Utah
> Total mean score: 1,233
> Evidence-based reading and writing (ERW) score: 618 — 5th highest
> Math score: 615 — 4th highest
> Total test takers: 890
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3. Kansas
> Total mean score: 1,238
> Evidence-based reading and writing (ERW) score: 621 — 4th highest
> Math score: 617 — 2nd highest
> Total test takers: 863
2. Wyoming
> Total mean score: 1,244
> Evidence-based reading and writing (ERW) score: 627 — the highest
> Math score: 617 — 3rd highest
> Total test takers: 119
1. Wisconsin
> Total mean score: 1,252
> Evidence-based reading and writing (ERW) score: 622 — 3rd highest
> Math score: 629 — the highest
> Total test takers: 1,361
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