All About SAT Scores: National Average and Full Statistics

More than 1.9 million high school students took the SAT in 2023, the majority of them juniors and seniors.^{Note Reference [1]} By comparison, 1.4 million students took the alternative standardized test, the American College Test (ACT), in the same year.

A growing number of colleges no longer require standardized test scores, including all of the Ivy League schools. However, the SAT remains a common standard, with colleges making score submissions optional rather than completely abandoning the practice.^{[2], [3]}

This report outlines key statistics about the SAT, including the national average score, scores broken down by demographic, and average scores among enrollees at top schools.

The average total SAT score was 1028 in 2023, the lowest since the test changed formats in 2016.^{Note Reference [1]}

The current average SAT score of 1028 reflects the scores of students who graduated from high school in 2023.

The percentage of high school students who took the SAT differed significantly by state. For example, in Mississippi and North Dakota, only 1% of students took the SAT. In contrast, 100% of students took the SAT in the District of Columbia, and 95% of students in Rhode Island.

Knowing the average SAT scores of enrollees at your top colleges can be helpful when it comes to setting goals. If you’ve already taken the SAT, you can see how your score compares to the typical scores at some of your top college choices to better understand where you stand in comparison to the previously admitted class.

College admissions officials typically take a holistic approach to reviewing applications. Standardized test scores are just one aspect of an application if they are considered at all.

The Ivy Leagues are some of the U.S.’s oldest and most prestigious universities. The eight private colleges are all located in the Northeast and are known for their highly selective, single-digit acceptance rates.

As of 2022-2023 application cycle, standardized test scores are optional at all Ivy League colleges. The data below reflects the scores of accepted students who did submit test scores.

Below are average SAT scores for other selective schools throughout the U.S. Many of these schools’ average SAT scores are comparable to those of the Ivy Leagues.

Sometimes, it is helpful to see SAT scores broken down by specific groups to notice trends. This section explores average SAT scores by race/ethnicity, gender, first language, highest level of parental education, and family income.

Whether the SAT is implicitly biased to favor wealthy and white students has long been a subject of debate. A 2023 study by a team of researchers based at Harvard University, however, was able to back this argument with data. They found that “Ivy-Plus” colleges — a group of 12 highly selective, private schools including the eight Ivy League schools and the University of Chicago, Duke, MIT, and Stanford — were twice as likely to admit students from the highest-income families compared to students from low- or middle-income families even when they had comparable test scores.^[7]

In a class of 1,650 students, there were roughly 114 “extra students” from the top 1% despite them having comparable standardized test scores to students of lower income brackets.^{Note Reference [7]} Higher admission rates for these students from high-income families were primarily due to legacy preferences, higher non-academic ratings, and athletic recruitment.

SAT scores broken down by race/ethnicity showed similar trends to those of the ACT.

Men have consistently outscored women in the SAT since 2017. However, women have scored higher on the ERW section every year. Men scored higher on the math section.

College admissions officers consider total SAT scores but also scores by section.

Those who grew up speaking English and another language had the highest total SAT score overall by a narrow four-point margin. In 2022, native English speakers who grew up only speaking English had the highest total SAT score.

The highest level of education that one’s parents received appears to heavily influence how students perform on the SAT.

SAT performance also correlates with family income.

There is no limit to the number of times you can take the SAT.^[8] The organization that administers the SAT, College Board, recommends that students take the test at least twice because many schools “superscore” your results. That means they combine your highest math score with your highest ERW score even if they are from different tests.^{Note Reference [8]}

It’s common for students to take the SAT in the spring of their junior year and another time in the fall of their senior year.

The math and ERW sections are each 800 points each, making the total possible score 1600.^[9] As of January 2021, the optional SAT essay was discontinued, along with SAT subject tests.^[10] Your two scores, one from math and one from ERW, make up your total SAT score.

The ACT and SAT are similar in many ways. For example, they are both approximately three hours long, and both tests cover reading and math. Some key differences include the number of questions (the ACT has 215 while the SAT has 154) and the scoring scale (the ACT is scored from 1-36 while the SAT is scored from 400-1600).

Another major difference is that the ACT has an additional science section that the SAT doesn’t have.

Keeping in mind these differences, you can decide which test is a better fit for you. You can also check the websites of prospective colleges and see if they state which test the majority of their accepted students took.