Introduction
In 2021, 1,509,133 high school students took the Scholastic Assessment Test (formerly Scholastic Aptitude Test), which is commonly known as the SAT. It is a standardized test that is intended to assess a student’s readiness for college by evaluating their reading, writing, and mathematics skills. The scoring range for the SAT is from 400—1600, and the higher the score, the better. SAT scores are primarily used for college admissions in the country, but they can also be used by employers in the recruitment process as well as by researchers to study human intelligence.
In the United States, the average SAT score was 1060, while the average math score was 528 out of 800 and the average Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (ERW) score was 533 out of 800. 67% of students met the benchmark requirements for ERW, but only 49% of students met the benchmark for math. SAT scores vary from state to state. These variations are due to several factors, including socioeconomic status, educational achievement levels, as well as psychological factors.
Scroll the charts if you want to learn more about the average S.A.T. scores by state.
| # | State | Average SAT Score | Average ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota | 1,263 | 21.6 |
| 2 | North Dakota | 1,258 | 19.6 |
| 3 | Nebraska | 1,246 | 20 |
| 4 | Iowa | 1,243 | 21.5 |
| 5 | Utah | 1,238 | 20.6 |
| 6 | Wyoming | 1,233 | 19.8 |
| 7 | Montana | 1,225 | 20.4 |
| 8 | Tennessee | 1,220 | 19.1 |
| 9 | Kansas | 1,219 | 19.9 |
| 10 | Missouri | 1,219 | 20.6 |
| 11 | South Dakota | 1,215 | 21.6 |
| 12 | Wisconsin | 1,215 | 20 |
| 13 | Kentucky | 1,207 | 19.2 |
| 14 | Mississippi | 1,202 | 18.1 |
| 15 | Nevada | 1,195 | 17.8 |
| 16 | Arkansas | 1,194 | 19 |
| 17 | Louisiana | 1,188 | 18.4 |
| 18 | Massachusetts | 1,184 | 27.6 |
| 19 | Arizona | 1,181 | 19.8 |
| 20 | Alabama | 1,159 | 18.7 |
| 21 | Virginia | 1,151 | 25.5 |
| 22 | North Carolina | 1,150 | 18.9 |
| 23 | Hawaii | 1,144 | 18.2 |
| 24 | New Jersey | 1,125 | 25.1 |
| 25 | Vermont | 1,124 | 24.7 |
| 26 | Pennsylvania | 1,123 | 25 |
| 27 | Alaska | 1,119 | 20.6 |
| 28 | Oregon | 1,119 | 20.6 |
| 29 | Maine | 1,099 | 25.6 |
| 30 | Indiana | 1,095 | 23.1 |
| 31 | Georgia | 1,086 | 22.6 |
| 32 | Maryland | 1,073 | 25.5 |
| 33 | Colorado | 1,072 | 23.6 |
| 34 | Connecticut | 1,072 | 27.2 |
| 35 | Washington | 1,072 | 23.6 |
| 36 | New Hampshire | 1,065 | 26.6 |
| 37 | California | 1,057 | 26.1 |
| 38 | New York | 1,057 | 26.3 |
| 39 | Ohio | 1,048 | 19.6 |
| 40 | Oklahoma | 1,042 | 19.7 |
| 41 | South Carolina | 1,036 | 18.6 |
| 42 | Michigan | 1,031 | 25.1 |
| 43 | Rhode Island | 1,011 | 25.8 |
| 44 | Illinois | 1,007 | 25.2 |
| 45 | West Virginia | 1,007 | 20.8 |
| 46 | Texas | 1,003 | 20.1 |
| 47 | New Mexico | 996 | 20.7 |
| 48 | Florida | 993 | 20.4 |
| 49 | District of Columbia | 987 | 25.6 |
| 50 | Idaho | 985 | 23 |
| 51 | Delaware | 984 | 25.7 |
Average SAT Score by State
Alabama
Average SAT Score
1,159
Ranked in the US
#20
Ranked in the US
#46
Alaska
Average SAT Score
1,119
Ranked in the US
#27
Ranked in the US
#27
Arizona
Average SAT Score
1,181
Ranked in the US
#19
Ranked in the US
#37
Arkansas
Average SAT Score
1,194
Ranked in the US
#16
Ranked in the US
#44
California
Average SAT Score
1,057
Ranked in the US
#37
Ranked in the US
#5
Colorado
Average SAT Score
1,072
Ranked in the US
#33
Ranked in the US
#17
Connecticut
Average SAT Score
1,072
Ranked in the US
#34
Ranked in the US
#2
Delaware
Average SAT Score
984
Ranked in the US
#51
Ranked in the US
#7
District of Columbia
Average SAT Score
987
Ranked in the US
#49
Ranked in the US
#8
Florida
Average SAT Score
993
Ranked in the US
#48
Ranked in the US
#31
Georgia
Average SAT Score
1,086
Ranked in the US
#31
Ranked in the US
#21
Hawaii
Average SAT Score
1,144
Ranked in the US
#23
Ranked in the US
#49
Idaho
Average SAT Score
985
Ranked in the US
#50
Ranked in the US
#20
Illinois
Average SAT Score
1,007
Ranked in the US
#44
Ranked in the US
#12
Indiana
Average SAT Score
1,095
Ranked in the US
#30
Ranked in the US
#19
Iowa
Average SAT Score
1,243
Ranked in the US
#4
Ranked in the US
#24
Kansas
Average SAT Score
1,219
Ranked in the US
#9
Ranked in the US
#36
Kentucky
Average SAT Score
1,207
Ranked in the US
#13
Ranked in the US
#42
Louisiana
Average SAT Score
1,188
Ranked in the US
#17
Ranked in the US
#48
Maine
Average SAT Score
1,099
Ranked in the US
#29
Ranked in the US
#9
Maryland
Average SAT Score
1,073
Ranked in the US
#32
Ranked in the US
#10
Massachusetts
Average SAT Score
1,184
Ranked in the US
#18
Ranked in the US
#1
Michigan
Average SAT Score
1,031
Ranked in the US
#42
Ranked in the US
#13
Minnesota
Average SAT Score
1,263
Ranked in the US
#1
Ranked in the US
#22
Mississippi
Average SAT Score
1,202
Ranked in the US
#14
Ranked in the US
#50
Missouri
Average SAT Score
1,219
Ranked in the US
#10
Ranked in the US
#28
Montana
Average SAT Score
1,225
Ranked in the US
#7
Ranked in the US
#32
Nebraska
Average SAT Score
1,246
Ranked in the US
#3
Ranked in the US
#34
Nevada
Average SAT Score
1,195
Ranked in the US
#15
Ranked in the US
#51
New Hampshire
Average SAT Score
1,065
Ranked in the US
#36
Ranked in the US
#3
New Jersey
Average SAT Score
1,125
Ranked in the US
#24
Ranked in the US
#14
New Mexico
Average SAT Score
996
Ranked in the US
#47
Ranked in the US
#26
New York
Average SAT Score
1,057
Ranked in the US
#38
Ranked in the US
#4
North Carolina
Average SAT Score
1,150
Ranked in the US
#22
Ranked in the US
#45
North Dakota
Average SAT Score
1,258
Ranked in the US
#2
Ranked in the US
#40
Ohio
Average SAT Score
1,048
Ranked in the US
#39
Ranked in the US
#41
Oklahoma
Average SAT Score
1,042
Ranked in the US
#40
Ranked in the US
#39
Oregon
Average SAT Score
1,119
Ranked in the US
#28
Ranked in the US
#29
Pennsylvania
Average SAT Score
1,123
Ranked in the US
#26
Ranked in the US
#15
Rhode Island
Average SAT Score
1,011
Ranked in the US
#43
Ranked in the US
#6
South Carolina
Average SAT Score
1,036
Ranked in the US
#41
Ranked in the US
#47
South Dakota
Average SAT Score
1,215
Ranked in the US
#11
Ranked in the US
#23
Tennessee
Average SAT Score
1,220
Ranked in the US
#8
Ranked in the US
#43
Texas
Average SAT Score
1,003
Ranked in the US
#46
Ranked in the US
#33
Utah
Average SAT Score
1,238
Ranked in the US
#5
Ranked in the US
#30
Vermont
Average SAT Score
1,124
Ranked in the US
#25
Ranked in the US
#16
Virginia
Average SAT Score
1,151
Ranked in the US
#21
Ranked in the US
#11
Washington
Average SAT Score
1,072
Ranked in the US
#35
Ranked in the US
#18
West Virginia
Average SAT Score
1,007
Ranked in the US
#45
Ranked in the US
#25
Wisconsin
Average SAT Score
1,215
Ranked in the US
#12
Ranked in the US
#35
Wyoming
Average SAT Score
1,233
Ranked in the US
#6
Ranked in the US
#38