New York Students Record 1,053 Mean SAT Score
The 2025-26 school year saw over 127,000 seniors participate in the exam across the state.
Updated on Oct. 15, 2026 in College Applications
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New York high school students achieved a mean SAT score of 1,053 during the 2025-26 school year. This performance reflects participation from 127,180 seniors, representing 63% of all eligible students in the state.
Why it matters
The results provide a benchmark for academic performance in New York, which outperformed the national mean SAT score of 1,045 for the Class of 2026. Understanding these figures offers insight into the college preparatory trends currently shaping the student population.
A total of 127,180 students participated, with 17% of test-takers selecting business as their intended major. Additionally, 9% of all test-takers across the state scored between 1,400 and 1,600.
The players
Stony Brook University
This public research university in New York is part of the State University of New York system and serves as a major hub for higher education.
Binghamton University
Located in Vestal, this public university is a prominent institution within the State University of New York system.
SUNY University at Buffalo
This public research university is the largest institution in the State University of New York system by enrollment.
The details
Stony Brook University emerged as the leading destination for score reporting, receiving 14,067 reports from New York students. Other top recipients included Binghamton University with 9,758 reports and the SUNY University at Buffalo with 7,941.
Timeline
In 2020, the statewide SAT participation rate reached 79%.
In 2021, the New York mean score was 1,057 compared to a national mean of 1,060.
Stony Brook University became the top report recipient in 2025.
The 2025-26 school year resulted in a mean SAT score of 1,053 for New York students.
Culture Shift
The current 63% participation rate marks a notable shift from the 2020 statewide SAT participation rate of 79%. This change reflects broader adjustments in how high school students approach standardized testing and college admissions requirements.
Students and families can use these score trends to evaluate how New York high schools compare to national averages when planning for university admissions. Prospective applicants may also note the high volume of interest in programs at state institutions like Stony Brook and Binghamton.
The takeaway
Understanding mean score data can help families manage expectations when preparing for the college application cycle. Monitoring these trends helps students align their academic goals with current admission patterns at popular state universities.
Further reading
For more on how students navigate the admissions process, visit the New York College Applications section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Newsday.
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