All About SAT Scores: National Average and Full Statistics

By

Jane Nam

Updated on December 19, 2023

Edited by

Lyss Welding

• Fact-checked by Marley Rose

Learn more about our editorial process

In 2024, the average SAT score was 1024. Read on to find average SAT scores by school, state, race/ethnicity, and gender.

Credit: Image Credit: gece33 / iStock / Getty Images Plus

More than 1.97 million high school students took the SAT in 2024, the majority of them juniors and seniors.^[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 most 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]

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.

What Is the Average SAT Score?

The average total SAT score was 1024 in 2024, the lowest since the test changed formats in 2016.^[1]

The current average SAT score of 1024 reflects the scores of students who graduated from high school in 2024.

• As with the ACT, SAT scores have been historically low in recent years.
• In the past six years, 2021 had the highest SAT score, with an average result of 1060.

Average SAT Scores by State

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 99% of students in Rhode Island.

• Kansas and Utah had the highest average total SAT scores, with mean scores of 1256 and 1230, respectively.
• New Mexico and West Virginia had the lowest average total SAT scores, with mean scores of 885 and 919, respectively.

Average SAT Score by School

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.

Average SAT Score for Ivy Leagues

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.

All of the Ivy League colleges implemented test-optional policies during the COVID-19 pandemic. As of the 2024-2025 application cycle, however, many of them have reinstated their standardized test requirements.

For the 2024-2025 cycle, only Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania, and Princeton University remain test-optional.^{[2, 6, 7]}

Brown University, Harvard University, Yale University, and Dartmouth University all require standardized test score submissions.^{[8, 9, 10, 11]}

Cornell University is test-optional for the 2024-2025 cycle, however, will require applicants to submit scores starting in 2026.^[12]

Average SAT Scores for Other Selective Universities

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.

SAT Score Demographics

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.

Understanding Differences in Average SAT Scores Across Demographics

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.^[13]

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.^[13] Higher admission rates for these students from high-income families were primarily due to legacy preferences, higher non-academic ratings, and athletic recruitment.^[13]

Average SAT Score by Race/Ethnicity

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

• In 2024, Asian students achieved the highest average SAT score of 1228.
• Asian students’ average score was 347 points higher than the average SAT score of American Indian/Alaska Native students, which was 881.
• The group with the second-highest SAT score was “Two or More Races” with 1090, slightly higher than white students.
• Black students had the second-lowest average SAT score at 907. They comprised 12% of test-takers.

Average SAT Score by Gender

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.

• In 2024, men scored higher than women in total score by 11 points.
• Men score roughly 20 points higher than women in the math section each year. Women continue to be underrepresented in STEM fields, such as engineering and computer science.
• The scores of people who reported their gender as “Another/No Response” have significantly increased over time. In 2022, they were the highest scoring group by gender for the first time and were again in 2023 and 2024.

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

Average SAT Score by First Language

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

• Those whose first language was not English had the second highest total SAT score.
• Those who learned English along with another language scored the highest overall, but behind English only speakers in the ERW section.
• Those who answered “No Response” scored the lowest on both sections and had the lowest overall score.

Average SAT Score by Highest Level of Parental Education

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

• Students with parents who have graduate degrees achieved the highest total SAT score and section scores.
• Students with parents without high school diplomas had the lowest total SAT scores and section scores, with an average total of 903 points.
• The majority of test-takers have parents with bachelor’s degrees or higher.

Average SAT Score by Family Income

SAT performance also correlates with family income.

• Families in the lowest quintile — the lowest 20% — of income made less than $55,667 in 2024. Test takers from this group scored the lowest with a total average SAT score of 887.
• Test takers from the highest quintile (>=$117,610) of family income level, received the highest total average SAT score of 1152.
• The difference between test takers from the lowest quintile and the highest quintile was 265 points in total score.

Frequently Asked Questions About the SAT

References

1. 2024 Total Group SAT Suite Annual Report. College Board. September 2024.
2. Testing Policy. Columbia Undergraduate Admissions. Columbia University. Accessed October 2024.
3. SAT Suite Data and Reports Archive. CollegeBoard. 2023.
4. 2024 State Reports. College Board.
5. Test Optional and Test Free Colleges. FairTest. Accessed November 2023.
6. Testing. Penn Admissions. University of Pennsylvania. Accessed October 2024.
7. Standardized Testing. Princeton University Undergraduate Admission. Accessed October 2024.
8. Standardized Tests FAQs. Undergraduate Admission. Brown University. Accessed October 2024.
9. Application Requirements. Harvard College Admissions and Financial Aid. Accessed October 2024.
10. Standardized Testing Requirements and Policies. Yale University. Accessed October 2024.
11. Class of 2029 Applicants. Undergraduate Admissions. Dartmouth University. Accessed October 2024.
12. Standardized Testing Policy. Cornell Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Cornell University. Accessed October 2024.
13. Chetty, R., D. Deming, J. Friedman. Diversifying Society’s Leaders? The Determinants and Consequences of Admissions to Highly Selective Colleges. Opportunity Insights. October 2023.
14. Frequently Asked Questions. College Board. 2023.
15. Understanding Your Score Report. College Board. 2021.
16. What Is the SAT Essay. College Board. February 2024.