# The Average SAT Score

The Average SAT Score

Every serious SAT aspirant has a score in his head which he aims to achieve. This score is usually estimated by comparing his own performance/ preparation level with the average SAT scores, which tells him where he stands among the myriad test takers. However, one must be aware that there are many ways to look at the average SAT scores. In this article, we’ll discuss various types of averages on the SAT to tell you which ones actually matter for your future.

So what exactly is the average score on the SAT? Well, this depends on the group of people in consideration. Here, we’ll talk about not only the national averages but also the other types of averages by gender, family income, ethnicity & state.

SAT- National Average Score

In College Board’s total group report-2017, the national average scores on SAT for all high school graduates of 2017 are as follows:

• EBRW: 533
• Mathematics: 527
• Total: 1060

With the above data of averages, it is evident and can be safely concluded that if your cumulative SAT score crosses 1060, the national average, you’d have fared better than most test takers. This should give you a fair idea of how much you need to improve on your performance to be a part of the crème de la crème.

Gender-Based Average SAT Score

Based on the SAT test takers of 2017, College Board published the subject-wise & gender-wise average SAT scores. Out of the total of 1600 points that SAT scores students on, Math & EBRW have a maximum score of 800 each.

The table below shows the gender-wise score on individual sections and on SAT, as a whole.

Gender ERBW Math  Total
Female(F) 534 516 1050
Male(M) 532 538 1070

The difference in average Math scores of the two genders is quite significant and has been a controversial topic among academic researchers since quite some time now. The educators should take it as an aim to narrow this score gap between the two genders.

Ethnicity-Based Average SAT Scores

During SAT registration, the students get an option of specifying their ethnicity. Most of the students opt to mention it and from that data, College Board published the average SAT scores based on the students’ ethnicity.

Ethnicity

Number Taking

EBRW

Math

Total

7,782

486

477

963

Asian

158,031

569

612

1181

Black/African American

225,860

479

462

941

Hispanic/Latino

408,067

500

489

990

Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander

4,131

498

488

986

White

760,362

565

553

1118

Two or More Races

57,049

560

544

1103

No Response

94,199

475

485

961

Total

1,715,481

533

527

1060

Source: Total Group Report 2017

Average SAT Score Based on Family Income

Although most students don’t mention their family income in the SAT registration form, among those who do, there seems to be an evident trend.
The Total Group Report 2017 did not release data related to family income; therefore, the table below shows the averages from 2016’s report after converting them to the new SAT score scale.

Family Income

Math (New)

EBRW

New Total

Less than $20,000 490 480 970$20,001-$40,000 510 510 1020$40,001-$60,000 530 540 1070$60,001-$80,000 540 550 1090$80,001-$100,000 560 570 1130$100,001-$140,000 570 580 1150$140,001-$200,000 570 590 1160 More than$200,000

610

620

1230

No Response

530

560

1090

Source: Total Group Profile Report 2016

It is very clear from the above report that the average SAT score is directly proportional to the family income of the students. This can be due to various reasons such as those who belong to families with higher income get to attend better schools and get access to better and more resources, all of which aid their preparation for the test. However, these are just a few reasons and the educators must work towards providing decent level of education to everyone, irrespective of their family income.

State-Wise Average SAT Score

The table below shows the state-wise average SAT scores for 2017.

 Alabama 2,393 593 572 1165 Alaska 2,971 547 533 1080 Arizona 20,466 563 553 1116 Arkansas 1,065 614 594 1208 California 226,699 531 524 1055 Colorado 5,896 606 595 1201 Connecticut 43,252 530 512 1041 Delaware 10,060 503 492 996 District of Columbia 4,801 482 468 950 Florida 147,058 520 497 1017 Georgia 63,805 535 515 1050 Hawaii 7,352 544 541 1085 Idaho 18,757 513 493 1005 Illinois 12,402 559 556 1115 Indiana 45,622 542 532 1074 Iowa 861 641 635 1275 Kansas 1,199 632 628 1260 Kentucky 1,608 631 616 1247 Louisiana 1,696 611 586 1198 Maine 13,826 513 499 1012 Maryland 42,919 536 524 1060 Massachusetts 56,024 555 551 1107 Michigan 110,082 509 495 1005 Minnesota 2,061 644 651 1295 Mississippi 716 634 607 1242 Missouri 1,990 640 631 1271 Montana 990 605 591 1196 Nebraska 680 629 625 1253 Nevada 6,245 563 553 1116 New Hampshire 14,758 532 520 1052 New Jersey 72,173 530 526 1056 New Mexico 2,342 577 561 1138 New York 135,141 528 523 1052 North Carolina 49,595 546 535 1081 North Dakota 123 635 621 1256 Ohio 14,545 578 570 1149 Oklahoma 2,776 530 517 1047 Oregon 15,866 560 548 1108 Pennsylvania 89,218 540 531 1071 Puerto Rico 2,913 515 487 1003 Rhode Island 7,205 539 524 1062 South Carolina 22,292 543 521 1064 South Dakota 237 612 603 1216 Tennessee 3,495 623 604 1228 Texas 204,409 513 507 1020 Utah 1,277 624 614 1238 Vermont 4,303 562 551 1114 Virginia 57,453 561 541 1102 Virgin islands, US 752 483 442 924 Washington 43,911 541 534 1075 West Virginia 2,406 558 528 1086 Wisconsin 1,780 642 649 1291 Wyoming 144 626 604 1230

Source: The College Board

There’s an evident variation in these averages. One of the major reasons which can be attributed to this is whether the state mandates all the students of all the public schools to take the SAT; in case of which, the overall average tends to be low because not every student would actually have a solid preparation to back him up.

What Average SAT Scores Really Matter for YOU?

The first step in identifying which SAT scores matter for you is listing down all the schools that you are applying to. Every school has its cut-off scores. To secure admission in a school, you must score more than the cut-off.

But how do you really set a goal-score? Consider the 25th & 75th percentile SAT scores of all the schools you’re applying to. After this, note down the highest 75th percentile score. This is your goal-score.

What's Next?

Need someone to guide you for your SAT preparation? Check out our live online training course. You may, however, also opt for private tutoring, to get one-to-one interaction with the trainer and get your individual doubts cleared.

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