Last Updated: April 14, 2026
Key Takeaways
- The national average SAT score for the class of 2025 is 1029, with a 521 Reading and Writing mean and a 508 Math mean.
- Over 2 million students in the class of 2025 took the SAT, the first class to clear 2M since 2020. Participation jumped from 1.97M in 2024.
- 39 percent of class-of-2025 test takers met both the Reading and Writing and Math college readiness benchmarks, down from 45 percent in the pre-pandemic class of 2019.
- State averages vary from around 890 to 1260, but most of that spread is driven by participation rate, not by teaching quality.
- 97 percent of class-of-2025 test takers took the digital SAT, which launched in the United States in March 2024.
What Is the Average SAT Score in 2026?
The most recent published College Board data is for the graduating class of 2025. The national means are:
- Reading and Writing (EBRW): 521
- Math: 508
- Total: approximately 1029
These averages are slightly higher than the class of 2024, which landed near a 1024 total. They are still about 30 points below pre-pandemic levels. Source: College Board, Class of 2025 participation.
Averages feel abstract until you plot your own score against them. A 1029 sits at roughly the 48th percentile on College Board's user percentile scale. Anything above 1100 is above average. See our full SAT percentile chart for the complete mapping.
SAT National Averages by Graduating Class
Here is how the mean total has moved across recent graduating classes, per College Board annual reports.
A few patterns stand out:
- Pandemic-era classes (2020, 2021, 2022) had small test-taker pools that skewed toward more-prepared, college-bound students. That is why their averages look high.
- Averages fell in 2023 and 2024 as participation rebounded, pulling in more state-mandated testers whose scores pull the mean down.
- The class of 2025 ticked up slightly, reflecting both better adaptation to the digital format and an overall recovery from pandemic learning losses.
Average SAT Score by Section
Reading and Writing consistently runs higher than Math. For the class of 2025:
- EBRW mean: 521. Median test taker answers roughly 25 of 50 scored questions correctly.
- Math mean: 508. Median test taker answers roughly 20 of 40 scored questions correctly.
This 13-point gap is common. Math tends to separate test takers more sharply, which is why Math user percentiles can look different from EBRW percentiles at the same scaled score. Deep dives: SAT Math averages and SAT Writing averages.
Average SAT Score by State
State averages have an enormous spread, but 90 percent of that spread is explained by one factor: participation rate. When a state pays for every 11th grader to take the SAT during the school day, the average drops because the pool includes every student, not just college-bound ones. In states where students opt in privately, only the most prepared test, and averages look much higher.
Highest-Average States (low participation)
Lowest-Average States (near-universal participation)
Do not read these as quality rankings. A 950 average in a state where every student tests is often more impressive in absolute terms than a 1250 average in a state where only the top 2 percent sign up.
For exact numbers on your state, download the state-specific annual report at reports.collegeboard.org. College Board publishes a PDF for each state with every graduating class.
SAT Averages by Demographic
College Board's Total Group annual report publishes demographic breakdowns. Exact numbers shift year to year, but the patterns in the most recent reports are stable:
- Gender. Small average differences. Male test takers typically score slightly higher on Math; female test takers typically score slightly higher on EBRW. Total means are within a few points of each other.
- Race and ethnicity. Persistent gaps, with Asian and White test takers posting the highest means and Black and Hispanic test takers posting the lowest. The gap partly reflects income and school resource differences rather than ability.
- First-generation status. First-generation college applicants score lower on average than students whose parents attended college. The gap is typically 80 to 130 points.
- Income. There is a strong positive correlation between household income and SAT score, with about a 100 to 150 point gap between students from the highest and lowest income brackets.
The takeaway: the SAT average is not one number for everyone. When benchmarking yourself, compare to students applying to similar schools rather than to the national mean. The Total Group Report contains current demographic tables if you want exact figures.
Why SAT Averages Dropped After 2019
The most-asked question about SAT averages is why they fell and whether they are coming back.
The causes, in rough order of impact:
- Pandemic learning loss. The classes of 2022 through 2025 had significant instructional disruption in middle school or early high school. Math, which depends on sequential skill building, was hit harder than reading.
- Test-optional policies. When selective colleges dropped the SAT requirement, higher-achieving students kept testing (to demonstrate strength) but many middle-of-the-distribution students stopped, reshaping the pool.
- SAT School Day expansion. More states adopted school-day testing, which pulls in students who would not have signed up privately. This lowers the average while raising the equity value of the test.
- Digital transition. The class of 2024 was the first to take the digital SAT in the United States. The format is shorter and more adaptive, but the transition year added some noise.
The class of 2025 uptick suggests averages are stabilizing rather than continuing to fall. Most forecasters expect the national mean to sit in the 1020 to 1040 range for the next few classes as participation settles.
How to Interpret Your Score Against the Average
A practical framework:
- Below the mean (under 1029). You are in the bottom half of test takers. Strong gains are achievable with structured prep because the middle of the scoring curve moves quickly with focused practice.
- At the mean (around 1029). You are a typical applicant. Open admissions and many regional state universities are a natural fit; selective schools will require real preparation.
- Above the mean, below 1200. You are in the top half but not yet in selective territory. A disciplined 8 to 12 week plan often yields 100 to 150 points at this range.
- 1200 to 1400. Competitive for state flagships and many selective privates. Target section weaknesses rather than general review.
- Above 1400. Top 7 percent. Prep shifts from broad content review to precise error analysis and timing.
If you want a personalized target based on your dream schools, our SAT score calculator lets you model different section combinations against a goal total.
Frequently Asked Questions About Average SAT Scores
What is the average SAT score in 2026?
The most recent national average is approximately 1029 for the graduating class of 2025. Mean EBRW is 521 and mean Math is 508.
What is a better than average SAT score?
Anything above 1029 beats the national mean. Scores above 1200 put you in roughly the top 25 percent, and scores above 1400 put you in the top 7 percent.
Why are SAT averages lower than they used to be?
Pandemic-related learning disruption, expanded school-day testing that broadened the testing pool, and transitions in test policy all pulled the mean below its 2019 peak of about 1059.
What state has the highest average SAT score?
Kansas has led recent College Board rankings with a mean near 1256, but this reflects a participation rate around 2 percent rather than unusually strong instruction.
What state has the lowest average SAT score?
New Mexico typically reports the lowest state mean, around 885, with nearly 100 percent participation. The gap to higher states is driven almost entirely by participation differences.
How does the SAT average compare to the ACT average?
The ACT national composite averaged 19.4 in 2024. That converts loosely to about a 1010 SAT, very close to the SAT national mean. The tests are roughly calibrated to similar distributions.
What is the class of 2024 SAT average?
Class of 2024 averaged approximately 1024 total, with 519 EBRW and 505 Math.
Is the digital SAT easier or harder than the paper SAT?
College Board has repeatedly stated that digital SAT scores are directly comparable to paper SAT scores. Averages have held roughly steady since the digital transition, suggesting the difficulty calibration is similar.
What percentile is a 1100 SAT?
An 1100 is about the 63rd SAT user percentile, slightly above the national mean. For the full chart, see our SAT percentile chart.
Are averages different for digital vs paper SAT test takers?
In the class of 2025, 97 percent of test takers took the digital version, so the population of paper testers is too small to draw meaningful comparisons. The 1029 national mean effectively is the digital average.
