More than 1.7 million students took the SAT exam in 2022 as part of their college application process, according to statistics from BestColleges.com. Unfortunately, their collective scores were less than impressive with a national average total SAT score of 1050 – the lowest reported scores since 2016. Broken down by section, the average Evidence-based Reading and Writing score was 529 while the average Math score was 521. Back in 2018, the average total SAT score was 1068.
As expected, scores vary greatly by state. According to BestColleges.com, the average total SAT score in 2022 for New Jersey students was 1079, slightly higher than New York’s average of 1067 and Connecticut’s average of 1025. But New Jersey students, on average, scored substantially lower than did their peers in Tennessee and Missouri (1200), Montana (1206), North Dakota (1212), South Dakota and Kentucky (1219), Nebraska (1222), Minnesota (1225), Mississippi (1226), Utah (1233), Kansas (1238), Wyoming (1244) and Wisconsin (1252).
What’s most significant for individual students is the way their SAT score compares to those of peers at their high school. Colleges consider students in comparison with their classmates and favor those with the highest SAT scores for admission and scholarship purposes.
SAT scores also varied across demographics such as race, ethnicity, gender, and parental education and level of income.
In 2022, Asian students reportedly achieved the highest national average SAT score of 1229. As for gender, men scored higher than women regarding average Math score (530 to 512). But women scored higher than men regarding average Evidence-based Reading and Writing score (531 to 526).
The highest level of parental education also impacted average SAT scores in 2022. Students with a parent who had earned a Master’s degree or higher averaged 1191, while students in a household where neither parent had earned a high school diploma averaged 923.
Family income likewise influenced SAT scores. Students from families with an annual income at or below $51,591 averaged 914 on the SAT, while those from families with an annual income in excess of $110,244 averaged 1161 on the SAT.
While many colleges report to be SAT optional, students are well aware that impressive SAT scores can greatly increase their chances of gaining acceptance to the Ivy League and other elite universities. The SAT score (25th-75th percentile) for accepted students to Columbia was reportedly 1490-1570. At Harvard, Yale, and the University of Pennsylvania, it was 1460-1570, and at Princeton it was 1450-1570.
Susan Alaimo is the founder and director of Collegebound Review which offers PSAT/SAT® preparation, essay editing, and private college advising by Ivy League educated instructors. Visit CollegeboundReview.com or call 908-369-5362
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