
Your first test will probably not be your best score. Don’t compare yourself to your classmates or siblings. That means preparing well, taking practice tests, and taking the SAT multiple times. Your goal should be to work your hardest to get your best score. Remember that you are your own biggest competition. If your SAT score is too low to receive any merit-based aid at your dream school, add a few more schools to your list! For some students, the goal might be the state or national average SAT score. Set a realistic but ambitious goal for yourself.

Even then, that can only be your final goal if you are looking to pay full price for college. If the admissions requirement at your top school is a 1300, then you don’t want to settle for an average SAT score of 1050. Start by looking at the colleges you want to attend. Here are a few other ways to know where your SAT score stands. The average SAT score can be a good benchmark, but it shouldn’t be your goal. To compare your state’s scores with another state, it’s best to compare between states that have similar percentages of students taking the SAT each year. In other states, students may only take the SAT if they plan to apply to college, or students in a particular state may primarily take the ACT instead. If a state requires all their high school juniors to take the SAT, overall scores might be lower. Keep in mind the percentage of students who take the test in that state. This chart shows the latest data for average SAT scores by state. If you score a 1060, that means you’re slightly above the 50th percentile: about half of the people taking the test scored higher than you and half scored lower. This data can help you understand where your score ranks. By section, the national averages are:Īverage Evidence-based Reading and Writing score: 529 The latest national average (August 2022) on the SAT is 1050, with a highest score of 1600. What is the average SAT score, both nationally and by state, and how does yours compare?


Curious how your SAT score compares? Knowing how your SAT score compares to national and state averages can be a helpful tool as you study and prepare.
