Going test-optional has been a popular option for many colleges and universities in the US. Despite this trend, many high school students continue to work hard to include an impressive SAT score on their application.
The College Board reported that 1.4 million students from the Class of 2022 have already taken the SAT exam compared to 950,000 the previous year. So, how well did these students perform?
Recent data from the Scholarship Institute revealed the US states with the highest and lowest SAT scores. The research included the number of points each state earned above or below the national average (1060).
Test Results
Minnesota had the highest average SAT score at 1263. North Dakota and Nebraska followed with 1258 and 1246, respectively. Iowa and Kansas shared fourth place with 1243 while Utah clinched the fifth spot with 1238.
Other states included in the top ten were Wyoming (1233), Montana (1225), Tennessee (1220), Kentucky and Missouri (1219), and South Dakota and Wisconsin (1215).
At the bottom of the list, Delaware performed the worst with an average score of 984 – 76 points less than the national average. Idaho and the District of Columbia were nearly as low, with scores of 985 and 987, respectively.
Reinventing the SAT
Recently, the College Board announced that it will digitize its SAT exams beginning in 2024. Other changes include reducing the duration of the exam from three hours to two. Reading passages will also be shortened and include a broader range of topics.
An initial pilot run of the test took place in November 2021 with 80 percent of participants finding the process easier and less stressful.