ACT and SAT scores in the United States
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The following charts display the averageACT (American College Testing) assessment andSAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) scores for all the states and the District of Columbia. The ACT scores are out of 36 possible points, and the SAT scores are for three tests with a total of 2400 possible points. The percentage of students in a state that take a test affects the overall averages for the state and should be taken into consideration when comparing state averages. Thus, for example, in states where the participation rate for taking the SAT is low, the average may be higher because the students taking the test probably rank relatively high in their class and are applying to more selective institutions of higher education.
2013 test scores
ACT test scores, 2013
In 2013, nine different states reported that 100 percent of its graduates took the ACT:Utah,Illinois,Colorado,Michigan,Wyoming,Kentucky,Louisiana,Tennessee andNorth Carolina.
Massachusetts scored the highest average composite score, at 24.1 out of a possible 36. North Carolina had the lowest average composite score, at 18.7 out of 36.
- Note: Click on a column heading to sort the data.
| ACT scores in the states by subject and score, 2013 | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Percent of Graduates Tested | Average Composite Score | Average English Score | Average Math Score | Average Reading Score | Average Science Score | |||||||||
| Alabama | 78 | 20.4 | 20.5 | 19.5 | 21 | 20.2 | |||||||||
| Alaska | 37 | 21.1 | 20.1 | 21.2 | 21.7 | 21 | |||||||||
| Arizona | 50 | 19.6 | 18.5 | 20.3 | 19.6 | 19.4 | |||||||||
| Arkansas | 90 | 20.2 | 19.9 | 19.9 | 20.5 | 20.1 | |||||||||
| California | 26 | 22.2 | 21.6 | 22.8 | 22.3 | 21.5 | |||||||||
| Colorado | 100 | 20.4 | 19.9 | 20.4 | 20.5 | 20.5 | |||||||||
| Connecticut | 27 | 24 | 24 | 23.9 | 24.4 | 23.3 | |||||||||
| Delaware | 15 | 22.9 | 22.5 | 22.8 | 23.4 | 22.4 | |||||||||
| District of Columbia | 38 | 20.4 | 19.8 | 20.5 | 21 | 19.7 | |||||||||
| Florida | 74 | 19.6 | 18.7 | 19.7 | 20.4 | 19.1 | |||||||||
| Georgia | 51 | 20.7 | 20.2 | 20.3 | 21.2 | 20.5 | |||||||||
| Hawaii | 40 | 20.1 | 19 | 20.8 | 20 | 19.9 | |||||||||
| Idaho | 49 | 22.1 | 21.5 | 21.8 | 22.7 | 21.8 | |||||||||
| Illinois | 100 | 20.6 | 20.2 | 20.7 | 20.4 | 20.5 | |||||||||
| Indiana | 38 | 21.7 | 21 | 21.9 | 22.1 | 21.4 | |||||||||
| Iowa | 66 | 22.1 | 21.5 | 21.6 | 22.5 | 22.2 | |||||||||
| Kansas | 75 | 21.8 | 21.2 | 21.7 | 22.3 | 21.7 | |||||||||
| Kentucky | 100 | 19.6 | 19.2 | 19.2 | 19.9 | 19.7 | |||||||||
| Louisiana | 100 | 19.5 | 19.4 | 19.2 | 19.7 | 19.2 | |||||||||
| Maine | 8 | 23.5 | 23.4 | 23.3 | 23.8 | 22.9 | |||||||||
| Maryland | 21 | 22.3 | 21.8 | 22.3 | 22.7 | 21.9 | |||||||||
| Massachusetts | 22 | 24.1 | 23.8 | 24.4 | 24.4 | 23.2 | |||||||||
| Michigan | 100 | 19.9 | 19.1 | 19.9 | 20 | 20.2 | |||||||||
| Minnesota | 74 | 23 | 22.2 | 23.1 | 23.1 | 22.9 | |||||||||
| Mississippi | 95 | 18.9 | 18.8 | 18.3 | 19.1 | 18.8 | |||||||||
| Missouri | 74 | 21.6 | 21.4 | 21 | 21.9 | 21.6 | |||||||||
| Montana | 72 | 21.3 | 20.2 | 21.4 | 21.9 | 21.2 | |||||||||
| Nebraska | 84 | 21.5 | 21.1 | 21.1 | 21.8 | 21.5 | |||||||||
| Nevada | 32 | 21.3 | 20.4 | 21.3 | 21.7 | 21.1 | |||||||||
| New Hampshire | 19 | 23.8 | 23.6 | 23.6 | 24.2 | 23.2 | |||||||||
| New Jersey | 23 | 23 | 22.5 | 23.6 | 23.1 | 22.2 | |||||||||
| New Mexico | 70 | 19.9 | 19 | 19.7 | 20.4 | 20.1 | |||||||||
| New York | 26 | 23.4 | 22.6 | 23.8 | 23.7 | 23.1 | |||||||||
| North Carolina | 100 | 18.7 | 17.1 | 19.6 | 18.8 | 18.7 | |||||||||
| North Dakota | 98 | 20.5 | 19.5 | 20.8 | 20.5 | 20.7 | |||||||||
| Ohio | 72 | 21.8 | 21.2 | 21.5 | 22.2 | 21.8 | |||||||||
| Oklahoma | 75 | 20.8 | 20.4 | 20.1 | 21.4 | 20.8 | |||||||||
| Oregon | 34 | 21.5 | 20.8 | 21.6 | 21.9 | 21.3 | |||||||||
| Pennsylvania | 18 | 22.7 | 22.2 | 23 | 23 | 22.2 | |||||||||
| Rhode Island | 14 | 22.7 | 22.4 | 22.4 | 23.3 | 22 | |||||||||
| South Carolina | 51 | 20.4 | 19.7 | 20.3 | 20.8 | 20.3 | |||||||||
| South Dakota | 78 | 21.9 | 20.9 | 21.8 | 22.1 | 22.1 | |||||||||
| Tennessee | 100 | 19.5 | 19.3 | 19.1 | 19.8 | 19.4 | |||||||||
| Texas | 37 | 20.9 | 19.8 | 21.5 | 21 | 20.9 | |||||||||
| Utah | 100 | 20.7 | 19.9 | 20.2 | 21.3 | 20.8 | |||||||||
| Vermont | 26 | 23 | 22.7 | 22.8 | 23.4 | 22.6 | |||||||||
| Virginia | 26 | 22.6 | 22.3 | 22.5 | 23.1 | 22.2 | |||||||||
| Washington | 21 | 22.8 | 22.1 | 22.8 | 23.3 | 22.5 | |||||||||
| West Virginia | 63 | 20.6 | 20.5 | 19.5 | 21.3 | 20.6 | |||||||||
| Wisconsin | 71 | 22.1 | 21.5 | 22 | 22.3 | 22.2 | |||||||||
| Wyoming | 100 | 19.8 | 18.6 | 19.7 | 20.2 | 20 | |||||||||
| National scores | 54 | 20.9 | 20.2 | 20.9 | 21.1 | 20.7 | |||||||||
| Note: In spring 2012, all public high school 11th graders in the states of Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, North Dakota, Tennessee, and Wyoming were tested with the ACT as required by each state. Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, North Dakota, Tennessee, and Wyoming students who met ACT's 2013 graduating class criteria are included in the 2013 graduating class average score results. | |||||||||||||||
SAT scores, 2013
In 2013Delaware had the highest SAT participation of all the states, at 100 percent.North Dakota had the lowest, meanwhile, at 2 percent. Delaware had the lowest combined scores, at 1351 out of a possible 2400 points.Illinois had the highest composite score, at 1807 out of 2400 points.
| SAT scores in the states by subject and score, 2013 | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Participation Rate | Critical Reading | Math | Writing | Combined | Rank | |||||||||
| Alabama | 7% | 544 | 534 | 530 | 1608 | 22 | |||||||||
| Alaska | 52% | 508 | 505 | 482 | 1495 | 35 | |||||||||
| Arizona | 35% | 521 | 528 | 502 | 1551 | 26 | |||||||||
| Arkansas | 4% | 572 | 570 | 555 | 1697 | 15 | |||||||||
| California | 57% | 498 | 512 | 495 | 1505 | 34 | |||||||||
| Colorado | 14% | 578 | 581 | 562 | 1721 | 13 | |||||||||
| Connecticut | 85% | 508 | 512 | 512 | 1532 | 30 | |||||||||
| Delaware | 100% | 451 | 457 | 443 | 1351 | 51 | |||||||||
| District of Columbia | 91% | 473 | 466 | 461 | 1400 | 48 | |||||||||
| Florida | 67% | 492 | 490 | 475 | 1457 | 42 | |||||||||
| Georgia | 75% | 490 | 487 | 475 | 1452 | 45 | |||||||||
| Hawaii | 64% | 481 | 504 | 468 | 1453 | 44 | |||||||||
| Idaho | 99% | 454 | 459 | 451 | 1364 | 50 | |||||||||
| Illinois | 5% | 600 | 617 | 590 | 1807 | 1 | |||||||||
| Indiana | 70% | 493 | 500 | 477 | 1470 | 39 | |||||||||
| Iowa | 3% | 592 | 601 | 570 | 1763 | 7 | |||||||||
| Kansas | 6% | 589 | 595 | 568 | 1752 | 10 | |||||||||
| Kentucky | 5% | 585 | 584 | 572 | 1741 | 11 | |||||||||
| Louisiana | 5% | 556 | 553 | 546 | 1655 | 19 | |||||||||
| Maine | 95% | 462 | 467 | 451 | 1380 | 49 | |||||||||
| Maryland | 73% | 497 | 500 | 486 | 1483 | 36 | |||||||||
| Massachusetts | 83% | 515 | 529 | 509 | 1553 | 25 | |||||||||
| Michigan | 4% | 590 | 610 | 582 | 1782 | 3 | |||||||||
| Minnesota | 6% | 595 | 608 | 577 | 1780 | 4 | |||||||||
| Mississippi | 3% | 568 | 547 | 558 | 1673 | 18 | |||||||||
| Missouri | 4% | 596 | 595 | 582 | 1773 | 5 | |||||||||
| Montana | 25% | 539 | 540 | 516 | 1595 | 23 | |||||||||
| Nebraska | 4% | 584 | 583 | 567 | 1734 | 12 | |||||||||
| Nevada | 48% | 492 | 494 | 468 | 1454 | 43 | |||||||||
| New Hampshire | 70% | 524 | 528 | 515 | 1567 | 24 | |||||||||
| New Jersey | 78% | 499 | 522 | 500 | 1521 | 32 | |||||||||
| New Mexico | 12% | 550 | 545 | 531 | 1626 | 21 | |||||||||
| New York | 76% | 485 | 501 | 477 | 1463 | 41 | |||||||||
| North Carolina | 62% | 495 | 506 | 478 | 1479 | 38 | |||||||||
| North Dakota | 2% | 609 | 609 | 581 | 1799 | 2 | |||||||||
| Ohio | 17% | 548 | 556 | 531 | 1635 | 20 | |||||||||
| Oklahoma | 5% | 571 | 569 | 549 | 1689 | 16 | |||||||||
| Oregon | 49% | 520 | 520 | 499 | 1539 | 28 | |||||||||
| Pennsylvania | 71% | 494 | 504 | 482 | 1480 | 37 | |||||||||
| Rhode Island | 72% | 491 | 490 | 487 | 1468 | 40 | |||||||||
| South Carolina | 64% | 484 | 487 | 465 | 1436 | 47 | |||||||||
| South Dakota | 3% | 592 | 601 | 567 | 1760 | 8 | |||||||||
| Tennessee | 8% | 574 | 569 | 566 | 1709 | 14 | |||||||||
| Texas | 59% | 477 | 499 | 461 | 1437 | 46 | |||||||||
| Utah | 6% | 569 | 566 | 549 | 1684 | 17 | |||||||||
| Vermont | 61% | 516 | 519 | 505 | 1540 | 27 | |||||||||
| Virginia | 71% | 516 | 514 | 498 | 1528 | 31 | |||||||||
| Washington | 60% | 515 | 523 | 499 | 1537 | 29 | |||||||||
| West Virginia | 15% | 514 | 501 | 498 | 1513 | 33 | |||||||||
| Wisconsin | 4% | 591 | 604 | 576 | 1771 | 6 | |||||||||
| Wyoming | 4% | 581 | 588 | 588 | 1757 | 9 | |||||||||
| United States | 50% | 496 | 514 | 488 | 1498 | N/A | |||||||||
| Commonwealth Foundation, "SAT Scores by State 2013," October 13, 2013 | |||||||||||||||
2012 test scores
ACT scores
- Note: Click on a column heading to sort the data.
| ACT scores in the states by subject and score, 2012 | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Percent of Graduates Tested | Average Composite Score | Average English Score | Average Math Score | Average Reading Score | Average Science Score | |||||||||
| Alabama | 86 | 20.3 | 20.3 | 19.6 | 20.7 | 20.1 | |||||||||
| Alaska | 35 | 21.2 | 20.3 | 21.3 | 21.8 | 20.8 | |||||||||
| Arizona | 35 | 19.7 | 18.6 | 20.3 | 19.7 | 19.5 | |||||||||
| Arkansas | 88 | 20.3 | 20 | 20 | 20.6 | 20.1 | |||||||||
| California | 25 | 22.1 | 21.6 | 22.8 | 22.1 | 21.5 | |||||||||
| Colorado | 100 | 20.6 | 19.9 | 20.5 | 20.7 | 20.8 | |||||||||
| Connecticut | 27 | 23.8 | 23.9 | 23.8 | 23.9 | 23.2 | |||||||||
| Delaware | 14 | 22.6 | 22.3 | 22.4 | 23 | 22.1 | |||||||||
| District of Columbia | 32 | 19.7 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 19.2 | |||||||||
| Florida | 70 | 19.8 | 18.9 | 20 | 20.5 | 19.3 | |||||||||
| Georgia | 52 | 20.7 | 20.1 | 20.6 | 21 | 20.5 | |||||||||
| Hawaii | 27 | 21.3 | 20.5 | 21.9 | 21.2 | 21.1 | |||||||||
| Idaho | 67 | 21.6 | 21 | 21.3 | 22.1 | 21.4 | |||||||||
| Illinois | 100 | 20.9 | 20.5 | 21 | 20.7 | 20.8 | |||||||||
| Indiana | 32 | 22.3 | 21.7 | 22.5 | 22.6 | 21.9 | |||||||||
| Iowa | 63 | 22.1 | 21.6 | 21.7 | 22.5 | 22.2 | |||||||||
| Kansas | 81 | 21.9 | 21.3 | 21.8 | 22.3 | 21.7 | |||||||||
| Kentucky | 100 | 19.8 | 19.5 | 19.4 | 20.2 | 19.8 | |||||||||
| Louisiana | 100 | 20.3 | 20.4 | 19.9 | 20.4 | 20.1 | |||||||||
| Maine | 9 | 23.4 | 23.5 | 23.3 | 23.7 | 22.7 | |||||||||
| Maryland | 21 | 22.1 | 21.6 | 22.2 | 22.3 | 21.7 | |||||||||
| Massachusetts | 23 | 24.1 | 23.9 | 24.5 | 24.2 | 23.2 | |||||||||
| Michigan | 100 | 20.1 | 19.3 | 20.1 | 20 | 20.4 | |||||||||
| Minnesota | 74 | 22.8 | 22.1 | 23 | 22.9 | 22.7 | |||||||||
| Mississippi | 100 | 18.7 | 18.6 | 18.3 | 18.9 | 18.7 | |||||||||
| Missouri | 75 | 21.6 | 21.4 | 21.1 | 21.9 | 21.5 | |||||||||
| Montana | 61 | 22 | 21.1 | 21.9 | 22.6 | 22 | |||||||||
| Nebraska | 78 | 22 | 21.8 | 21.7 | 22.3 | 21.9 | |||||||||
| Nevada | 34 | 21.3 | 20.5 | 21.4 | 21.6 | 21.1 | |||||||||
| New Hampshire | 19 | 23.8 | 23.6 | 23.7 | 24.2 | 23.3 | |||||||||
| New Jersey | 20 | 23.4 | 23.1 | 23.9 | 23.4 | 22.6 | |||||||||
| New Mexico | 75 | 19.9 | 19 | 19.6 | 20.3 | 20 | |||||||||
| New York | 29 | 23.3 | 22.7 | 23.7 | 23.4 | 23.1 | |||||||||
| North Carolina | 20 | 21.9 | 21 | 22.3 | 22.2 | 21.4 | |||||||||
| North Dakota | 100 | 20.7 | 19.6 | 21 | 20.7 | 20.9 | |||||||||
| Ohio | 71 | 21.8 | 21.1 | 21.5 | 22.1 | 21.8 | |||||||||
| Oklahoma | 80 | 20.7 | 20.4 | 20.1 | 21.3 | 20.6 | |||||||||
| Oregon | 38 | 21.4 | 20.6 | 21.6 | 21.8 | 21.3 | |||||||||
| Pennsylvania | 18 | 22.4 | 22 | 22.7 | 22.7 | 21.9 | |||||||||
| Rhode Island | 13 | 22.9 | 22.9 | 22.7 | 23.5 | 22.3 | |||||||||
| South Carolina | 57 | 20.2 | 19.5 | 20.2 | 20.4 | 20.1 | |||||||||
| South Dakota | 81 | 21.8 | 21 | 21.8 | 22.1 | 22 | |||||||||
| Tennessee | 100 | 19.7 | 19.6 | 19.1 | 19.9 | 19.6 | |||||||||
| Texas | 39 | 20.8 | 19.6 | 21.4 | 20.8 | 20.8 | |||||||||
| Utah | 97 | 20.7 | 20 | 20.3 | 21.3 | 20.8 | |||||||||
| Vermont | 28 | 23 | 22.6 | 22.9 | 23.3 | 22.6 | |||||||||
| Virginia | 25 | 22.4 | 22.1 | 22.3 | 22.7 | 21.9 | |||||||||
| Washington | 21 | 22.9 | 22.3 | 23.1 | 23.3 | 22.4 | |||||||||
| West Virginia | 68 | 20.6 | 20.6 | 19.6 | 21.3 | 20.5 | |||||||||
| Wisconsin | 71 | 22.1 | 21.5 | 22 | 22.1 | 22.1 | |||||||||
| Wyoming | 100 | 20.3 | 19.2 | 20.2 | 20.5 | 20.6 | |||||||||
| United States | 52 | 21.1 | 20.5 | 21.1 | 21.3 | 20.9 | |||||||||
| Note: In spring 2011, all public high school 11th graders in the states of Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, North Dakota, Tennessee, and Wyoming were tested with the ACT as required by each state. Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, North Dakota, Tennessee, and Wyoming students who met ACT's 2012 graduating class criteria are included in the 2012 graduating class average score results. Consistent with ACT's reporting policies, graduating class test results are reported only for students tested under standard time conditions. Source:ACT "2012 States Data" | |||||||||||||||
