What is the average SAT score?

A plain-English look at the average SAT score: the national number, how it splits between Reading & Writing and Math, what percentile it lands at, and how it has shifted in recent years.

The national average SAT score is about 1030. Recent national reporting puts it around 1029 — roughly 521 on Reading & Writing and 508 on Math. Because the score is a 400–1600 scale, the midpoint isn't 1000: about half of all test-takers score between roughly 900 and 1200. The average has sat a little below pre-pandemic levels in recent years.

Where the average sits: Turn this planning or scoring concept into a clear physical or editorial visual metaphor rather than a generic dashboard
≈ 1030Total national average across recent graduating classes.
≈ 521 / 508Average Reading & Writing score and average Math score.
900–1200Where roughly half of all scores fall on the 400–1600 scale.
~50th %ileA total of about 1010–1030 lands near the middle.
Reading the number

What "average" actually tells you

The average is a single point on a wide scale. Three angles make it more useful: what it means, how the two sections compare, and which way it has been moving.

What it means

The average is the 50th percentile.

Score above ~1030 and you're above half the country. It isn't a pass or fail line — it's simply the midpoint of where everyone who tested landed.

By section

Reading & Writing edges Math.

Reading & Writing averages a touch higher than Math; both sit on the 200–800 scale, and added together they give the 400–1600 total.

Trend

Slightly below pre-pandemic.

The mean has been a little under pre-pandemic averages, with the cohort now almost entirely taking the digital test rather than the old paper one.

See where you'd land.

Reading about the average helps; answering a few real-format questions and getting a practice estimate tells you more.

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How it's measured

An average built from two section scores

Every SAT total is the sum of a Reading & Writing score and a Math score, each from 200 to 800. The national average is just the mean of all those totals across a graduating class. Percentiles describe the same data from another angle: your percentile is the share of test-takers you scored at or above. Both are approximate and nationally representative, not a fixed cutoff.

The average in context

  • 1010–1030 ≈ 50th percentile (average).
  • Reading & Writing average ≈ 520.
  • Math average ≈ 508.
  • Middle ~50% of scores ≈ 900–1200.
  • Above ~1200 puts you in roughly the top quarter.
Score snapshot

Average SAT score, at a glance

Use these figures as planning context, then check College Board for current national reporting.

MeasurePlanning readWhat it means
Average totalAbout 1030A midpoint, not a college target.
Reading & WritingAbout 521One of the two 200-800 section scores.
MathAbout 508The other 200-800 section score.
Competitive selective targetOften 1400+Depends on your college list.
FAQ

Average SAT score questions

What is the average SAT score?
About 1030 nationally (≈1029 in recent national reporting).
What is the average SAT score by section?
Roughly 521 Reading & Writing and 508 Math.
Is 1030 a good SAT score?
It's average — acceptable at many colleges, but aim higher for selective schools. See what counts as a good score →
What percentile is the average SAT score?
About the 50th percentile — better than roughly half of test-takers.
Has the average SAT score gone down?
It has been slightly below pre-pandemic levels in recent years.

Know the average. Now see where you stand on it.

Start free, answer a few real-format questions, and get a practice estimate toward your target score.

What counts as a good score, by schoolScore targetsBrowse by state →309
Adelphi University Alabama A & M University American University Angelo State University Appalachian State University Arkansas State University Arkansas Tech University Auburn University Augusta University Austin Peay State University Ball State University Baylor University Belmont University Binghamton University Boston College Boston University Bowling Green State University Bridgewater State University Brigham Young University Brigham Young University-Idaho Brown Caltech Case Western Reserve University Central Connecticut State University Central Michigan University Chapman University Clemson University Coastal Carolina University College of Charleston College of Staten Island CUNY Colorado Mesa University Colorado School of Mines Columbia Columbus State University Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania Cornell CUNY Bernard M Baruch College CUNY Brooklyn College CUNY City College CUNY Hunter College CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice CUNY Lehman College CUNY New York City 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