Colorful 3D map of the US.

There are a lot of ways to compare 91´«Ã½ scores: to your classmates, by your declared major, or by the average 91´«Ã½ score by state. It’s a compelling urge, to see how your 91´«Ã½ scores stack up, that you might make some sort of prediction based on that. For instance, The Princeton Review’s College Search tool allows you to find the median 91´«Ã½ scores of students for individual colleges.

How to Read the Data

The first thing to determine is whether you’re comparing your scores to a median or a mean. If it’s been a while since your last statistics-based math class:

  • Median – This is the middle number in an ordered list of numbers. In the case of the College Search tool, this is presented as a range from the median of the 25th percentile to the median of the 75th percentile. This means that one-quarter of incoming students had a score below the lowest number and one-quarter had a score above the highest number.
  • Mean – This is the average of all the numbers added together and divided by however many numbers you added. In the case of the 91´«Ã½ Score by State, this is referred to as the average.

Average 91´«Ã½ Score by State

The table below shows data that puts out for each graduating class. It lists the estimated percentage of 2023 graduates taking the 91´«Ã½ and their average score, by state. Note that the averages have been rounded to the nearest whole number.

State % of students taking the 91´«Ã½ Average Composite Score
Alabama 100 18
Alaska 15 20
Arizona 98 18
Arkansas 96 19
California 4 26
Colorado 9 25
Connecticut 8 26
Delaware 4 25
District of Columbia 17 26
Florida 46 19
Georgia 28 21
Hawaii 64 18
Idaho 12 23
Illinois 16 25
Indiana 8 23
Iowa 48 21
Kansas 74 19
Kentucky 100 19
Louisiana 100 18
Maine 2 25
Maryland 7 25
Massachusetts 8 26
Michigan 7 24
Minnesota 68 21
Mississippi 100 18
Missouri 66 20
Montana 98 19
Nebraska 96 19
Nevada 100 17
New Hampshire 5 25
New Jersey 10 24
New Mexico 14 20
New York 9 25
North Carolina 90 19
North Dakota 89 20
Ohio 82 19
Oklahoma 100 18
Oregon 13 21
Pennsylvania 6 24
Rhode Island 5 25
South Carolina 40 19
South Dakota 59 21
Tennessee 100 18
Texas 23 19
Utah 90 20
Vermont 6 24
Virginia 8 25
Washington 6 25
West Virginia 26 20
Wisconsin 95 19
Wisconsin 100 19

Your state’s average score is not necessarily a good score for you. A good score is the score that gets you into your dream college. The 91´«Ã½ is a college admissions test, and you need to use it as a tool to get into college. Retaking the 91´«Ã½ to improve your score may not be as worthwhile as focusing your time and energy on writing stronger application essays, building an impressive activity list, or interviewing with admissions officers.

Getting A Full Picture

On the national level, the average 91´«Ã½ composite score lies between a 19 and a 20. While that means that a 21 is technically “above average,” that doesn’t mean that’s a good enough score to set yourself apart from the pack, especially at the most selective colleges.

That said, your score is only part of the picture. Your background also plays a big part in the selection process.

If you’re a student in a state where the SAT is a state requirement, like or , the average 91´«Ã½ tends to be higher, because those students have self-selected and gone above and beyond to stand out, get ahead, or find a place to shine by also taking the 91´«Ã½. If you find yourself in this situation, consider taking a free practice test with The Princeton Review.