Idaho has one of the lowest average SAT scores in the country. Why are we ranked so lowly?
Standardized testing has become less critical for college hopefuls in recent years after the COVID-19 pandemic closed testing sites nationwide, forcing colleges and universities not to require SAT or ACT scores for several years.
Even as the world slowly returns to normal, over 1,700 bachelor’s degree-granting institutions in the United States won’t require standardized testing for the fall 2023 semester, according to The National Center for Fair and Open Testing. Boise State University, Idaho State University and the University of Idaho all fall into that category.
Although tests like the SAT and ACT are falling by the wayside for college admissions, they remain essential for other college-related things, such as scholarships and class placement.
But Idahoans seem to be at a disadvantage, according to an analysis of 2022 SAT results from Learner, an online tutoring website.
The SAT — which involves testing on reading, writing, language and math — is scored from a minimum of 400 to a maximum of 1,600. The national average is 1,050.
Idaho ranks as the state with the 42nd-highest average SAT score at 986, 64 below the national average.
The Gem State has the lowest average score in the Northwest, followed by Washington (1,096) and trailing far behind Wyoming (1,244), the second-highest in the nation.
It’s worth noting that Idaho’s numbers may also be skewed because the Gem State is one of a handful of states that provides the SAT for free to all students. According to the College Board SAT Annual Report, 20,965 students in the Class of 2022 took the SAT in Idaho in the 2021-22 school year. For comparison, only 80 students in North Dakota, 408 in Nebraska and 613 in Montana took the SAT during the same time period.
Where do Idaho schools rank nationally?
The Gem State has been ranked in the bottom 25% nationwide in education and dead last in spending per pupil, according to previous Statesman reporting.
Even at the higher-education level, Idaho doesn’t stand up well. Personal finance website WalletHub ranked the top 900 universities in the U.S. in October 2022. Only two Idaho universities made the top 500: The College of Idaho (235th) and the University of Idaho (438th).
But it’s not all bad for Idaho. U.S. News and World Report ranked the top 5,000 secondary schools last year. Nine schools in the Treasure Valley made the cut, including Boise High School (926th) and Timberline High School (1,086th).
The best and worst SAT scores
Wisconsin, Wyoming and Kansas lead the way nationally for total average SAT score, closely followed by Idaho’s neighbor Utah in fourth place.
Here are the bottom 10 states for average SAT scores, including Idaho. The list stops at 48 because Missouri and Tennessee tied for 11th, and Hawaii and Virginia tied for 21st.
39. Michigan (1,000)
40. Idaho (986)
41. District of Columbia (985)
42. Florida (983)
43. Illinois (981)
44. New Mexico (976)
45. Rhode Island (971)
46. Delaware (968)
47. Oklahoma (951)
48. West Virginia (938)
This story was originally published March 22, 2023 at 12:42 PM.
