See which states have the highest standardized test scores

Do standardized test scores provide accurate forecasts of college or workforce success?

As this debate rages, there’s no question that school leaders still have to pay attention to key grade-level assessments and college entrance exams such as the SAT and ACT.

A new analysis of SAT and ACT scores and fourth- and eighth-grade math and English assessments has led Forbes Advisor to rank all 50 states and Washington, D.C., based on the results. Forbes also figured graduate-level MCAT scores into the rankings.

Read more: What the data says about superintendent turnover in 2023-24

Before we get to the full list, let’s dig a little deeper into a few states’ standardized test scores. The state with the highest average SAT score, North Dakota, only ranked No. 29 overall due to much lower levels of fourth- and eighth-grade achievement. High levels of proficiency in math and reading, on the other hand, landed New Jersey third on the list.

New Mexico, the state with the lowest average SAT score at 19, came in 50th—which is second to last on the overall rankings. Nevada, the state with the lowest ACT score at 17, placed 46th.

Here are each state’s average SAT and ACT scores, along with where each state ranks:

1. Massachusetts: 1112, 26
2. Utah: 1239, 20
3. New Jersey: 1066, 24
4. New Hampshire: 1035, 25
5. Connecticut: 1007, 26
6. Wisconsin: 1236, 19
7. Virginia: 1113, 25
8. Colorado: 996, 25
9. Nebraska: 1252, 19
10. Vermont: 1099, 24
11. South Dakota: 1208, 21
12. Minnesota: 1201, 21
13. Iowa: 1208, 21
14. Pennsylvania: 1078, 24
15. Washington: 1081, 25
16. Wyoming: 1200, 19
17. Ohio: 1044, 19
18. Indiana: 971, 23
19. Illinois: 970, 25
20. Michigan: 967, 24
21. Rhode Island: 958, 25
22. New York: 1039, 25
23. California: 1083, 26
24. Montana: 1193, 19
25. Maine: 1080, 25
26. Maryland: 1008, 25
27. Idaho: 970, 23
28. North Dakota: 1287, 20
29. Hawaii: 1114, 18
30. Florida: 966, 19
31. Missouri: 1191, 20
32. Kansas: 1245, 19
33. North Carolina: 1127, 19
34. Georgia: 1054, 21
35. Tennessee: 1191, 18
36. Oregon: 1125, 21
37. Kentucky: 1208, 19
38. Arizona: 1183, 18
39. Texas: 978, 19
40. Washington, D.C.: 969, 26
41. South Carolina: 1028, 19
42. Delaware: 958, 25
43. Alaska: 1082, 20
44. Arkansas: 1192, 19
45. Louisiana: 1194, 18
46. Nevada: 1166, 17
47. Mississippi: 1184, 18
48. Alabama: 1161, 18
49. West Virginia: 923, 20
50. New Mexico: 901, 20
51. Oklahoma: 953, 18

Dig into more data, including fourth- and eighth-grade proficiency rankings, on Forbes Advisor’s complete list.