Together with the ACT, the SAT is one of the most widely administered college admissions tests in the United States; more than 3 million high school students take these tests annually. As such, these scores are among the best to use when comparing the relative college-preparedness of a high school’s graduates.
The tables below show three sets of numbers:
- Total is a combination of EBRW and Math for a maximum of 1600 points
- EBRW stands for Evidence Based Reading and Writing, with a maximum score of 800 points
- Math is scored out of a maximum of 800 points
The College Board, the administrator of the SAT, asserts that the minimum score to be considered college and career ready is a combined score of 1010 (480 EBRW and 530 Math). Students who score at this benchmark have a 75% chance of earning at least a C in a first-semester college course.
Top Houston ISD High Schools by SAT Scores
Of the 48 HISD high schools reporting SAT scores for the Class of 2017, the:
- Students at Debakey and Carnegie scored in the 90th percentile (top 10%), which is impressive
- Total average score across the top 5 schools was 1,234, which was the 75th percentile, and significantly above the national average
- Total average score across all schools was 937, which was the 27th percentile and below the national average score of 1060 (50th percentile)
| wdt_ID | Rank | School | Total | EBRW | Math |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | School | Total | EBRW | Math |
Top Greater Houston Public High Schools by SAT Scores
Of the 61 Houston-area high schools reporting SAT scores for the Class of 2017, the:
- Students at the Texas-wide public magnet Texas Academy of Math and Science are really smart; they scored in the 99th percentile or the top 1% of test takers nationwide
- Total average score across all schools was 961, which was 33rd percentile and below the national average score of 1060 (50th percentile)
- Average scores between EBRW and Math were almost exactly the same
| wdt_ID | Rank | School | District | Total | EBRW | Math |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | School | District | Total | EBRW | Math |
About the Data
- This dataset from the Texas Education Agency looks at SAT scores for the Class of 2017, which was the most recently available data at the time of analysis.
- Not every school requires all students to take the SAT nor do all schools report scores to the TEA; school districts in the Greater Houston list above include Aldine, Alief, Cypress-Fairbanks, Harmony Schools (charter), and Houston
