What happened#
On September 29, 2026, College Board released its SAT Suite annual report for the high school class of 2026.
- Takers. "More than 1.95 million students in the class of 2026 took the SAT, a modest 2.5% decrease" from the class of 2025, and "the first decrease in participation since the pandemic-affected class of 2021."
- Scores. The mean total was 1045, "a 16-point increase" and the second year of gains. Reading and Writing rose 7 points to 528. Math rose 9 points to 517, still below the 2020 class's 523.
- Benchmarks. 42% of takers met both of College Board's college and career readiness benchmarks.
- School Day. SAT School Day, the version given in school during the week, "accounted for 65% of SAT takers."
What it means for a student#
A national average tells you little about any one college. What matters is the middle range of scores at the colleges on your list, which many colleges publish in their Common Data Set.
If you are a junior planning to test this year, the averages have moved up two years running. Compare your score to the newest range a college publishes, not one from a few years ago.
If you are a senior who has already tested, this changes nothing about your score. Decide whether to send it college by college, against that college's own range and its own policy: required, optional, or not read at all.
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Sources
Last checked September 30, 2026. We add a dated note here when the story changes.