2024 College Board Data: Asian Students Score Highest on SAT, Followed by Multiracial and White Test-Takers

Social media commentary from Olivia P. Walker recently highlighted the performance disparities among racial and ethnic groups on the SAT, framing the standardized test as a proxy for IQ. In a detailed tweet, Walker asserted that official education data and statistics, specifically SAT scores, demonstrate a clear hierarchy, with Asian students achieving the highest average scores. She then ranked multiracial individuals second, followed by single-race white students, and lastly, single-race Black and Native American students.

According to the College Board's 2024 total group report, the average SAT scores by ethnicity largely align with Walker's presented order. Asian test-takers recorded the highest mean total score at 1228. Students identifying as "Two or More Races" followed with an average of 1090, slightly above White students, who averaged 1083. Hispanic/Latino students scored 939, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander students 926, and Black/African American students 907. American Indian/Alaska Native students had the lowest average score at 881.

Walker's tweet directly questions the intelligence of public figures, stating, "So I am clear, are you saying that @VivekGRamaswamy and @JDVance’s wife (or their kids) are 75 IQ people?" She further emphasized her conviction by stating, "None of this is debatable btw as our nation’s collective codified statutory (legal) history and codified @uscensusbureau (federal executive branch) data history & archives demonstrate." She also provided personal context, identifying as multiracial with European-white, Native, and African ancestry.

The discussion around SAT scores and their correlation with intelligence or socioeconomic factors is complex and ongoing within educational circles. While the College Board presents demographic data, academic analyses often point to a multitude of factors, including access to quality education, test preparation resources, and socioeconomic background, as significant influences on test performance. These broader discussions suggest that raw scores alone may not fully capture a student's potential or intelligence.

The persistent disparities in SAT scores across different demographic groups continue to fuel conversations about equity in education and the role of standardized testing in college admissions. As institutions navigate these debates, the data underscores the need for a comprehensive understanding of the factors contributing to these performance gaps.