March 06, 2017
The 2016 average SAT scores for each of the public high schools in the state were released by the Pennsylvania Department of Education last week.
Nineteen of the Top 25 highest-scoring schools on the college admissions test are located in the five-county Philadelphia region, and for the 16th consecutive year, Julia R. Masterman High School students posted the highest average SAT score – 1978 – in the state. (The education department has reports on its website dating back to 2001.)
Masterman is a public magnet school where students are admitted based on their academic performance – as are the other six School District of Philadelphia schools ranking in the Top 10 in the city.
The average results for 647 high schools across Pennsylvania were included in the report. An additional 31 high schools were listed in the data without scores because fewer than 11 students took the college admissions test.
In addition to the number of students who took the SAT in 2016, the complete report lists each high school's average reading, math and writing score. On each of those three tests, students score between 200 and 800 points, for a maximum total score of 2400.
The complete report can be downloaded from the department of education's website.
Below are the Top 25 schools in Pennsylvania followed by lists of the Top 10 high schools in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties:
Rank | School | School District | Average SAT Score |
1 | Julia R. Masterman High School |
Philadelphia | 1978 |
2 | Downingtown STEM Academy | Downingtown Area | 1839 |
3 | Conestoga High School | Tredyffrin-Easttown | 1795 |
4 | Upper Saint Clair High School | Upper Saint Clair | 1770 |
5 | Lower Merion High School | Lower Merion | 1766 |
6 | Harriton High School | Lower Merion | 1754 |
7 | Council Rock High School North |
Council Rock | 1747 |
8 | Radnor High School | Radnor Township | 1746 |
T9 | Unionville High School | Unionville-Chadds Ford | 1730 |
T9 | Upper Dublin High School | Upper Dublin | 1730 |
11 | Mt. Lebanon High School | Mt. Lebanon | 1729 |
12 | Central Bucks High School East |
Central Bucks | 1726 |
13 | Lower Moreland High School | Lower Moreland Township | 1723 |
14 | North Allegheny High School | North Allegheny | 1722 |
15 | New Hope-Solebury High School |
New Hope-Solebury | 1716 |
16 | Fox Chapel Area High School | Fox Chapel Area | 1708 |
17 | Strath Haven High School | Wallingford-Swarthmore | 1707 |
18 | Wissahickon High School | Wissahickon | 1701 |
19 | Jenkintown High School | Jenkintown | 1687 |
20 | Methacton High School | Methacton | 1686 |
21 | Great Valley High School | Great Valley | 1682 |
22 | Central Bucks High School West |
Central Bucks | 1667 |
T23 | Northwest PA Collegiate Academy | Erie City | 1662 |
T23 | State College Area High School |
State College Area | 1662 |
25 | Central High School | Philadelphia | 1661 |
Rank | School | School District | Average SAT Score |
1 | Council Rock High School North |
Council Rock | 1747 |
2 | Central Bucks High School East |
Central Bucks | 1726 |
3 | New Hope-Solebury High School |
New Hope-Solebury | 1716 |
4 | Central Bucks High School West |
Central Bucks | 1667 |
5 | Council Rock High School South |
Council Rock | 1656 |
6 | Central Bucks High School South |
Central Bucks | 1641 |
7 | Pennsbury High School | Pennsbury | 1610 |
8 | Palisades High School | Palisades | 1562 |
9 | Quakertown Community High School |
Quakertown Community | 1547 |
10 | Neshaminy High School | Neshaminy | 1527 |
Rank | School | School District | Average SAT Score |
1 | Downingtown STEM Academy | Downingtown Area | 1839 |
2 | Conestoga High School | Tredyffrin-Easttown | 1795 |
3 | Unionville High School | Unionville-Chadds Ford | 1730 |
4 | Great Valley High School | Great Valley | 1682 |
5 | West Chester Henderson High School |
West Chester Area | 1643 |
6 | West Chester Bayard Rustin High School |
West Chester Area | 1620 |
7 | Owen J. Roberts High School | Owen J. Roberts | 1612 |
8 | Phoenixville Area High School |
Phoenixville Area | 1611 |
9 | Kennett High School | Kennett Consolidated | 1595 |
10 | West Chester East High School |
West Chester Area | 1593 |
Rank | School | School District | Average SAT Score |
1 | Radnor High School | Radnor Township | 1746 |
2 | Strath Haven High School | Wallingford-Swarthmore | 1707 |
3 | Garnet Valley High School | Garnet Valley | 1654 |
4 | Penncrest High School | Rose Tree Media | 1605 |
5 | Haverford High School | Haverford Township | 1579 |
6 | Marple Newtown High School |
Marple Newtown | 1553 |
7 | Springfield High School | Springfield | 1541 |
8 | Sun Valley High School | Penn-Delco | 1447 |
9 | Ridley High School | Ridley | 1418 |
10 | Interboro High School | Interboro | 1393 |
Rank | School | School District | Average SAT Score |
1 | Lower Merion High School | Lower Merion | 1766 |
2 | Harriton High School | Lower Merion | 1754 |
3 | Upper Dublin High School | Upper Dublin | 1730 |
4 | Lower Moreland High School | Lower Moreland Twp. | 1723 |
5 | Wissahickon High School | Wissahickon | 1701 |
6 | Jenkintown High School | Jenkintown | 1687 |
7 | Methacton High School | Methacton | 1686 |
8 | Springfield Twp. High School | Springfield Twp. | 1636 |
9 | North Penn High School | North Penn | 1630 |
10 | Perkiomen Valley High School | Perkiomen Valley | 1622 |
Rank | School | School District | Average SAT score |
1 | Julia R. Masterman High School | Philadelphia | 1978 |
2 | Central High School | Philadelphia | 1661 |
3 | Science Leadership Academy | Philadelphia | 1598 |
4 | Renaissance Academy Charter School | Charter School | 1557 |
5 | Mathematics, Science & Technology Community Charter School | Charter School | 1500 |
6 | GAMP | Philadelphia | 1472 |
7 | Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush | Philadelphia | 1430 |
8 | Creative and Performing Arts High School | Philadelphia | 1403 |
9 | High School of Engineering & Science | Philadelphia | 1392 |
10 | Philadelphia Academy Charter School | Charter School | 1388 |
The data above was collected by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. The entire report is available here.