Gwinnett County Public Schools released SAT scores for the Class of 2021 showing that Gwinnett test-takers continue the trend of outperforming their peers in Georgia and the nation. Gwinnett’s average on the SAT topped state and national averages on both sections (Evidenced-Based Reading and Writing and Math) of the test. Gwinnett’s average score of 1132 was 94 points higher than the national average and 55 points higher than the state’s score of 1077. The district’s average on the SAT did increase, as did scores at the state and national levels.

“As we review these SAT scores there are so many reasons to be proud,” says Superintendent Calvin J. Watts. “And, while we are glad to see our scores continue to rise, there is a far greater story here that speaks to our district’s focus on increasing student achievement, the commitment of our teachers to ensure students are learning and prepared for their futures, and the perseverance and determination of students who endured a very different learning environment than any class before them.”

Gwinnett SAT Highlights

• Gwinnett’s average composite score on the SAT is 1132, a combination of the average Evidenced-Based Reading and Writing (ERW) score of 567 and the average Mathematics score of 565. (Possible scores range from 200 to 800 on each section. The highest possible composite score is 1600.) 
• Gwinnett’s total SAT average is 94 points above the national average of 1038. 
• Gwinnett’s average is 55 points above the Georgia average of 1077.
• In Gwinnett, 5,430 students participated in this past year’s test, a decrease from the 8,166 students in the Class of 2020. The decrease in participation is understandable given the COVID-19 pandemic and changes in some postsecondary admission requirements.
• The SAT scores for 21 GCPS high schools increased.

Equity and Student Group Performance

This year’s SAT results provided positive news in terms of equity and achievement by different student groups. In particular, mean scores for all student groups increased and higher percentages of students in the Class of 2021 met the College and Career Readiness Benchmarks compared to their peers in the Class of 2020. (Both the Math and ERW sections of the SAT have an associated set of College and Career Readiness benchmarks.

Students meeting these benchmarks have a 75% chance of earning at least a C in first-semester, credit-bearing college level courses in math, history, literature, social science, or writing.)

Black students in Gwinnett’s Class of 2021 earned a mean composite score of 1058, up from 1028 for the Class of 2020. With a mean composite score of 1221, the Asian student group also saw a 30-point increase. Hispanic students in the Class of 2021 had a mean composite score of 1072, an increase of 26 points from their peers in the Class of 2020. And White students posted a mean score of 1173, a 14-point increase from 2020.

Overall, Gwinnett’s Class of 2021 College and Career Readiness Benchmark scores increased from those posted by students in the Class of 2020. Sixty-two percent of students in the Class of 2021, who took the SAT, met both the Math and ERW benchmark, up from 54% the previous year. In looking at the sections separately, 82% of Gwinnett students met the ERW benchmark in 2021, compared to 79% the previous year. Those meeting the Math benchmark increased from 56% to 65% for the Class of 2021.

The Asian student group increased the percentage of students reaching the benchmarks in all areas, with 78% meeting the benchmark in both ERW and Math, 87% meeting the ERW benchmark, and 82% meeting the Math Benchmark. Black students improved their College and Career Readiness Benchmark scores with 44% of Black students meeting both benchmarks in ERW and Math, up from 37% in 2020. On the ERW section, the percentage of Black students meeting the benchmark increased from 69% (2020) to 72% (2021), while the Math benchmark scores increased from 39% to 47%. For Hispanic students, the percentage of students meeting both benchmarks increased from 42% in 2020 to 50% in 2021. The percentage of Hispanic students meeting the ERW benchmark increased from 72% to 74%; while the percentage meeting the Math benchmark increased from 44% to 53%. The White student group saw increases in the percentage meeting both benchmarks (74% in 2021 compared to 70% in 2020), along with those meeting the ERW benchmark (91% in 2021 compared to 90% in 2020) and the Math benchmark (76% in 2021 compared to 72% in 2020).

Individual school results and system results are found below. Individual school averages can be greatly affected by the unique characteristics of each year’s test-takers.

Gwinnett County Public Schools SAT Graduating Class Cohort Scores
	2019						2020							2021
	ERW		Math		Total		ERW		Math			Total		ERW	Math		Total
Archer	546		531		1077		553		538			1091		563	543		1105
Berkmar	501		501		1002		516		510			1026		524	525		1049
Brookwood	573		576		1149		573		570			1143		576	576		1152
Central Gwinnett	510		495		1006		508		496			1004		523	521		1044
Collins Hill	556		566		1122		551		555			1105		556	559		1114
Dacula	541		538		1079		534		528			1062		540	542		1082
Discovery	505		495		1001		517		503			1020		537	528		1065
Duluth	551		556		1107		550		552			1102		554	569		1123
Grayson	541		529		1071		538		522			1060		560	550		1110
GOC	585		575		1161		583		562			1145		564	556		1120
GSMST	675		701		1375		668		693			1361		677	700		1378
Lanier	548		529		1077		543		530			1073		562	546		1108
McClure Health Science	*		*		*		464		467			931		555	526		1081
Meadowcreek	486		487		973		496		496			992		490	502		992
Mill Creek	568		563		1130		569		562			1131		570	571		1141
Mountain View	564		551		1115		554		551			1105		573	567		1140
Norcross	531		524		1055		537		527			1065		567	560		1126
North Gwinnett	595		613		1208		594		601			1195		601	609		1210
Parkview	559		559		1118		561		555			1116		571	571		1142
Paul Duke STEM	*		*		*		546		529			1076		571	561		1132
Peachtree Ridge	567		565		1132		569		560			1129		576	579		1155
Shiloh	519		497		1016		511		496			1008		534	506		1040
South Gwinnett	510		486		996		500		475			975		527	503		1030
GCPS	549		545		1094		552		545			1097		567	565		1132
Georgia: Public School Students	533		515		1048		532		511			1043		546	531		1077
Nation: Public School Students	524		515		1039		520		510			1030		524	514		1038

*Indicates a new school