Last month nationwide headlines read, “Class of 2014 SAT scores remain stagnant.” The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) is a widely used college admissions test used to determine the probability of success for a student entering college. What the reports failed to mention was the variance between public and faith-based schools.

What IS clear from the test results is that the National Averages for ALL students is bolstered by the scores of students in Faith-based schools. Students from faith-based schools outperformed their public school counterparts by 36 points in Math, 41 points in Reading, a whopping 49 points in Writing.

SAT Scores Class of 2014

Schools Reading Writing Math
Public Schools 492 478 501
Faith-Based Schools 533 527 537
National Average 497 487 513

Another interesting way to look at the numbers is based upon the variance from the national average. Based upon the national averages, faith-based centers provide a significant boost to public schools in establishing test averages.

Schools Reading Writing Math
Faith-Based Schools +36 +40 +24
National Average 497 487 513
Public Schools -5 -9 -12

 What is the real impact of these numbers? When it comes to the SAT, the score of 1550 is “associated with a 65% probability of obtaining a first year GPA of B- or higher at a four-year college.”* Given that information, then it is crystal clear that faith-based schools better prepare students for success in college than do public schools.

Schools Composite Score Benchmark Variance
Faith-Based Schools 1597 1550 +47
National Average 1497 1550 -3
Public Schools 1471 1550 -12

*https://www.collegeboard.org/program-results/2014/sat