Colorado NationalThe small number of Colorado students who take the Scholastic Aptitude Test continue to perform better on the college entrance exam than their counterparts nationwide, according to data released Tuesday.

In math, the 11,142 Colorado seniors who took the test this year posted an average math score of 565 on a scale of 200 to 800. That's 50 points above the national average of 515, reported the College Board, the nonprofit membership association that manages SAT testing.

The average Colorado score on the critical reading portion of the exam was 560, significantly higher than the national average of 502.

Assistant Education Commissioner Jo O'Brien said the students who elect to take the SAT are a generally select group leaning toward East Coast schools, where the exam is predominately used in admissions.

"These are kids that are thinking about competing beyond Colorado," said O'Brien.

Colorado colleges and universities, on the other hand, tend to use the ACT when considering applicants. While students taking the SAT pay for the exam, the ACT is mandatory for Colorado 11th-graders and its cost is covered by the state.

How they stack up

SAT SCORES

Colorado National

Critical reading 560 502

Math 565 515

ACT SCORES

Colorado National

Reading 20.8 21.5

Math 20.1 21.0