Forsyth’s SAT Average Reaches Record 1195. What Families Should Know

Forsyth County’s Class of 2026 earned the highest average SAT score in district history, extending a run of strong academic results while also highlighting how much context families need when comparing test scores.

The districtwide SAT mean reached 1195, up 17 points from the previous year. Forsyth graduates also averaged 24.9 on the ACT, four points above Georgia’s average and 5.7 points above the national average. The district released the results Monday, Oct. 19.

The scores at a glance

The largest SAT advantage came in math, where Forsyth graduates averaged 595, compared with 506 statewide. Their reading and writing average was 600, 75 points above Georgia’s.

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The state and national SAT figures in the comparison represent public-school students. Georgia’s public-school SAT average was 1031, with 59% of the graduating class taking the test.

The broader College Board report covering all Georgia test-takers, including students outside public schools, produced a slightly different statewide mean of 1041. Forsyth’s average was still 154 points higher.

The missing denominator

Forsyth’s announcement did not include the number or percentage of graduates who took either exam. That missing denominator limits what can be concluded from the averages.

SAT and ACT results describe the students who took each test, not an entire graduating class. A larger share of higher-scoring students among test-takers can raise an average. Broader participation can pull an average down even when a school system is serving students well.

The College Board urges caution when using average scores to compare schools or districts because participation rates and test-taking populations differ. Georgia had 79,606 SAT test-takers in the Class of 2026, representing about 60% of the state’s estimated graduates across public and other schools.

Forsyth’s 17-point increase is a notable local benchmark. Participation figures, score distributions and the percentage of students meeting college-readiness benchmarks would help show how widely the gains were shared.

Where the scores still carry weight

The record arrives as standardized tests remain consequential for many Georgia families.

Under the University System of Georgia’s admissions requirements for fall 2026 and later, SAT or ACT scores are required for applicants to the University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, Georgia State, Augusta University, Kennesaw State, Georgia Southern and Georgia College & State University. Other public institutions may require scores depending on an applicant’s high school GPA.

Scores also remain part of Zell Miller Scholarship eligibility. The Georgia Student Finance Commission requires a minimum 1200 SAT score or the equivalent ACT composite, combined with a GSFC-calculated GPA of at least 3.70, through the scholarship’s GPA-and-test-score eligibility route. Other eligibility requirements also apply. For graduates of eligible high schools, the regular HOPE Scholarship’s academic requirements include a 3.00 GPA and required rigor credits, without a comparable test-score threshold.

Forsyth’s 1195 district average sits just five points below the Zell Miller SAT threshold, but the comparison should not be read as an estimate of scholarship eligibility. Zell Miller decisions are based on each student’s qualifying record, not a school-system average.

For families, the district record is encouraging evidence of a high-performing testing cohort. The more useful number, however, remains the individual student’s score compared with the requirements of a particular college, scholarship or academic program.