US Colleges
Missing SAT is data, not drama
Test-optional eras thin reporting. We leave blanks blank — schools drop out of that list instead of getting a fictional score.
October 14, 2026
As test-optional policies spread, SAT/ACT averages cover fewer institutions. Scorecard cells arrive empty; we do not impute a “typical” score. A school missing the measure simply leaves lists that rank on it.
Implications
- Read coverage counts on lists — methodology explains suppression and missingness.
- Do not treat a blank on a school page as “hiding something wicked”; it often means non-reporting.
- Admit rate lists (most selective) are a different measure with their own coverage limits.