Public high school seniors in Virginia outpaced the national average as well as their peers in Maryland and the District on the 2009 SAT college entrance exams, according to scores released Tuesday.

Virginia students scored an average of 1,515 on the 2,400-point test that measures reading, math and writing skills. The writing portion was added to the test in 2005. Virginia’s average score compares with 1,493 nationally, 1,478 in Maryland and 1,196 in Washington, D.C.