The Pennsylvania Department of Education this week released the average SAT scores for 2014 with many area high schools hovering just below the national average.

The rankings were initially released Feb. 2, but pulled from the department's website after officials said an error threw off average scores.A new set of data was published on Wednesday.Of the nine high schools in the Times News area, Northwestern Lehigh leads the way with an average score of 1641 out of 2400.The school was also one of the top schools in the state, ranking 29th.According to the data, 129 students from the school took the SAT.The second best area score came from Tamaqua High School, which ranked 228 in the state with an average score of 1485 from 53 students.PDE lists the national average at 1497, or 497 on critical reading, 513 on mathematics and 487 on writing.Many colleges and universities no longer require applicants to submit an SAT score, including nearly 40 in Pennsylvania.Millersville University, for example, became the first school in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education to make SAT test scores optional when students apply for admission."We are shifting our emphasis to an applicant's grade point average, specific courses taken in high school, extracurricular activities and their essay when selecting the freshman class for the fall of 2015," said Katy Ferrier, Millersville's director of admissions.Major changes are slated for the SAT in the spring of 2016. The test will feature three sections: evidence-based reading and writing, math and an optional essay.A maximum score will revert from 2400 back to the original 1600 after it changed in 2005.Average scores from area schools in 2014 were:Northwestern Lehigh, average score of 1641, 129 students took the test.Tamaqua, average score of 1485, 53 students took the test.Lehighton, average score of 1479, 101 students took the test.Palmerton, average score of 1473, 56 students took the test.Northern Lehigh, average score of 1472, 75 students took the test.Pleasant Valley, average score of 1458, 251 students took the test.Jim Thorpe, average score of 1418, 95 students took the test.Panther Valley, average score of 1369, 40 students took the test.Weatherly, average 1360, 33 students took the test.