SEI TAX EXEMPT TRUST
NSAR-B, 1997-10-29
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<PAGE>      PAGE  1
000 B000000 08/31/97
000 C000000 0000701817
000 D000000 N
000 E000000 NF
000 F000000 Y
000 G000000 N
000 H000000 N
000 I000000 3.0.a
000 J000000 U
001 A000000 SEI TAX EXEMPT TRUST
001 B000000 811-3447
001 C000000 8003425734
002 A000000 2 OLIVER STREET
002 B000000 BOSTON
002 C000000 MA
002 D010000 02109
003  000000 N
004  000000 N
005  000000 N
006  000000 N
007 A000000 Y
007 B000000  6
007 C010100  1
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007 C020200 INSTITUTIONAL TAX FREE PORTFOLIO
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007 C020300 CALIFORNIA TAX EXEMPT PORTFOLIO
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007 C010400  4
007 C020400 INTERMEDIATE-TERM MUNICIPAL PORTFOLIO
007 C030400 N
007 C010500  5
007 C020500 PENNSYLVANIA MUNICIPAL PORTFOLIO
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007 C010600  6
007 C020600 PENNSYLVANIA TAX FREE PORTFOLIO
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007 C010700  7
007 C010800  8
007 C010900  9
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022 A000001 BT SECURITIES
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<PAGE>      PAGE  2
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022 A000005 JP MORGAN
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<PAGE>      PAGE  3
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<PAGE>      PAGE  5
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<PAGE>      PAGE  6
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<PAGE>      PAGE  7
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<PAGE>      PAGE  8
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<PAGE>      PAGE  10
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<PAGE>      PAGE  11
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SIGNATURE   STEPHEN G. MEYER                             
TITLE       CONTROLLER          
 


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<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND>                             (.48)
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS>                            0
<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL>                               .32
<PER-SHARE-NAV-END>                              10.77
<EXPENSE-RATIO>                                     .6
<AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING>                               0
<AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE>                                 0
        

</TABLE>

<TABLE> <S> <C>

<ARTICLE> 6
<CIK> 0000701817
<NAME> SEI TAX EXEMPT TRUST
<SERIES>
   <NUMBER> 051
   <NAME> PENNSYLVANIA MUNICIPAL PORTFOLIO
<MULTIPLIER> 1,000
       
<S>                             <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE>                   YEAR
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                          AUG-31-1997
<PERIOD-START>                             SEP-01-1996
<PERIOD-END>                               AUG-31-1997
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST>                            94659
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE>                           97173
<RECEIVABLES>                                        4
<ASSETS-OTHER>                                    1667
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS>                                 0
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                                   98844
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES>                           278
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT>                              0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES>                          487
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES>                                765
<SENIOR-EQUITY>                                      0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON>                         95226
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK>                             9274
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR>                             9275
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT>                            8
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<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS>                            330
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS>                             0
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<NET-ASSETS>                                     98079
<DIVIDEND-INCOME>                                    0
<INTEREST-INCOME>                                 5406
<OTHER-INCOME>                                       0
<EXPENSES-NET>                                   (458)
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME>                           4948
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT>                           378
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT>                         2652
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS>                             7600
<EQUALIZATION>                                       0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME>                       (4941)
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS>                        (1769)
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER>                                0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD>                          21575
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED>                    (22183)
<SHARES-REINVESTED>                                569
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS>                             851
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR>                              1
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR>                         1721
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR>                              0
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR>                           0
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES>                              195
<INTEREST-EXPENSE>                                   0
<GROSS-EXPENSE>                                    841
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS>                             97369
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN>                            10.48
<PER-SHARE-NII>                                    .53
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC>                          (.19)
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND>                             (.53)
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS>                            0
<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL>                               .29
<PER-SHARE-NAV-END>                              10.58
<EXPENSE-RATIO>                                    .48
<AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING>                               0
<AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE>                                 0
        

</TABLE>

<TABLE> <S> <C>

<ARTICLE> 6
<CIK> 0000701817
<NAME> SEI TAX EXEMPT TRUST
<SERIES>
   <NUMBER> 061
   <NAME> PENNSYLVANIA TAX FREE PORTFOLIO
<MULTIPLIER> 1,000
       
<S>                             <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE>                   YEAR
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                          AUG-31-1997
<PERIOD-START>                             SEP-01-1996
<PERIOD-END>                               AUG-31-1997
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST>                            50270
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE>                           50270
<RECEIVABLES>                                      318
<ASSETS-OTHER>                                       8
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS>                                 0
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                                   50596
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES>                             0
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT>                              0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES>                         1033
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES>                               1033
<SENIOR-EQUITY>                                      0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON>                         49581
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK>                            49581
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR>                            42985
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT>                            0
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII>                             (4)
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS>                           (14)
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS>                             0
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC>                             0
<NET-ASSETS>                                     49563
<DIVIDEND-INCOME>                                    0
<INTEREST-INCOME>                                 1396
<OTHER-INCOME>                                       0
<EXPENSES-NET>                                     133
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME>                           1263
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT>                             0
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT>                            0
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS>                             1263
<EQUALIZATION>                                       0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME>                       (1267)
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS>                             0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER>                                0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD>                         244606
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED>                   (238052)
<SHARES-REINVESTED>                                 42
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS>                            6592
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR>                              0
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR>                         (14)
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR>                              0
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR>                           0
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES>                               15
<INTEREST-EXPENSE>                                   0
<GROSS-EXPENSE>                                    271
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS>                             37948
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN>                             1.00
<PER-SHARE-NII>                                   .033
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC>                              0
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND>                            (.033)
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS>                            0
<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL>                                 0
<PER-SHARE-NAV-END>                               1.00
<EXPENSE-RATIO>                                    .35
<AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING>                               0
<AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE>                                 0
        

</TABLE>

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS


To the Board of Trustees of
  SEI Tax Exempt Trust:

In planning and performing our audit of the financial statements of SEI Tax
Exempt Trust for the year ended August 31, 1997, we considered its internal
control, including control activities for safeguarding securities, in order 
to determine our auditing procedures for the purpose of expressing our
opinion on the financial statements and to comply with the requirements of
Form N-SAR, not to provide assurance on internal control. 

The management of SEI Tax Exempt Trust is responsible for establishing and 
maintaining internal control.  In fulfilling this responsibility, estimates
and judgments by management are required to assess the expected benefits and
related costs of control activities.  Generally, control activities that are
relevant to an audit pertain to the entity's objective of preparing 
financial statements for external purposes that are fairly presented in
conformity with generally accepted accounting principles.  Those control 
activities include the safeguarding of assets against unauthorized 
acquisition, use or disposition. 

Because of inherent limitations in internal control, errors or irregularities 
may occur and not be detected.  Also, projection of any evaluation of
internal control to future periods is subject to the risk that it may become
inadequate because of changes in conditions or that the effectiveness of the
design and operation may deteriorate. 

Our consideration of internal control would not necessarily disclose all 
matters in internal control that might be material weaknesses under standards
established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.  A
material weakness is a condition in which the design or operation of any
specific internal control components does not reduce to a relatively low
level the risk that errors or irregularities in amounts that would be
material in relation to the financial statements being audited may occur and 
not be detected within a timely period by employees in the normal course of 
performing their assigned functions.  However, we noted no matters involving 
internal control, including control activities for safeguarding securities, 
that we consider to be material weaknesses as defined above as of August 31,
1997.

This report is intended solely for the information and use of management, the
Board of Trustees, and the Securities and Exchange Commission and should not
be used for any other purpose. 



Philadelphia, PA
October 17, 1997 






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