6 min read|Updated March 15, 2026
What Is a Good SAT Score? It Depends on Where You Are Applying
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The SAT is scored out of 1600. A 1200 might be an excellent score for one student's college list and a serious disadvantage for another's. Here is how to benchmark your score honestly — and what to do about it.
SAT Score Ranges by College Tier
These are middle 50% ranges — 25% of admitted students scored below the bottom number, 25% above the top. Aim for the middle or above.
Ivy League and MIT/Stanford/Caltech: 1510–1590.
Top 25 universities (Duke, Vanderbilt, UChicago): 1470–1570.
Strong national universities (UCLA, UMich, NYU): 1350–1530.
Top public flagships (UT Austin, UNC, UVA): 1250–1480.
Solid 4-year universities: 1100–1300.
Open-enrollment and community colleges: no minimum.
Benchmark rule: if your SAT is within or above a school's middle 50% range, your score is good for that school.
National Percentiles for Context
1600: 99th+ percentile.
1550: 99th.
1500: 97th.
1450: 95th.
1400: 93rd.
1350: 89th.
1300: 84th.
1200: 72nd.
1100: 57th.
1000: 40th.
The national average SAT score is approximately 1060. Scoring above 1200 puts you in the top third of all test-takers nationally.
Where do you stand?
Check your admission chances free →Test-Optional Policies — Should You Submit?
Submit your score if: your score is at or above the school's 50th percentile, you are applying to a STEM program with a strong math score, or the school is not truly test-optional in practice.
Do not submit if: your score is below the 25th percentile for that school, your GPA and course rigor tell a stronger story without it, or the school has a genuine test-blind policy.
Check each school's policy individually. Test-optional does not mean test-irrelevant everywhere.
How to Improve Your SAT Score
Realistic score improvement with 3 months of prep: under 1100 start, gain 100–150 points; 1100–1300 start, gain 80–120; 1300–1450 start, gain 50–80; above 1450, gain 30–50.
What actually moves the needle: official SAT practice tests via Khan Academy (free), timed practice under real conditions, error analysis on wrong answers, mastering algebra and advanced math for the Math section, and building active reading speed for ERW.
How many times to take it: most students improve on their second attempt. A third sometimes helps. Beyond three, returns diminish.
Don't leave money on the table
Find scholarships you qualify for →SAT vs ACT — Which Should You Take?
Take a free practice test for both and compare your percentile results. ACT has a Science section (data interpretation, not biology knowledge). SAT Math has more advanced algebra; ACT Math is broader but faster-paced. Both are accepted equally at all US colleges.
Use our admission chances calculator to see how your current score positions you at specific schools.