SAT Benchmarks

What Is a Good SAT Score?

A "good" SAT score depends on your college targets. The national average is around 1050, but elite colleges expect 1500+. Learn where your score stands and what matters for your schools.

National avg
1050

Key Takeaways

National average: 1050 (2025 data). A score of 1200+ puts you above average nationally.
Percentiles matter more than raw scores. Your score's percentile rank (how you compare to test-takers) is what colleges see. At 1500, you're at the 98th percentile; at 1200, the 76th.
"Good" is relative to your target school tier, not an absolute number. A 1400 is excellent for state publics (98th+ percentile) but below median for Ivy League.
Test-optional remains the norm in 2026: Over 90% of four-year colleges are test-optional, though many elite schools have recently reinstated SAT requirements.

Official Percentiles

SAT Score Percentiles

Your percentile rank shows what percentage of test-takers scored at or below your score. These percentiles are based on actual College Board user-group data (students who took the SAT in recent years).

Total Score	Percentile	Benchmark
1050	50th	National median
1200	76th	Well above average
1300	86th	Quite competitive
1400	93rd	Highly competitive
1500	98th	Exceptional (Ivy-range)
1550	99th+	Top-tier schools

Source: College Board official percentile data for recent SAT administrations. Percentiles reflect comparison to all SAT test-takers nationally.

By School Tier

What Counts as Good, by School Tier

The following table shows typical SAT score ranges (middle 50% of admitted students) at colleges of different selectivity levels. These ranges come from published Common Data Sets and official admissions statistics.

College Tier	Middle 50% SAT Range	Examples
Highly Selective (Top 1–20)	1500–1580	Ivy League, Stanford, MIT, Duke, Chicago
Selective (Top 20–50)	1380–1530	Northwestern, Johns Hopkins, Rice, CMU
Competitive (Top 50–100)	1280–1450	University of Michigan, UT Austin, Georgia Tech
Selective Public Universities	1200–1400	Strong state schools (25th–75th percentile varies widely)
Most Four-Year Public Universities	1050–1300	Most state university systems
Open Admission	Any score	Community colleges, open-enrollment institutions

Note: These ranges represent the middle 50% of admitted students: the 25th to 75th percentile. Many schools below these ranges offer admission to recruited athletes, legacy applicants, and students from underrepresented backgrounds. Without a "hook," aiming at or above the median (50th percentile) of your target school's range is more realistic.

2026 Status

Test-Optional Context in 2026

Since 2021, most U.S. colleges have adopted test-optional policies. In 2026, over 90% of ranked four-year institutions remain test-optional, meaning you can choose whether to submit your SAT score. However, there's been a recent shift at elite schools.

Ivy League and Top Schools: Most have returned to test-required or test-flexible policies for 2026 admissions. Harvard, Penn, Brown, Dartmouth, and Cornell now require SAT or ACT. Yale accepts SAT, ACT, AP, or IB (test-flexible). Princeton is test-optional for the Class of 2026 but will likely require scores next year. Columbia permanently maintains test-optional status.

What this means for you: If you're applying to elite schools, submitting a strong SAT score (1500+) is now competitive or required. For other selective schools, test-optional means submitting your score only if it's strong relative to your school's range. For open-admission institutions, scores may not factor into admissions at all.

Strategy

Section Score Balance

The SAT is scored on two sections: Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (200–800) and Math (200–800), for a total of 400–1600. Colleges do review section scores, so a significant imbalance can be a concern: for instance, a 750 Math + 650 Reading at a STEM school. If you're retaking the SAT, our SAT score calculator lets you explore section-score combinations and superscore scenarios across multiple test dates.

Frequently Asked Questions

What SAT score do I need for a top-20 college?

Most top-20 schools (Ivy League, Stanford, MIT, etc.) have middle-50% ranges of 1500–1580. For these schools, a score of 1500 or higher is typically necessary to be competitive. However, many admitted students score below the published range if they have other strengths (legacy status, recruited athletics, outstanding essays, etc.). Without such advantages, aiming for the 75th percentile or above of your target school's range is realistic.

Is a 1400 SAT score good?

A 1400 is at the 93rd percentile nationally, which is excellent. It puts you well above average and makes you competitive at selective schools (Top 20–50 range). It is below the middle 50% for highly selective schools like Ivy League universities, but it would be strong for schools ranked 20–50 and highly competitive for schools ranked 50–100.

What's considered a good SAT score for state universities?

For selective state universities (like University of Michigan, UT Austin, or Georgia Tech), a good score is typically in the 1200–1400 range. For less competitive state schools, scores in the 1050–1200 range are solid. Check your specific target school's published Common Data Set to see their 25th and 75th percentile admitted scores. That's the best benchmark.

Should I take the SAT if my target schools are test-optional?

Yes, if you can score at or above your target school's median admitted score. A strong SAT score (especially at competitive or highly selective schools) can meaningfully strengthen your application. If your score falls below the 25th percentile of a school's admitted range, consider not submitting it at a test-optional school. Most colleges benefit from seeing strong scores but respect the test-optional choice if your score doesn't add value.

How do SAT percentiles work?

A percentile rank tells you what percentage of test-takers scored at or below your score. For example, if you score in the 75th percentile, about 75% of students nationwide scored at your level or lower, and about 25% scored higher. Colleges typically focus on user-group percentiles (based on recent SAT test-takers) rather than nationally representative percentiles, since user-group percentiles reflect your actual competition in the applicant pool.

Can I improve my SAT score by retaking it?

Yes. Most students who retake the SAT improve, especially if they practice strategically. The College Board allows unlimited retakes, and most colleges consider your highest score (superscoring for section combinations is increasingly common). If your score falls short of your target school's range, retaking is usually worth the effort, especially if you had test-day issues or didn't complete thorough practice before.