What is a Good SAT Score?

What is a good SAT score? Many students take the SAT, get their scores back, then wonder how they did.

Some students may have not taken the SAT yet, but want to know what scores to aim for. Knowing what scores to aim for can be very helpful while studying for your SAT and give you a goal to work towards.

We will review SAT scores and what is a good SAT score in this guide. We also provide you SAT score ranges and percentiles from popular public and private schools so you can compare what score you may need to get.

Summary: Learn about SAT scores, percentiles, and score ranges for various institutions around the country. If you are trying to improve your score, consider using SAT prep classes.

What is a Good SAT Score?

In order to answer this question, lets first go over the basics of the SAT score. The SAT score range is between 400-1600 for your total score. There are 2 sections on the SAT – each section is scored between 200-800.

These 2 sections make up your total combined score. The two sections on the SAT are Math and a combined Reading and Writing section, more commonly referred to Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW).

Now that we have some background on the SAT, let's take a more in-depth look at SAT scores. We know 1600 is the highest score you can get. But what about a 1350? Is that a good SAT score?

Luckily, the makers of the SAT use percentiles to help students compare their scores to others around the country. Your percentile score tells you what percentage of students you scored the same as or better than. 

Example: If you are in the 55th percentile, this means you have scored better than 55% of all SAT test takers.

SUMMARY OF AVERAGE, GOOD, AND EXCELLENT SAT SCORES

• Poor: 900 or lower (bottom 25% of test-takers)
• Average: 1050 (exactly in the middle)
• Good: 1200 (top 75% of test-takers)
• Excellent: 1350+ (90%+ higher than all test-takers)

While we have provided you with some raw data of what makes a “good” score, we want to dive in further to help you understand what a good score can and should mean for you!

SAT Score Percentiles - Total Composite Score

You can view a breakdown of SAT scores and various percentiles for those scores below. The makers of the SAT try to keep the average (50%) around 1000. The average SAT score was 1051, according to the CollegeBoard’s annual report.

Source: CollegeBoard

We now know various SAT score percentiles and their corresponding SAT score. As you can see from the chart above, most students will score around the 1000 mark. 

Notice how when you jump from a 1000 to 1100, your SAT score percentile also jumps significantly? This is because most students score around that mark, so if you can improve you score just a little, your percentile will also jump. 

Percentile jumps are less of a factor as you get away from the average score range (1000ish). As you can see, an increase from 1300 to 1350 is only 4 percentage points. 

In terms of what makes for a good SAT score based on the percentile chart above, anything above 1050 would be considered above average. This is a great starting point for first-time test takers.

SAT Score Percentiles – Section Scores

If you are curious about percentile scores for each section of the SAT, you can view the table below to find out where your section score stands when compared to other students.

Source: CollegeBoard

WHAT Is a Good SAT Score for You?

What may be considered a good SAT score for someone may not be considered a good score for someone else. A lot of what is considered a good SAT score depends on your goals. 

If you are someone who is trying to attend Harvard, you will need a top SAT score. If you are someone who just wants to get into college, an average SAT score will probably get the job done. 

To make it really simple, a good SAT score is the score that allows you to be competitive when applying to your schools of choice. 

We have collected data from the National Center for Education Statistics which outlines SAT scores for public and private universities. These scores are the average accepted score for each institution. The first table is 100 public universities while the second table is 100 private universities.

Take me to the public university SAT scores.

Take me to the private university SAT scores.

Find Your SAT Goal Score

Finding what your SAT goal score is important for students to figure out. Finding what your goal score should be will help keep you motivated and give you something to work towards. 

(click on image to enlarge)

Step 1: Determine Which Schools You Want to Apply To

This should be the first step in determining your SAT goal score. Every school will have different SAT score requirements, so it is important to figure out which schools you want to apply to. 

You should choose a variety of schools. Your list should include safety, target, and reach schools. Safety schools are schools you know you can get into. Target schools are schools that you should be able to get into. Reach schools are schools that will be a reach to get into. 

Step 2: Find SAT Scores for the Schools You are Applying To

Once you have your list of schools, find SAT scores for applicants who applied and got into those schools. Luckily for you, we have listed scores for 100 public and 100 private colleges and universities below. 

Find those scores and write them down next to each school you are applying to. 

Step 3: Determine Your Goal Score

This step will be determined by your personality and your thought process, but it is best to aim for a lofty goal. 

Look at the 75th percentile scores for the most competitive school on your list. That should be your goal. If you hit this score, you should be golden for admission to the other schools on your list. If you miss by a couple of points, you should still be good for the other schools on your list.

Improving Your SAT Score

If you are looking for various ways to increase your SAT score, check out some of the tips listed below. One surefire way to increase your score is by utilizing a SAT prep course. Our team reviewed the best SAT prep courses. Use those reviews to find the best course for you. 

BECOME FAMILIAR WITH THE SAT

In other words, practice, practice, practice! Become comfortable with the types of questions they are going to ask as well as completing as many questions as you can under the time restraint. There are many resources, including test prep classes, and tutors, that can help you improve your score, so take advantage of them!

Use our free SAT practice questions to become more familiar with the SAT.

RE-TAKE THE TEST

You have as many chances to take and re-take the test as you want. Many students gradually increase their score as the number of attempts increase and as they become more used to the test. If you don’t have the time to re-take the test and your score puts you at risk for acceptance into your top university, consider adding several “safety” schools.

YOU CAN SUPER-SCORE YOU SCORE

Many universities will consider superscoring all your SAT’s which essentially means picking and choosing the highest scores from various attempts at the SAT. So, if your second attempt had your highest math score and your first attempt had your highest reading/writing score, you can combine them. All the more reason why taking the test multiple times is beneficial.

USE YOUR TIME TO THE BEST OF YOUR ABILITY

There will be trick questions and there will be questions you have absolutely no clue what the answer is. The great thing about the SAT? Wrong answers do not count against you! If you don’t know the answer, make an educated guess and move on. It does not serve in your best interest to waste 10 minutes on a question and then not be able to answer all the other questions in that section.

One great way to use your time better is to enroll in a SAT prep course. We reviewed the best SAT prep courses to help our users find the best fit for them.

GO INTO THE TEST FULLY PREPARED AND WELL-RESTED

You are given short breaks in between sections- utilize them! Bring a snack, quickly decompress, and then get ready to dive back in. When you are well-rested and feel great before going into the exam, chances are that you will score better. This applies to your mentality too. If you go in unsure of yourself with poor confidence, chances are you will doubt yourself and score lower.

SAT Scores of 100 public universities

Source: National Center for Eduction Statistics 

SAT scores of 100 private universities

Source: National Center for Education Statistics

Note: All universities, both public and private were selected based on enrollment numbers and acceptance numbers.