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What is a good SAT score?

There's no single magic number. A good SAT score is the one that opens the doors you're aiming at — so the honest answer depends on your target colleges, then on how you compare nationally.

A "good" SAT score is really defined by your target colleges — it's one that lands at or above the middle of their admitted students' range. For context, the national average is about 1030. Broadly: 1200+ is above average (~75th percentile), 1350+ is strong (~90th), and 1500+ is competitive at the most selective schools. The honest benchmark is your own target, not a single number.

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good SAT score: Turn this planning or scoring concept into a clear physical or editorial visual metaphor rather than a generic dashboard
≈ 1030National average total in recent reporting, give or take.
1200+Above average — around the 75th percentile.
1400+Roughly the top 7% of test takers (~97th percentile).
Your targetThe only benchmark that truly matters for you.
Three ways to read your score

"Good" is relative, comparative and a moving target

The same number can be excellent for one student and just a starting point for another. Three lenses make sense of it — and together they turn a vague question into a concrete goal.

Relative

"Good" depends on where you're applying.

Compare your score to each college's published middle-50% range — the band where the middle half of admitted students landed. Above the top of that band you're a strong applicant; below it, you may be reaching. These ranges are approximate and shift year to year, so confirm them on each school's site.

Percentile

A percentile shows how you compare nationally.

Your percentile is the share of test takers you scored at or above. A score around 1010–1030 sits near the 50th percentile, 1200 is around the 75th, and 1400 is near the 97th. Percentiles are nationally representative estimates, not exact cutoffs.

Policy shift

A strong score matters more again.

More selective colleges now require SAT scores again, rather than the test-optional policies common in recent years. That makes a score at or above your target schools' range more valuable than it was during the test-optional period — and worth preparing deliberately for.

Find out where you stand today.

A short set of real-format questions gives you a practice estimate — a starting point you can measure against your target, not an official prediction.

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How to set your number

Work backward from your colleges

Skip the search for a universal "good" score and build your own target instead. List the schools you're considering, look up each one's published middle-50% SAT range, and aim for the top of the highest band on your list. That single target turns an abstract question into a clear, personal goal — and gives every practice session something concrete to push toward. Treat the published ranges as approximate; confirm the current numbers on each college's own admissions page.

Score tiers at a glance

  • 1500–1600 — competitive at the most selective colleges (~99th percentile).
  • 1400–1490 — strong for selective schools (~94th–97th percentile).
  • 1200–1390 — above average, solid at many universities.
  • 1050–1190 — around or just above the national average.
  • Below ~1050 — room to grow; a clear target helps you close the gap.
Score bands

What counts as a good SAT score?

A good score depends on the colleges you are targeting, but these bands make the planning range easier to scan.

SAT totalPlanning readUse it this way
1200Solid above-average scoreUseful for many schools, but not enough for the most selective lists.
1300Strong general targetA reasonable goal for many competitive applicants.
1400Very strongStarts to fit selective-admissions planning.
1500+Elite rangeAppropriate for highly selective colleges.
FAQ

Good SAT score questions

What is a good SAT score?
One at or above the average of the colleges you're applying to; nationally, above about 1030 is above average.
Is 1200 a good SAT score?
Yes — it's above the national average, around the 75th percentile, and competitive at many universities.
Is 1300 a good SAT score?
Yes — roughly the 87th to 90th percentile, strong for a wide range of selective schools.
What SAT score do I need for top colleges?
The most selective schools typically admit students in the 1500–1570 range; check each college's published middle-50%. See where scores fall on the chart →
Is 1030 a good score?
It's about average — fine for many colleges, but set a target above it if you're aiming at selective schools.
By school

What's a good SAT score for…

Approximate middle-50% ranges for popular colleges — always confirm on each school's official admissions site, as ranges and testing policies change every cycle.

Harvard≈ 1500–1580→ MIT≈ 1530–1580→ Stanford≈ 1470–1570→ Yale≈ 1500–1580→ Princeton≈ 1500–1580→ Columbia≈ 1500–1570→ UPenn≈ 1500–1570→ Cornell≈ 1470–1560→ Brown≈ 1500–1570→ Duke≈ 1490–1570→ U-Michigan≈ 1350–1530→ NYU≈ 1450–1570→ UChicago≈ 1510–1570→ Caltech≈ 1530–1580→ Georgetown≈ 1390–1530→ Vanderbilt≈ 1500–1560→ Notre Dame≈ 1400–1550→ Northwestern≈ 1500–1560→
Related

Put your score in context.

Average SAT ScoreWhat the typical score looks like. SAT Score ChartScores mapped to percentiles. Scoring & the 1600How the 400–1600 score is built. SAT vs ACTWhich test fits you.

Set a target. Then close the gap to it.

Start free, answer a few real-format questions, and get a practice estimate you can measure against your goal.

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What counts as a good score, by schoolScore targetsBrowse by state →309
Adelphi University Alabama A & M University American University Angelo State University Appalachian State University Arkansas State University Arkansas Tech University Auburn University Augusta University Austin Peay State University Ball State University Baylor University Belmont University Binghamton University Boston College Boston University Bowling Green State University Bridgewater State University Brigham Young University Brigham Young University-Idaho Brown Caltech Case Western Reserve University Central Connecticut State University Central Michigan University Chapman University Clemson University Coastal Carolina University College of Charleston College of Staten Island CUNY Colorado Mesa University Colorado School of Mines Columbia Columbus State University Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania Cornell CUNY Bernard M Baruch College CUNY Brooklyn College CUNY City College CUNY Hunter College CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice CUNY Lehman College CUNY New York City College of Technology CUNY Queens College DePaul University DeVry University-Illinois Drexel University Duke Duquesne University East Carolina University East Tennessee State University East Texas A&M University Eastern Kentucky University Eastern Michigan University Elon University Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Worldwide Emory Fairfield University Farmingdale State College Fayetteville State University Ferris State University Florida Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University Florida Atlantic University Florida Gulf Coast University Florida International University Florida State University Fordham University Fort Hays State University George Mason University George Washington University Georgetown Georgia College & State University Georgia Southern University Georgia State University Georgia State University-Perimeter College Gonzaga University Grand Canyon University Grand Valley State University Harvard High Point University Hofstra University Howard University Illinois State University Indiana University-Bloomington Indiana University-Indianapolis Indiana University of Pennsylvania Iowa State University Jacksonville State University James Madison University Kansas State University Kean University Kennesaw State University Kent State University at Kent Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Lamar University Lehigh University Long Island University Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Louisiana State University at Alexandria Louisiana Tech University Loyola Marymount University Loyola University Chicago Marist University Marquette University Marshall University McNeese State University Metropolitan State University of Denver Miami University-Oxford Michigan Michigan State University Michigan Technological University Middle Georgia State University Middle Tennessee State University Millersville University of Pennsylvania Mississippi State University Missouri State University-Springfield Missouri University of Science and Technology MIT Montana State University Montclair State University Morgan State University Murray State University New Jersey Institute of Technology New Mexico State University New York University Norfolk State University North Carolina A & T State University North Carolina State University at Raleigh Northeastern University Northern Kentucky University Northwestern Northwestern State University of Louisiana Notre Dame Nova Southeastern University NYU Oakland University Ohio State University Ohio University Oklahoma State University Old Dominion University Oregon State University Pace University Pennsylvania State University Pennsylvania State University-World Campus Pennsylvania Western University Prairie View A & M University Princeton Purdue University Purdue University Fort Wayne Purdue University Northwest Quinnipiac University Radford University Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Rhode Island College Rice Rochester Institute of Technology Rowan University Rutgers University-New Brunswick Saginaw Valley State University Salisbury University Sam Houston State University Santa Clara University Savannah College of Art and Design Seton Hall University Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania South Dakota State University Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Southern Methodist University Southern University and A & M College Saint Cloud State University St. John's University-New York Saint Louis University Stanford State University of New York at New Paltz State University of New York at Oswego Stephen F Austin State University Stockton University Stony Brook University SUNY Brockport SUNY Buffalo State University Syracuse University Tarleton State University Tennessee Technological University Texas A & M International University Texas A&M University-College Station Texas A & M University-Corpus Christi Texas A&M University-San Antonio Texas Christian University Texas Southern University Texas State University Texas Tech University The College of New Jersey The University of Alabama The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga The University of Tennessee-Knoxville The University of Texas at Arlington The University of Texas at Dallas The University of Texas at El Paso The University of Texas at San Antonio The University of Texas at Tyler The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Towson University Troy University Tufts Tulane University of Louisiana UChicago UIUC UNC–Chapel Hill University at Buffalo University of Akron Main Campus University of Alabama at Birmingham University of Alabama in Huntsville University of Arizona University of Arkansas University of Central Arkansas University of Central Florida University of Cincinnati University of Colorado Boulder University of Colorado Colorado Springs University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus University of Connecticut University of Dayton University of Delaware University of Denver University of Georgia University of Hawaii at Manoa University of Houston University of Houston-Clear Lake University of Houston-Downtown University of Idaho University of Illinois Chicago University of Iowa University of Kansas University of Kentucky University of Louisiana at Lafayette University of Louisiana at Monroe University of Louisville University of Maryland-Baltimore County University of Maryland-College Park University of Massachusetts-Amherst University of Massachusetts-Boston University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth University of Massachusetts-Lowell University of Memphis University of Miami University of Michigan-Dearborn University of Minnesota-Duluth University of Minnesota-Twin Cities University of Mississippi University of Missouri-Columbia University of Missouri-Kansas City University of Missouri-St Louis University of Nebraska-Lincoln University of Nevada-Las Vegas University of Nevada-Reno University of New Hampshire University of New Mexico University of North Carolina at Charlotte University of North Carolina at Greensboro University of North Carolina at Pembroke University of North Carolina Wilmington University of North Florida University of North Georgia University of North Texas University of Northern Colorado University of Northern Iowa University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus University of Oregon University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus University of Rhode Island University of Rochester University of San Francisco University of South Alabama University of South Carolina-Columbia University of South Dakota University of South Florida University of Southern Indiana University of St Thomas University of Toledo University of Utah University of Vermont University of West Florida University of West Georgia University of Wisconsin-Madison UPenn Utah State University UVA Valdosta State University Vanderbilt Villanova University Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Virginia State University Wake Forest University WashU Wayne State University West Chester University of Pennsylvania West Texas A & M University West Virginia University Western Carolina University Western Kentucky University Western Washington University Wichita State University William & Mary Yale Youngstown State University

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