What Is a Good SAT Score? 2026 Percentiles and Targets

By Muhammad Afzaal Afzal, updated October 2026, 3 minute read

Quick answer

About 1200 or higher is a good SAT score: it beats about 3 out of 4 SAT takers. 1360 and up puts you in the top 10%, and the most selective colleges look for 1500 or more.

Check your practice score

Four module scores give your estimated total and percentile.

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Good SAT scores at a glance

Above average: 1020 and up, better than half of SAT takers.
Good: 1200 and up, the top quarter of test takers (81st percentile of all US students).
Very good: 1360 and up, the top 10% of test takers, competitive at many selective universities.
Excellent: 1500 and up, the top 3% (97th percentile), in range for the most selective colleges.

A good SAT score is one that puts you in or above the middle range of the colleges you want, and the clearest way to judge it is the percentile. Got a practice score? Estimate your SAT score and percentile with the calculator, then come back to this page to see what it means.

Is your score good? Check your exact SAT score

Choose the total closest to yours. Each page answers "is it a good SAT score" for that one number, with both percentiles, the ACT match and the right answers the next step takes on a practice test.

Every score from 900 to 1600

SAT scores explained: range, average and percentiles

The SAT runs from 400 to 1600, with each section scored from 200 to 800 in steps of 10. The average SAT taker scores about 1020, and the average across all US juniors and seniors (including those who never test) is about 1010. The table turns any total into the share of students at or below it; the highest possible score, 1600, sits in the 99+ percentile of both groups, so very few students reach it.

SAT score chart: total score percentiles
Total score	All US students	SAT takers
1600	99+	99+
1500	99	97
1400	97	93
1300	91	85
1200	81	75
1100	67	62
1000	48	47
900	29	32
800	14	17

Source: College Board Research, SAT Nationally Representative and User Percentiles, checked Oct 17, 2026. A percentile is the share of students at or below that score.

Recommended SAT score: how to set a reachable target

List the colleges you are serious about and note the 25th and 75th percentile SAT scores from each one's Common Data Set. Your recommended SAT score is the 75th percentile of the school in the middle of that list. Then take one full Bluebook practice test, score it with the SAT calculator and look at the "next correct" column: it tells you which section gives the most points per extra right answer.

Many colleges superscore (they combine your best section scores across test dates), so a second test aimed at your weaker section is often the fastest way up. If your ACT practice score is stronger, compare the two with the ACT calculator, which shows the official SAT equivalent.

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Questions and answers

What is the average SAT score?

The middle SAT taker scores about 1020: on the College Board's user percentiles a 1020 sits at the 50th percentile. Across all US juniors and seniors (the nationally representative sample) the middle is about 1010.

What is the SAT score range?

Each of the two sections, Reading and Writing and Math, is scored from 200 to 800, so the total runs from 400 to 1600 in steps of 10. Your score report also gives a range of about 30 to 40 points either side, because no single test measures you exactly.

How do I check my exact SAT score?

Pick it in the "Is your score good?" list on this page. Every total from 900 to 1600 has its own page with both College Board percentiles, the ACT score it matches and what the next 50 points take. This guide keeps the big picture: the middle SAT taker scores about 1020.

What is the highest (perfect) SAT score?

A perfect SAT score is 1600: 800 in each section. Scores of 1550 and up are already in the top 1% of SAT takers, so most colleges treat everything from about 1500 as equally strong and look at the rest of the application.

What SAT score do I need for my college?

Look up the college's middle 50% SAT range in its Common Data Set (section C9) or on its admissions page. Scoring at or above the 75th percentile of that range makes the score a strength; at the 25th percentile it is still in range but not an advantage.

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