Is 1050 a Good SAT Score?
A 1050 SAT score is at the 55th percentile of SAT takers and the 58th of all US juniors and seniors: above the middle, 30 points past the middle SAT taker at 1020, and 150 points short of the top quarter at 1200.
- SAT takers
- 55th
- percentile, 55 in 100 at or below
- All US juniors and seniors
- 58th
- percentile, tested or not
- ACT match
- 20
- 1030 to 1050 on the concordance
- Points to 1100
- +50
- about 5 more right answers
What a 1050 SAT score means
A 1050 beats the median SAT taker (1020) by 30 points and lands 150 points under the 1200 line where the top quarter begins. Among all US juniors and seniors it reads higher still, at the 58th percentile.
Split evenly, a 1050 is about 520 in Reading and Writing and 530 in Math, which on the paper Practice Test 11 table leaves room to miss 24 of 66 and 20 of 54 questions. One step down, a 1040 is at the 53rd percentile of SAT takers; one step up, a 1060 is at the 56th percentile.
| Reading and Writing | Math | Right answers | Misses |
|---|---|---|---|
| 520 | 530 | 42 + 34 = 76 | 44 |
| 620 | 430 | 51 + 23 = 74 | 46 |
| 420 | 630 | 31 + 42 = 73 | 47 |
How 1050 compares with other SAT scores
The College Board publishes two percentiles for every total. Against recent SAT takers a 1050 is at the 55th percentile; against a research sample of all US 11th and 12th graders it is at the 58th percentile. The middle of that wider group is 1010, 40 points under your 1050.
| Score | What it marks | SAT takers | All US students | Points from 1050 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1010 | Middle of all US juniors and seniors | 48% | 50% | -40 |
| 1020 | Middle SAT taker | 50% | 52% | -30 |
| 1050 (you) | Your score | 55% | 58% | |
| 1200 | Top quarter of SAT takers starts | 75% | 81% | +150 |
| 1360 | Top 10 percent of SAT takers starts | 90% | 95% | +310 |
| 1500 | Top 3 percent of SAT takers | 97% | 99% | +450 |
| 1600 | Perfect score | 99+ | 99+ | +550 |
Percentiles: College Board Research, SAT Nationally Representative and User Percentiles, checked Oct 17, 2026.
On the official ACT and College Board concordance, 1050 falls in the 1030 to 1050 band, which matches an ACT composite of 20. See that row on the ACT to SAT conversion chart or see whether 20 is a good ACT score.
What it takes to go from 1050 to 1100
On the College Board's paper version of Practice Test 11, an even 520 and 530 takes 42 of 66 Reading and Writing answers and 34 of 54 Math answers, 76 of 120 in all. Moving to 1100 takes about 5 more right answers and passes roughly 7 in 100 SAT takers. Spread any way you like, the table allows at most 57 misses for 1050 and 51 for 1100.
| Target | Why it matters | Reading and Writing + Math | Right answers | More than 1050 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1050 (you) | Where you are | 42 + 34 | 76 | |
| 1100 | 50 points up | 45 + 36 | 81 | +5 |
| 1200 | the top quarter of SAT takers | 49 + 40 | 89 | +13 |
Table: College Board, Scoring Your SAT Practice Test 11 (paper version of the digital test), 2026, checked Oct 17, 2026. The real SAT is adaptive and has no published raw to scaled table, so read these counts as a practice guide, not a promise.
Score a full Bluebook practice test with the SAT score calculator to see which section gives you more points per extra right answer, then aim your next test date at that section; many colleges superscore.
Is 1050 enough for your colleges?
That depends on the college, so we list no admission ranges. To check one, search its name plus "Common Data Set" and open section C9: the 25th, 50th and 75th percentile SAT scores of enrolled first-year students. A 1050 clears the 25th percentile wherever C9 starts at 1050 or lower, beats the middle student where the 50th is under 1050 and reaches the top quarter where the 75th is 1050 or lower. At a test optional college, send your 1050 where the 50th percentile is 1050 or lower and leave it off where the 25th is above 1050.
Some colleges post SAT minimums for merit scholarships on their own aid pages; check whether 1050 clears them, because a retake that does can pay off even where scores are optional. National Merit uses the PSAT/NMSQT, not the SAT: see what a good PSAT score is.
Where the 1050 numbers come from
Percentiles: College Board Research, SAT Nationally Representative and User Percentiles (2026), checked Oct 17, 2026. ACT match: ACT and College Board, 2018 ACT/SAT Concordance Tables, checked Oct 17, 2026. Right answer counts: College Board, Scoring Your SAT Practice Test 11 (paper version of the digital test), 2026, checked Oct 17, 2026.
The guide to a good SAT score reads the same files. Official scores come only from the College Board.
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Is 1050 a good SAT score?
A 1050 SAT score is at the 55th percentile of SAT takers and the 58th of all US juniors and seniors: above the middle, 30 points past the middle SAT taker at 1020, and 150 points short of the top quarter at 1200. Whether it is good for you depends on the colleges on your list.
What percentile is a 1050 SAT score?
The 55th percentile of SAT takers and the 58th of all US juniors and seniors, on the College Board's current tables. A 1040 reads 53rd and 56th. A 1060 reads 56th and 60th.
What ACT score is a 1050 SAT?
About 20. The official 2018 ACT and College Board concordance puts SAT totals from 1030 to 1050 next to an ACT composite of 20. It compares the two scales; it does not predict what you would score on the ACT.
How many more questions does a 1050 need for 1100?
About 5 on the paper version of Practice Test 11, where an even split for 1050 takes 76 right answers of 120 and 1100 takes 81. 1200 (the top quarter of SAT takers) takes 89. Real test forms are adaptive, so the count on test day can differ by a few questions.
Is a 1050 good enough for college?
Nationally it is at the 55th percentile of SAT takers, 30 points above the middle; each college has its own range, though. Compare 1050 with the 25th and 75th percentile SAT scores in section C9 of each college's Common Data Set.
Should I retake the SAT with a 1050?
Only if 1050 sits under the middle (50th percentile) SAT score in section C9 of the Common Data Set at colleges you want, or under a merit scholarship line you can see on their aid pages. From 1050, 1100 is about 5 more right answers on Practice Test 11; many colleges superscore, so a second date aimed at your weaker section is the cheapest gain.
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