Is 1090 a Good SAT Score?
A 1090 SAT score is at the 60th percentile of SAT takers and the 65th of all US juniors and seniors: above the middle, 70 points past the middle SAT taker at 1020, and 110 points short of the top quarter at 1200.
- SAT takers
- 60th
- percentile, 60 in 100 at or below
- All US juniors and seniors
- 65th
- percentile, tested or not
- ACT match
- 21
- 1060 to 1090 on the concordance
- Points to 1140
- +50
- about 4 more right answers
What a 1090 SAT score means
A 1090 beats the median SAT taker (1020) by 70 points and lands 110 points under the 1200 line where the top quarter begins. Among all US juniors and seniors it reads higher still, at the 65th percentile.
Split evenly, a 1090 is about 540 in Reading and Writing and 550 in Math, which on the paper Practice Test 11 table leaves room to miss 22 of 66 and 18 of 54 questions. One step down, a 1080 is at the 59th percentile of SAT takers; one step up, an 1100 is at the 62nd percentile.
| Reading and Writing | Math | Right answers | Misses |
|---|---|---|---|
| 540 | 550 | 44 + 36 = 80 | 40 |
| 640 | 450 | 53 + 26 = 79 | 41 |
| 440 | 650 | 33 + 44 = 77 | 43 |
How 1090 compares with other SAT scores
The College Board publishes two percentiles for every total. Against recent SAT takers a 1090 is at the 60th percentile; against a research sample of all US 11th and 12th graders it is at the 65th percentile. The middle of that wider group is 1010, 80 points under your 1090.
| Score | What it marks | SAT takers | All US students | Points from 1090 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1010 | Middle of all US juniors and seniors | 48% | 50% | -80 |
| 1020 | Middle SAT taker | 50% | 52% | -70 |
| 1090 (you) | Your score | 60% | 65% | |
| 1200 | Top quarter of SAT takers starts | 75% | 81% | +110 |
| 1360 | Top 10 percent of SAT takers starts | 90% | 95% | +270 |
| 1500 | Top 3 percent of SAT takers | 97% | 99% | +410 |
| 1600 | Perfect score | 99+ | 99+ | +510 |
Percentiles: College Board Research, SAT Nationally Representative and User Percentiles, checked Oct 17, 2026.
On the official ACT and College Board concordance, 1090 falls in the 1060 to 1090 band, which matches an ACT composite of 21. See that row on the ACT to SAT conversion chart or see whether 21 is a good ACT score.
What it takes to go from 1090 to 1140
On the College Board's paper version of Practice Test 11, an even 540 and 550 takes 44 of 66 Reading and Writing answers and 36 of 54 Math answers, 80 of 120 in all. Moving to 1140 takes about 4 more right answers and passes roughly 7 in 100 SAT takers. Spread any way you like, the table allows at most 52 misses for 1090 and 46 for 1140.
| Target | Why it matters | Reading and Writing + Math | Right answers | More than 1090 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1090 (you) | Where you are | 44 + 36 | 80 | |
| 1140 | 50 points up | 47 + 37 | 84 | +4 |
| 1200 | the top quarter of SAT takers | 49 + 40 | 89 | +9 |
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 1090 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 1090 clears the 25th percentile wherever C9 starts at 1090 or lower, beats the middle student where the 50th is under 1090 and reaches the top quarter where the 75th is 1090 or lower. At a test optional college, send your 1090 where the 50th percentile is 1090 or lower and leave it off where the 25th is above 1090.
Some colleges post SAT minimums for merit scholarships on their own aid pages; check whether 1090 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 1090 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 1090 a good SAT score?
A 1090 SAT score is at the 60th percentile of SAT takers and the 65th of all US juniors and seniors: above the middle, 70 points past the middle SAT taker at 1020, and 110 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 1090 SAT score?
The 60th percentile of SAT takers and the 65th of all US juniors and seniors, on the College Board's current tables. A 1080 reads 59th and 63rd. An 1100 reads 62nd and 67th.
What ACT score is a 1090 SAT?
About 21. The official 2018 ACT and College Board concordance puts SAT totals from 1060 to 1090 next to an ACT composite of 21. It compares the two scales; it does not predict what you would score on the ACT.
How many more questions does a 1090 need for 1140?
About 4 on the paper version of Practice Test 11, where an even split for 1090 takes 80 right answers of 120 and 1140 takes 84. 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 1090 good enough for college?
Nationally it is at the 60th percentile of SAT takers, 70 points above the middle; each college has its own range, though. Compare 1090 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 1090?
Only if 1090 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 1090, 1140 is about 4 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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