Is 1170 a Good SAT Score?
An 1170 SAT score is at the 71st percentile of SAT takers and the 77th of all US juniors and seniors: above the middle, 150 points past the middle SAT taker at 1020, and 30 points short of the top quarter at 1200.
- SAT takers
- 71st
- percentile, 71 in 100 at or below
- All US juniors and seniors
- 77th
- percentile, tested or not
- ACT match
- 24
- 1160 to 1190 on the concordance
- Points to 1200
- +30
- about 2 more right answers
What a 1170 SAT score means
A 1170 beats the median SAT taker (1020) by 150 points and lands 30 points under the 1200 line where the top quarter begins. Among all US juniors and seniors it reads higher still, at the 77th percentile.
Split evenly, a 1170 is about 580 in Reading and Writing and 590 in Math, which on the paper Practice Test 11 table leaves room to miss 18 of 66 and 15 of 54 questions. One step down, an 1160 is at the 70th percentile of SAT takers; one step up, an 1180 is at the 72nd percentile.
| Reading and Writing | Math | Right answers | Misses |
|---|---|---|---|
| 580 | 590 | 48 + 39 = 87 | 33 |
| 680 | 490 | 56 + 30 = 86 | 34 |
| 480 | 690 | 38 + 47 = 85 | 35 |
How 1170 compares with other SAT scores
The College Board publishes two percentiles for every total. Against recent SAT takers a 1170 is at the 71st percentile; against a research sample of all US 11th and 12th graders it is at the 77th percentile. The middle of that wider group is 1010, 160 points under your 1170.
| Score | What it marks | SAT takers | All US students | Points from 1170 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1010 | Middle of all US juniors and seniors | 48% | 50% | -160 |
| 1020 | Middle SAT taker | 50% | 52% | -150 |
| 1170 (you) | Your score | 71% | 77% | |
| 1200 | Top quarter of SAT takers starts | 75% | 81% | +30 |
| 1360 | Top 10 percent of SAT takers starts | 90% | 95% | +190 |
| 1500 | Top 3 percent of SAT takers | 97% | 99% | +330 |
| 1600 | Perfect score | 99+ | 99+ | +430 |
Percentiles: College Board Research, SAT Nationally Representative and User Percentiles, checked Oct 17, 2026.
On the official ACT and College Board concordance, 1170 falls in the 1160 to 1190 band, which matches an ACT composite of 24. See that row on the ACT to SAT conversion chart or see whether 24 is a good ACT score.
What it takes to go from 1170 to 1200
On the College Board's paper version of Practice Test 11, an even 580 and 590 takes 48 of 66 Reading and Writing answers and 39 of 54 Math answers, 87 of 120 in all. Moving to 1200 takes about 2 more right answers and passes roughly 4 in 100 SAT takers. Spread any way you like, the table allows at most 42 misses for 1170 and 38 for 1200.
| Target | Why it matters | Reading and Writing + Math | Right answers | More than 1170 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1170 (you) | Where you are | 48 + 39 | 87 | |
| 1200 | the top quarter of SAT takers | 49 + 40 | 89 | +2 |
| 1220 | 50 points up | 50 + 41 | 91 | +4 |
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 1170 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. An 1170 clears the 25th percentile wherever C9 starts at 1170 or lower, beats the middle student where the 50th is under 1170 and reaches the top quarter where the 75th is 1170 or lower. At a test optional college, send your 1170 where the 50th percentile is 1170 or lower and leave it off where the 25th is above 1170.
Some colleges post SAT minimums for merit scholarships on their own aid pages; check whether 1170 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 1170 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 1170 a good SAT score?
An 1170 SAT score is at the 71st percentile of SAT takers and the 77th of all US juniors and seniors: above the middle, 150 points past the middle SAT taker at 1020, and 30 points short of the top quarter at 1200. Whether it is good for you depends on the colleges on your list.
What percentile is an 1170 SAT score?
The 71st percentile of SAT takers and the 77th of all US juniors and seniors, on the College Board's current tables. An 1160 reads 70th and 76th. An 1180 reads 72nd and 78th.
What ACT score is an 1170 SAT?
About 24. The official 2018 ACT and College Board concordance puts SAT totals from 1160 to 1190 next to an ACT composite of 24. It compares the two scales; it does not predict what you would score on the ACT.
How many more questions does an 1170 need for 1200?
About 2 on the paper version of Practice Test 11, where an even split for 1170 takes 87 right answers of 120 and 1200 takes 89. 1220 (50 points up) takes 91. Real test forms are adaptive, so the count on test day can differ by a few questions.
Is an 1170 good enough for college?
Nationally it is at the 71st percentile of SAT takers, 150 points above the middle; each college has its own range, though. Compare 1170 with the 25th and 75th percentile SAT scores in section C9 of each college's Common Data Set.
Should I retake the SAT with an 1170?
Only if 1170 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 1170, 1220 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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