Is 1250 a Good SAT Score?
A 1250 SAT score is at the 80th percentile of SAT takers and the 86th of all US juniors and seniors: a good score in the top quarter of SAT takers, which starts at 1200, and 110 points below the top 10 percent at 1360.
- SAT takers
- 80th
- percentile, 80 in 100 at or below
- All US juniors and seniors
- 86th
- percentile, tested or not
- ACT match
- 26
- 1230 to 1250 on the concordance
- Points to 1300
- +50
- about 4 more right answers
What a 1250 SAT score means
A 1250 puts you in the top quarter of SAT takers, 50 points past the 1200 line and 110 points short of the top 10 percent at 1360. About 20 in 100 SAT takers score higher.
Split evenly, a 1250 is about 620 in Reading and Writing and 630 in Math, which on the paper Practice Test 11 table leaves room to miss 15 of 66 and 12 of 54 questions. One step down, a 1240 is at the 79th percentile of SAT takers; one step up, a 1260 is at the 81st percentile.
| Reading and Writing | Math | Right answers | Misses |
|---|---|---|---|
| 620 | 630 | 51 + 42 = 93 | 27 |
| 720 | 530 | 59 + 34 = 93 | 27 |
| 520 | 730 | 42 + 49 = 91 | 29 |
How 1250 compares with other SAT scores
The College Board publishes two percentiles for every total. Against recent SAT takers a 1250 is at the 80th percentile; against a research sample of all US 11th and 12th graders it is at the 86th percentile. The middle of that wider group is 1010, 240 points under your 1250.
| Score | What it marks | SAT takers | All US students | Points from 1250 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1010 | Middle of all US juniors and seniors | 48% | 50% | -240 |
| 1020 | Middle SAT taker | 50% | 52% | -230 |
| 1200 | Top quarter of SAT takers starts | 75% | 81% | -50 |
| 1250 (you) | Your score | 80% | 86% | |
| 1360 | Top 10 percent of SAT takers starts | 90% | 95% | +110 |
| 1500 | Top 3 percent of SAT takers | 97% | 99% | +250 |
| 1600 | Perfect score | 99+ | 99+ | +350 |
Percentiles: College Board Research, SAT Nationally Representative and User Percentiles, checked Oct 17, 2026.
On the official ACT and College Board concordance, 1250 falls in the 1230 to 1250 band, which matches an ACT composite of 26. See that row on the ACT to SAT conversion chart or see whether 26 is a good ACT score.
What it takes to go from 1250 to 1300
On the College Board's paper version of Practice Test 11, an even 620 and 630 takes 51 of 66 Reading and Writing answers and 42 of 54 Math answers, 93 of 120 in all. Moving to 1300 takes about 4 more right answers and passes roughly 5 in 100 SAT takers. Spread any way you like, the table allows at most 32 misses for 1250 and 26 for 1300.
| Target | Why it matters | Reading and Writing + Math | Right answers | More than 1250 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1250 (you) | Where you are | 51 + 42 | 93 | |
| 1300 | 50 points up | 53 + 44 | 97 | +4 |
| 1360 | the top 10 percent of SAT takers | 56 + 46 | 102 | +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 1250 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 1250 clears the 25th percentile wherever C9 starts at 1250 or lower, beats the middle student where the 50th is under 1250 and reaches the top quarter where the 75th is 1250 or lower. At a test optional college, send your 1250 where the 50th percentile is 1250 or lower and leave it off where the 25th is above 1250.
Some colleges post SAT minimums for merit scholarships on their own aid pages; check whether 1250 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 1250 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.
From CurveFox
Check your PSAT scoreEstimate your total out of 1520 and your Selection Index.PSAT score calculatorQuestions and answers
Is 1250 a good SAT score?
A 1250 SAT score is at the 80th percentile of SAT takers and the 86th of all US juniors and seniors: a good score in the top quarter of SAT takers, which starts at 1200, and 110 points below the top 10 percent at 1360. Whether it is good for you depends on the colleges on your list.
What percentile is a 1250 SAT score?
The 80th percentile of SAT takers and the 86th of all US juniors and seniors, on the College Board's current tables. A 1240 reads 79th and 85th. A 1260 reads 81st and 87th.
What ACT score is a 1250 SAT?
About 26. The official 2018 ACT and College Board concordance puts SAT totals from 1230 to 1250 next to an ACT composite of 26. It compares the two scales; it does not predict what you would score on the ACT.
How many more questions does a 1250 need for 1300?
About 4 on the paper version of Practice Test 11, where an even split for 1250 takes 93 right answers of 120 and 1300 takes 97. 1360 (the top 10 percent of SAT takers) takes 102. Real test forms are adaptive, so the count on test day can differ by a few questions.
Is a 1250 good enough for college?
Nationally it is at the 80th percentile of SAT takers, 230 points above the middle; each college has its own range, though. Compare 1250 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 1250?
Only if 1250 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 1250, 1300 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.
From CurveFox
Test score calculators
All calculatorsCurveFox is an independent study tool. We are not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by the College Board, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation or ACT Education Corp. AP®, Advanced Placement®, SAT® and College Board® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse, this site. PSAT/NMSQT® is a registered trademark of the College Board and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, which are not affiliated with, and do not endorse, this site. ACT® is a registered trademark of ACT Education Corp., which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse, this site. Our score estimates use publicly available information and are not official scores. Official scores come only from the College Board or ACT.