What Is a Good SAT Score? (2026)
Updated: 15th October, 2026
TL;DR
A good SAT score is one that fits the colleges on your list. The national average for the class of 2025 is 1029, so scores above it beat the typical test taker. Many state universities admit students in the 1100 to 1300 range, while the most selective colleges admit classes that mostly score 1500 or higher. Check each college's middle 50 percent range and aim near the top. If you want to stand out beyond test scores, look at the Lumiere Research Scholar Program. It pairs you 1:1 with a research mentor for a 12-week independent research paper.
What is a good SAT score?
A good SAT score is one that fits the colleges you want to attend. The SAT is scored from 400 to 1600, and the national average is 1029, so any score above that beats the typical test taker. Reading and Writing and Math are each scored from 200 to 800, and the two add up to your total (College Board, as of October 2026).
A score that's strong for a state university may fall short at MIT, so your target changes with the school. Use the sections below to see where you stand, then check the middle 50 percent range of each college on your list.
What is the average SAT score?
The national average SAT score for the class of 2025 is 1029. It comes from section means of 521 for Reading and Writing and 508 for Math (as of October 2026, College Board). A score near 1029 means you did about as well as the typical test taker. The average still sits below the class of 2019. That group scored 531 and 528 on the two sections before the pandemic. Averages also shift by state. Some states test nearly every student. Others test mostly college-bound teens.
What is a good SAT score by percentile?
Percentiles show how your score compares to everyone else. They are the clearest way to judge a score. A 1050 lands near the 55th percentile. A 1200 reaches the 75th. A 1350 hits the 89th, based on College Board user percentiles (as of October 2026, College Board). A 1400 puts you in the top 7 percent of test takers, and a 1500 puts you in the top 3 percent. The jump from 1400 to 1500 is small in points but large in rank.
Total score | College Board user percentile |
1000 | 47th |
1050 | 55th |
1100 | 62nd |
1200 | 75th |
1300 | 85th |
1350 | 89th |
1400 | 93rd |
1450 | 95th |
1500 | 97th |
1550 | 99th |
These percentiles compare you with students who actually take the SAT. College Board also reports percentiles for all U.S. 11th and 12th graders, and your rank looks higher there. A 1200 is the 81st percentile on that scale.
Is 1200 a good SAT score?
Yes, a 1200 is a good score for many colleges. It sits at the 75th percentile, far above the 1029 average. Here is how the common score bands compare.
1000: This is the 47th percentile, just below the national average. It's enough for many open-admission and less selective colleges.
1200: This is the 75th percentile. It's a solid score for many state universities, but below the middle range at schools like Georgia Tech.
1300: This is the 85th percentile. You're in the top 15 percent of test takers.
1400: This is the 93rd percentile. At Georgia Tech, 1370 was the 25th percentile of enrolled students in fall 2025, so a 1400 falls inside that range.
1500 and up: This is the 97th percentile or higher. It puts you close to the range of MIT's admitted class.
What SAT score do top colleges expect?
Top colleges publish a middle 50 percent range, and your target is the upper half of it. That range covers the scores of the middle half of admitted or enrolled students. The table shows two examples, so you can see how much the target changes from school to school.
College | Middle 50% SAT range | Group measured | Source |
MIT | Math 780 to 800 and Reading and Writing 740 to 780 (about 1520 to 1580 combined) | Admitted class of 2029 | |
Georgia Tech | 1370 to 1530 | Enrolled first-year students, fall 2025 |
Aim for the 75th percentile of your target school, not the 25th. Scores are one part of selectivity. A school can have a wide score range and still admit only a small share of applicants, as you can see in this guide to NYU's acceptance rate.
What is a good SAT score for the Ivy League?
At the most selective colleges, a good score tends to start around 1500. MIT's admitted class of 2029 is one example, and a 1500 is the 97th percentile (as of October 2026, College Board). A score below that range doesn't shut you out, because these schools read the whole application. Harvard and Yale both require SAT or ACT scores, so you do need one on file. A high score helps. It rarely decides an admission on its own. If you're also looking at smaller liberal arts colleges, read this guide to the Little Ivies.
Should you retake the SAT?
Retake the SAT if your score sits below the middle 50 percent range of your top colleges and you have time to prepare. Compare your score with each school's range first. If you're only a few points short, a retake may not change your odds. If you're 100 points or more below, a retake with new prep can make a real difference.
Check each college's score policy before you test again. Yale allows superscoring, which means it can combine your best section scores across test dates. Timing matters too. Yale generally considers October or November tests for Single-Choice Early Action and January or February tests for Regular Decision (Yale Admissions, as of October 2026). Pick a test date that fits the deadline for your earliest application.
How can you raise your SAT score?
You raise an SAT score with focused practice on the questions you miss.
Take a full official practice test. It shows your weak spots before you start studying.
Review every wrong answer. Keep going until you see the pattern behind your mistakes.
Practice in short, steady blocks. Two to three months of steady work beats cramming the week before.
Use free prep material. Start with these free SAT prep courses and official practice tests.
Do colleges still require the SAT?
It depends on the college, and several top schools require SAT or ACT scores. Policies change by admissions cycle, so check each college's site before you apply. Here are four examples as of October 2026.
College | Test policy | Source |
Harvard | Requires SAT or ACT scores. Other exams count only in exceptional cases where the SAT and ACT aren't accessible. | |
Yale | Requires SAT or ACT scores and allows superscoring. | |
UT Austin | Requires at least one official SAT or ACT score. | |
Georgia Tech | Requires SAT or ACT scores for students applying for fall 2027. |
At a test-optional college, send your score when it falls at or above the school's middle 50 percent range. If it falls well below, apply without it and lean on your grades, essays and projects.
What else strengthens your application besides a good SAT score?
A good SAT score clears a bar, but it rarely wins a spot by itself. Selective colleges see thousands of high scores. They look for what you did beyond the test. Strong grades and sharp essays matter. So does a record of depth in something you care about.
Start with extracurricular activities that show commitment over time. Then look at how to start research in high school, and browse the best research opportunities for high school students.
Frequently asked questions: what is a good SAT score
Is 1400 a good SAT score?
Yes, a 1400 is a strong score. It's the 93rd percentile of test takers (as of October 2026, College Board). It falls inside the middle 50 percent range at Georgia Tech, which was 1370 to 1530 for fall 2025. For the most selective colleges, you may want to aim higher.
Is 1300 a good SAT score?
Yes, a 1300 is a good score. It's the 85th percentile, so you beat about 85 percent of test takers (as of October 2026, College Board). It's well above the 1029 national average. It's still below the 25th percentile at colleges like Georgia Tech, so check your target schools' ranges.
Is 1000 a good SAT score?
A 1000 is about average, not strong. It sits near the 47th percentile, just below the national average of 1029 (as of October 2026, College Board). It's enough for many open-admission and less selective colleges. For more competitive colleges, aim for the 1100 to 1300 range.
Is 1500 a good SAT score?
Yes, a 1500 is an excellent score. It reaches the 97th percentile of test takers (as of October 2026, College Board). It puts you close to the range of the most selective colleges. At that level, a few extra points matter less than the rest of your application.
What is the highest SAT score?
The highest SAT score is 1600. That's the top of the 400 to 1600 scale, made up of two section scores that each top out at 800 (College Board, as of October 2026). Very few students earn it, and you don't need it for any college. A score in the top few percent is plenty for even the most selective schools.
Do colleges superscore the SAT?
Some do, but it depends on the college. Superscoring means a school takes your best Reading and Writing score and your best Math score from different test dates. For example, a 650 and a 700 add up to a 1350. Yale allows superscoring, but you should check the policy of every college on your list.
Worried a good SAT score won't be enough to set you apart? Look at the Lumiere Research Scholar Program. It pairs you one-on-one with a researcher from a top university to write an independent research paper over 12 weeks. Apply here. If cost is a barrier, also look at the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation, a non-profit research program for talented, low-income students.
Stephen Turban is the co-founder of Lumiere Education and a graduate of Harvard College, where he earned an A.B. in Statistics before beginning a PhD at Harvard Business School. A former McKinsey & Company consultant and former researcher, his research has been covered by the Harvard Business Review, The Economist, BBC News, Freakonomics Radio, and the Washington Post. In his articles for Forbes, he writes on what students and professionals can learn from high school research, high school passion projects, critical thinking, and mentorship. At Lumiere, he leads a selective research program where students work one-on-one with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper. Connect with him on LinkedIn.