What Is a Good SAT Score? Official Percentiles, Averages & Targets (2026)
A "good" SAT score depends on where you want to go, but the numbers behind it are fixed. Here are College Board’s official percentiles, the average score, the benchmarks for college readiness, and realistic targets for scholarships and selective colleges.
The average SAT score for the class of 2025 was 1029 (521 Reading and Writing, 508 Math). Using College Board’s official percentiles, a 1050 is about average (55th percentile), 1200 is good (75th), 1350 is very good (89th — roughly the top 10%) and 1450+ is excellent (95th+). A truly “good” score is one at or above the middle 50% range of the colleges and scholarships you are aiming for.
SAT percentiles: where does your score rank?
These are College Board’s user group percentiles — the share of recent SAT takers who scored at or below each total:
| SAT total score | Percentile | What it usually means |
|---|---|---|
| 1600 | 99+ | Perfect score |
| 1550 | 99 | Exceptional |
| 1500 | 97 | Competitive for the most selective universities |
| 1450 | 95 | Excellent |
| 1400 | 93 | Excellent — strong for selective colleges |
| 1350 | 89 | Very good — about the top 10% |
| 1300 | 85 | Very good |
| 1250 | 80 | Good |
| 1200 | 75 | Good — better than three in four test takers |
| 1150 | 69 | Above average |
| 1100 | 62 | Above average |
| 1050 | 55 | About average |
| 1000 | 47 | About average |
| 950 | 39 | Below average |
| 900 | 32 | Below average |
| 800 | 17 | Well below average |
Average SAT score: 1029 for the class of 2025 — about 2 million students took the SAT that year.
Section score percentiles
| Section score | Reading and Writing | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 750 | 98 | 95 |
| 700 | 92 | 91 |
| 650 | 84 | 84 |
| 600 | 72 | 75 |
| 550 | 59 | 64 |
| 500 | 43 | 50 |
| 450 | 29 | 37 |
The college readiness benchmarks are 480 in Reading and Writing and 530 in Math. Students who meet both have about a 75% chance of earning at least a C in first-semester college courses in those subjects.
What is a good SAT score for your goal?
| Your goal | Target SAT score |
|---|---|
| Meet college readiness benchmarks | 480 RW + 530 Math (about 1010) |
| Most public four-year colleges | 1050–1250 |
| Merit scholarships at many universities | 1200–1400 |
| Florida Bright Futures (class of 2027) | 1190 Medallion · 1330 Academic Scholars |
| Georgia Zell Miller Scholarship | 1200 from one test date |
| Highly selective colleges | 1400–1550 |
The most reliable target is the middle 50% SAT range of your chosen colleges, which they publish on their admissions pages and in their Common Data Set. A score at or above the 75th-percentile number of that range makes your test a strength; one below the 25th-percentile number means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. See the full requirements in our Bright Futures and HOPE and Zell Miller guides.
Is 1200 a good SAT score? Quick answers
- Is 1100 a good SAT score? It is above average (62nd percentile) and meets the requirements of many public universities.
- Is 1200 a good SAT score? Yes — it beats 75% of test takers and qualifies for some state scholarships, such as Georgia’s Zell Miller (from one sitting).
- Is 1300 a good SAT score? Yes — 85th percentile, competitive for many selective universities and merit aid.
- Is 1400 a good SAT score? Yes — 93rd percentile, strong for most selective colleges.
- Is 1500 a good SAT score? Yes — 97th percentile, competitive at the most selective universities.
How to raise your SAT score
- Take an official full-length practice test in Bluebook and estimate your result with the SAT score calculator.
- Find the section with the most room to grow. Moving Math from 550 to 650 jumps you from the 64th to the 84th percentile in that section.
- Review every mistake by question type — the digital SAT tests a limited set of skills repeatedly.
- Retake strategically. Many colleges superscore, combining your best section scores across dates.
- Compare with the ACT. Some students score noticeably higher on one test — check with the ACT score calculator.
Juniors who just received PSAT results can use them as a baseline — see what a good PSAT score is. And because grades usually matter even more than tests, keep an eye on your high school GPA.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good SAT score?
A 1200 is good (75th percentile), 1350 is very good (89th, about the top 10%) and 1450+ is excellent (95th+). The best target is at or above the middle 50% range of the colleges you want.
What is the average SAT score?
The average total score for the class of 2025 was 1029, with 521 in Reading and Writing and 508 in Math.
Is 1200 a good SAT score?
Yes. A 1200 beats about 75% of SAT takers, meets the requirements of many universities and qualifies for some state scholarships such as Georgia’s Zell Miller (from a single test date).
What SAT score is top 10%?
About 1350. College Board says a score of 1350 or higher puts you in roughly the top 10% of test takers.
What is a good SAT score for scholarships?
Many merit scholarships start around 1200–1400. Florida’s Bright Futures requires 1190 (Medallion) or 1330 (Academic Scholars) for the class of 2027.
Sources and methodology
Percentiles are College Board user group percentiles based on students who tested in the past three school years. Averages are from the 2025 Total Group report. Scholarship cut-offs are from our sourced Bright Futures and HOPE guides. Data checked November 3, 2026.
- College Board Research — SAT user percentiles
- College Board — 2025 Total Group SAT Suite of Assessments Annual Report
- College Board — SAT Suite benchmarks
- College Board — What is a good SAT score?
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