What Is a Good SAT Score?

Key Takeaways:

• A good SAT score is around 1200, with an average score of 541 on the math section and 543 on the reading and writing section.
• A higher SAT score can enhance college applications, compensate for lower grades, and qualify students for scholarships.
• SAT scores, while important, are not the sole determinant of college acceptance, and opportunities exist for improvement and success.

Before you take the Scholastic Aptitude Test, you may want to know what constitutes a good SAT score. The SAT is one of two exams that can help you get into a good college. Though some students take the ACT, others take the SAT. Both are types of standardized exams that test your knowledge of specific things like math and reading comprehension. You should learn more about the exam as a whole before taking a look at what a good score is on that test.

What is the SAT?

The SAT is a type of standardized test that many students take before applying to colleges. When you register to take this exam, you can choose between having your score mailed directly to you or having your score sent to one or more colleges. You can also request that the testing board mail your score to those schools after you look at it. The exam features three different sections that cover math, reading and writing. The reading and writing sections are a combined section on the test. You can prep for the exam online, with practice tests available in test prep books and with classes specifically designed to prepare you for taking the exam.

Score Range

When you watch old television shows or films, you might hear characters talk about scoring a 1500 on the SAT and getting a perfect score. While that was a perfect score in the past, the testing board updated the exam in 2016. A perfect score on that test is now a 1600, but very few students actually get a perfect score. The lowest that you can possibly score on the SAT is 400. You get a small number of points for simply writing your name on the form and answering any of the questions, which means that it’s rare for a student to score only a 400.

Good Score

According to The Princeton Review, a good SAT score is a 1200, which is a combined total across all sections. It also claims that an average score is 541 on the math section and 543 on the reading and writing section for a combined total of 1083 and that the average student scores between 1090 and 1300 on the test. You should check with the college that you want to attend to see if it requires a minimum SAT score.

Importance of a Good Score

Though you may not think that your SAT score is that important, a good score can help you when it comes to applying to college. A higher score can compensate for any poor grades you had in the past or a lack of extracurricular activities on your record. That score can even cover the lack of AP or advanced classes that you took in high school. Many colleges offer scholarships for students who score highly on the test too. The schools base these scholarships on the merit that students demonstrate and can help you pay for your college education.

Before you begin applying to colleges, you need to take either the SAT or the ACT. Taking either standardized test can be an indicator of how well you would do in college. A good SAT score is a 1200, but you can score higher or lower on the exam and still get into a good school.

Note that many prestigious universities don’t have specific SAT scores requirements. Harvard University, Brown University, Dartmouth University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, for example, require SAT scores for undergraduate admissions purposes.

But there are no specific SAT minimum scores stated. Instead, these world-renowned universities consider standardized test scores in their holistic admissions process.

This means that SAT scores aren’t a major determinant of acceptance into these colleges. Applicants are also evaluated based on their cumulative GPA, personal statement and/or admissions essays, and letters of recommendation, among others. Their SAT scores can, nonetheless, strengthen their application by demonstrating their proficiency in certain academic areas, specifically in math, reading, and writing.

In cases when specific minimum SAT scores aren’t stated, look at the “middle 50” scores for your preferred colleges. The middle 50% SAT score range represents the middle half of the accepted students.

Let’s say College A reported a 1200-1350 middle 50% SAT range meaning:

• 25% of accepted students have SAT scores below 1200
• 25% of these students have SAT scores above 1350
• 50% of these students have SAT scores between 1200 and 1350

So, if your SAT scores are between 1200 and 1240, you’re a good candidate but your GPA, essays, and extracurriculars must be excellent. Your application must be strong if your SAT scores fall in the 1250-1290 range because you’re in the middle 50. If your SAT scores are in the 1300-1350 range, you’re a strong candidate for admission.

With that said, here are colleges that require minimum SAT scores or require SAT scores but don’t have minimum cutoffs. In case of the latter, their middle 50 is stated instead.

Name of School	Minimum SAT Scores Required	Middle 50
Florida Gulf Coast University	1070
Texas State University	Class Rank Top 25% – No minimum required; 2nd Quartile 1090; 3rd Quartile 1250; 4th Quartile 1330
Mississippi State University	1030-1050 (Equivalent of 20 ACT score)
Louisiana Tech University	2.0 Core GPA with 1130 SAT or 2.5 Core GPA with/830 SAT
University of North Texas	Class Rank Top 10% No minimum; Top 25%   1030; Top 50%      1130; Top 75%   1250
University of Wyoming	1060 SAT composite score with at least 530 Math score
Missouri State University	Between 1060 and 1130 depending on GPA and Class Rank percentile
University of Arkansas at Little Rock	1010
Arkansas Tech University	1010
Middle Tennessee State University	1100
Valdosta State University	920 (For applicants with GPA of 3.1 or less)
University of California, Berkeley		1250 and 1510
Appalachian State University		1100-1270
Cornell University		1480–1550
Boston University		1410–1500

See also:

• Universities for Students with Low SAT Scores
• Best Scholarship Websites
• Best Online Colleges
• Highest Paying Bachelor’s Degrees
• Scholarships for High School Seniors
• College Prep Checklist