What is a good SAT score? Averages, percentiles and your target
TutorAura guide · Updated
A "good" SAT score depends on where you're applying, but there are two useful reference points. The average SAT score for the class of 2025 was 1029 out of 1600: 521 in Reading and Writing and 508 in Math (College Board). And according to the College Board's percentile tables, a 1200 is about the 81st percentile of all US 11th and 12th graders, and a 1400 about the 97th.
The best definition of a good score, though, is one that puts you in or above the typical range at the colleges you want to go to. Here's how to work that out.
Key takeaways
- The SAT is scored from 400 to 1600; each section from 200 to 800.
- Class of 2025 average: 1029 (521 Reading and Writing, 508 Math).
- 1200 ≈ 81st percentile and 1400 ≈ 97th percentile nationally (College Board).
- Your target should come from the middle 50% range at the colleges on your list.
SAT scores at a glance
| Score | What it means |
|---|---|
| 1029 | Average total score, class of 2025 |
| 1200 | About the 81st percentile nationally (75th among SAT takers) |
| 1400 | About the 97th percentile nationally (93rd among SAT takers) |
| 1600 | The highest possible score |
The percentile is the share of students who score at or below you. A 1200 at the 81st percentile means about 81% of students would score 1200 or lower.
Two kinds of percentile
The College Board publishes two percentiles for every score, and they differ:
- Nationally representative percentiles compare you with all US students in 11th and 12th grade, including those who don't usually take the SAT.
- User percentiles compare you with students who actually took the SAT in recent years.
User percentiles are a little lower for the same score, because students who take the SAT are a more selected group. Your score report shows both.
How to set your target score
- List the colleges you're considering. Include reach, match and safety schools.
- Look up each college's middle 50% range, the scores of the middle half of admitted or enrolled students. Colleges publish this on their admissions pages, and it's in the Common Data Set (section C9) many colleges release.
- Aim for the top of the range at your match schools. A score at the 75th-percentile mark for a college makes your application stronger there.
- Check scholarship requirements. Some merit scholarships use score cut-offs.
Also check each college's testing policy (required, optional or test-blind) and whether it superscores, combining your best section scores from different test dates.
Section scores matter too
Colleges see your Reading and Writing and Math scores separately, and some programmes look closely at one of them (Math for engineering, for example). A balanced score is usually stronger than a lopsided one with the same total. If one section is well below the other, that's often the quickest place to gain points.
How to raise your score
- Find your starting point with a full-length timed practice test. Our free Digital SAT practice test is adaptive and timed like the real thing, and shows which skills cost you points.
- Work on your weakest skills first, especially rule-based ones like grammar and core algebra.
- Practise timing with full modules, and review every mistake.
- Follow a plan: our SAT study plan has 12-week, 4-week and 2-week versions.
For an official-style scaled score, take the College Board's free practice tests in Bluebook too.
Frequently asked questions
Is 1200 a good SAT score?
Yes, for many colleges. A 1200 is about the 81st percentile of US 11th and 12th graders according to the College Board, well above the class of 2025 average of 1029. Whether it's competitive depends on the colleges you're applying to.
Is 1400 a good SAT score?
Yes. A 1400 is about the 97th percentile nationally (93rd among SAT takers). It's competitive at many selective colleges, though the most selective often have middle ranges above 1400.
What is the average SAT score?
1029 for the class of 2025: 521 in Reading and Writing and 508 in Math, according to the College Board.
What is a good SAT score for my colleges?
Look up each college's middle 50% SAT range on its admissions page or in its Common Data Set, and aim for the upper half of that range.
Sources
- 2025 SAT Suite of Assessments Annual Report: Total Group. College Board, 2025.
- SAT Nationally Representative and User Percentiles. College Board.
- SAT Participation in the Class of 2025 Surpasses 2 Million Test Takers. College Board Newsroom, 2025.
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