What SAT score do you need for Ivy League?

Ivy League admits typically score in the 1480–1580 range (25th–75th percentile). A 1530+ puts you safely in the middle of the admitted-student band, though admissions are holistic — essays, recommendations, and extracurriculars still matter.

What SAT score is needed for top-50 colleges?

Top-50 national universities typically admit students in the 1280–1450 range. Target 1350+ to be competitive at most selective national universities and the more selective liberal arts colleges.

What is a good SAT score for scholarships?

Many merit scholarships use SAT scores as a primary qualifier. National Merit uses the PSAT selection index (state cutoffs typically 1400+). State and university merit awards usually require 1200+ for automatic consideration; the highest awards often need 1400+.

How are SAT percentiles calculated?

Percentiles compare your score to the most recent graduating class of college-bound SAT takers. The 50th percentile is the national average (about 1050). A score at the 90th percentile means you scored higher than 90% of test-takers in the reference year.

What is a good EBRW and Math score?

For a 1300 total, target 640 EBRW and 660 Math. For a 1500 total, target 740 EBRW and 760 Math. Most colleges weigh sections equally, but engineering and CS programs often look more closely at Math, while liberal arts programs weight EBRW more heavily.

How does the SAT compare to the ACT?

The SAT is scored out of 1600; the ACT is scored out of 36. A 1200 SAT roughly equals a 25 ACT. A 1400 SAT roughly equals a 31 ACT. Most colleges accept either test and many are now test-optional — check your target school's policy.

Good SAT Score 2026 Average Percentile Ranks

Q: What is the average SAT score?

The average SAT score for the Class of 2025 was approximately 1050 out of 1600, with Evidence-Based Reading and Writing at about 519 and Math at about 531. College Board publishes updated figures annually in the SAT Suite Annual Report.

Q: What is a good SAT score in 2026?

For most four-year US colleges, 1200+ is a good score. For top-50 national universities, 1350+ is the typical range. For Ivy League and other most-selective schools, 1500+ is the benchmark. Aim for the 75th percentile of your target school list to be solidly competitive.

A good SAT score in 2026 depends on where you want to apply. For most four-year US colleges, 1200+ puts you at or above the national average and competitive at state flagships. For top-50 national universities, 1350+ is the typical range. For Ivy League and other most-selective schools, 1500+ is the benchmark. The national average SAT score for the Class of 2025 was approximately 1050 (Evidence-Based Reading and Writing about 519, Math about 531), based on the latest College Board annual report.

What Is the Average SAT Score?

According to the College Board SAT Suite Annual Report, the average SAT score for the Class of 2025 was around 1050 out of a possible 1600. Section averages landed at roughly 519 for Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) and 531 for Math. These figures include every college-bound high school senior who took the SAT during the 2024–2025 testing year, so the average college-bound student sits at the 50th percentile.

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Two things to keep in mind when reading the average:

It skews high. Not every high schooler takes the SAT — students who plan to apply to four-year colleges are over-represented, pulling the mean up.
Median is more useful than mean. Because the distribution skews slightly higher, the median is the better benchmark for where you stand. College Board publishes both.

SAT Score Percentiles (Class of 2025 Reference)

Percentiles tell you what percentage of test-takers scored at or below your score. The College Board publishes these annually. Below is the reference table for the Class of 2025 — your standing in 2026 will be similar, with minor year-over-year shifts.

SAT Total Score	Approximate Percentile (Class of 2025)	What it means
1500–1600	99th percentile	Top 1% — Ivy League and most-selective range
1400–1490	97th–98th percentile	Top 3% — competitive at top-20 universities
1300–1390	90th–96th percentile	Strong — competitive at most top-50 schools
1200–1290	80th–89th percentile	Above average — solid at state flagships and many private colleges
1100–1190	65th–79th percentile	At or above the national average
1050	~50th percentile	National average
1000–1049	40th–49th percentile	Slightly below average
900–990	25th–39th percentile	Below average — selective admission is unlikely without other strengths
800–890	10th–24th percentile	Significantly below average

Always check the most recent percentile tables on the College Board SAT score distributions page — percentiles shift slightly year over year as the test-taking population changes.

What's a Good SAT Score by College Type?

Different colleges admit students with very different score profiles. The table below maps college selectivity to typical SAT ranges — use this to set a target score based on your school list.

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College Type	Typical 25th–75th Percentile SAT Range	Target Score
Ivy League + most-selective (Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Caltech, Yale, Princeton, etc.)	1480–1580	1530+
Highly selective (top-20 national universities)	1380–1530	1450+
Selective (top-50 national universities, top liberal arts colleges)	1280–1450	1350+
Very competitive state flagships (Berkeley, UCLA, UMich, UVA, UNC)	1250–1480	1320+
Competitive state universities	1100–1320	1180+
Most four-year public universities	1000–1200	1080+
Open-admission and community colleges	No minimum	Test-optional at most

Where you sit within a school's 25th–75th percentile band matters: a score at the 75th percentile keeps you solidly in the admit pool, while a score at the 25th percentile means the rest of your application has to carry more weight.

What's a Good SAT Score for Scholarships?

Many merit scholarships — both institutional and external — use SAT scores as a primary qualifier. Common scholarship score thresholds:

National Merit Scholarship: Selection index based on PSAT scores (the PSAT/NMSQT cutoffs vary by state but typically require a 1400+ selection index).
State and university merit awards: Usually require 1200+ for automatic consideration; the highest awards often need 1400+.
Outside scholarships: Range widely — anything above 1100 opens up the bulk of merit opportunities; 1300+ puts you in the running for the more selective awards.

If scholarship money is a primary goal, target 1300+ — that is the band where most merit-aid opportunities unlock.

Section Benchmarks: EBRW and Math

The total score is split into two sections, each scored 200–800. Most colleges weigh the sections equally, but specific programs (engineering, computer science, mathematics) may look more closely at Math. Section benchmarks for a good total of 1200:

Total Target	EBRW Target	Math Target	Section Balance
1500+ (Ivy)	740+	760+	Both strong
1400+ (top-20)	690+	710+	Both strong
1300+ (top-50)	640+	660+	Balanced
1200+ (state flagship)	590+	610+	Slightly Math-leaning works
1100+ (most 4-year)	540+	560+	Either section can lead

A 700 EBRW + 600 Math (total 1300) is a different profile from a 600 EBRW + 700 Math (also total 1300). The first reads as a verbal-strong applicant; the second as a quant-strong applicant. For liberal arts programs, EBRW-heavy scores help; for engineering and CS, Math-heavy scores help.

Plan Your Retake Around Your Target

Once you have a target score (from the table above), subtract your August or June score to set your retake goal. A typical retake with four to six weeks of focused practice lifts a section by 30–80 points; a serious retake with eight to twelve weeks and structured prep can lift 80–150 points. The biggest gains come from drilling the section where you scored lowest — the section score breakdown tells you where to focus.

For the full 2026–2027 score release calendar and what time scores post on release day, see our SAT score release dates guide. For broader entrance-exam prep, the TutorsBot entrance exam hub covers GRE, GMAT, IELTS, TOEFL, and more.