"Good" is the wrong first question. A 1400 is spectacular for one student's list and below the median for another's. The right way to set a target is to work backward from the colleges you actually want, but percentiles give you the map. Here's both.
The national picture: SAT percentiles
Your score comes with a percentile that tells you what share of test-takers you scored above. Roughly: Where that percentile actually enters the decision depends on the college’s stated policy, which we unpack in how colleges use the number.
| Total score | Approx. percentile | Read it as |
|---|---|---|
| 1600 | 99th | Perfect |
| 1500 | ~98th | Top 1–2% |
| 1400 | ~94th | Top ~6% |
| 1350 | ~91st | Top 10% |
| 1200 | ~74th | Top quartile |
| 1050 | ~50th | National average |
Percentiles are approximate and shift slightly year to year; College Board publishes the official tables.
What "good" means by college tier
The number that actually matters for admissions is each school's middle-50% range. The SAT scores of the middle half of admitted students (25th to 75th percentile). If your score is at or above the 75th-percentile end, you're in strong shape on the test dimension. Typical ranges by selectivity:
| College tier | Typical middle-50% SAT | Aim for |
|---|---|---|
| Most selective (Ivy+, MIT, Stanford) | ~1500–1580 | 1550+ |
| Highly selective | ~1400–1520 | 1500+ |
| Selective / strong state flagships | ~1250–1420 | 1400+ |
| Many good state universities | ~1120–1340 | 1300+ |
Illustrative tiers only. Every school publishes its own numbers: always check the most recent figures for your specific list before setting a goal.
Make your college list, look up each school's middle-50% SAT range (in its Common Data Set or admissions page), and set your goal at or just above the 75th-percentile number of your most selective realistic target. That single number becomes the score your whole prep plan aims at.
Three things that change the answer
- Test-optional policies. Many schools are test-optional, but a strong score still helps, and at test-optional schools, submitted scores tend to skew high, which pushes the reported middle-50% upward. If your score is at or above a school's range, submit it.
- Superscoring. Most colleges take your best Math and best Reading & Writing across dates. That means a second (or third) attempt can only help your superscore, a strong argument for testing more than once. More on this in how the digital SAT is scored.
- Your intended major. STEM and quantitative programs weigh the Math section more heavily, so a lopsided-but-high Math score can matter more than a balanced total. For most students, Math is also the fastest section to raise.
So: what should you aim for?
A quick rule of thumb, in the absence of a finalized list:
- 1500+ keeps every door open, including the most selective schools.
- 1350–1450 is competitive for a wide band of excellent colleges.
- 1200–1300 is a strong, well-above-average score that fits many good universities.
Wherever you're starting, the path is the same: find your baseline, set a target from your list, and close the gap methodically. A focused prep window commonly moves students 70–150 points, often enough to cross into a new tier.
How to check a college's real range
Percentiles tell you where you sit nationally. They do not tell you whether your score clears the bar at the handful of schools actually on your list, and that is the only version of the question that decides anything.
The authoritative source is each college's Common Data Set, a standardized disclosure most institutions publish annually. Search "[college name] common data set", open the current year's file, and go to section C9. It gives the 25th and 75th percentile SAT scores of enrolled students, broken out by section as well as total.
Read the result like this:
- At or above the 75th percentile: the score is an asset. Submit it everywhere.
- Between the 25th and 75th: you are inside the normal band. Submit if you are at or above the midpoint.
- Below the 25th percentile: at a test-optional school the score is doing no work for you, and can subtract.
That takes about two minutes per school and beats any generic list, this page included. Two cautions worth carrying with you. The published range describes enrolled students rather than admitted ones, and at some institutions it is pulled upward by recruited athletes and legacy admissions. And where testing is required rather than optional, the submit decision never arises.
Scholarship thresholds are a separate question again. Merit aid is often governed by different policy from admission, so a score that isn't needed to get in may still be needed for the money.
Look up your specific score
Each of these covers one score in detail. Its percentile, where it's competitive, what the next band costs, and whether another sitting is worth your time.
- Is 1550 a good SAT score?, 98th percentile
- Is 1500 a good SAT score?, 95th percentile
- Is 1450 a good SAT score?, 91st percentile
- Is 1400 a good SAT score?, 85th percentile
- Is 1300 a good SAT score?, 73rd percentile
- Is 1200 a good SAT score?, 58th percentile
Or convert a raw score directly with the digital SAT score calculator.
If your target sits above where you are now, the next question is the practical one: how far a score realistically moves, and what actually moves it. How students jump 1100 to 1300 and 1200 to 1400 is built from the two most common starting points.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good SAT score?
Above ~1050 is above the national average; 1200+ is roughly top quartile, 1350+ about top 10%, and 1500+ top 1–2%. Ultimately, a good score is at or above the middle-50% range of your target colleges.
What SAT score do I need for an Ivy League school?
The most selective universities report middle-50% ranges around 1500–1580, so aim for roughly 1550+. Always check each school's most recent published data. Full answer
Is 1200 a good SAT score?
Yes. It's around the 75th percentile nationally and competitive for many good colleges. Whether it's enough depends on your specific target list.