After twenty years of tutoring, I can tell you that “is this a good score?” is almost always the wrong first question. The right question is: good enough for where? A 1380 is a strong score at many universities and an underwhelming one at others. This guide breaks down what the numbers actually mean and how to set a target that’s specific to your college list.
How the SAT Is Scored
The SAT is scored on a scale of 400 to 1600. It consists of two sections — Reading & Writing and Math — each scored from 200 to 800. Your total score is the sum of those two section scores.
What Is the Average SAT Score?
The national average SAT score has been around 1020–1030 in recent graduating classes. Scoring above that puts you in the top half of all test takers — but for most four-year colleges, you’ll want to aim considerably higher than that.
What Is Considered a Good SAT Score?
Rather than thinking in terms of a single “good” score, it’s more useful to think in tiers:
- 1500+ (roughly top 2%): Competitive for the most selective universities, including the Ivy League, MIT, Stanford, Duke, Carnegie Mellon, and Notre Dame.
- 1400+ (roughly top 5–7%): Competitive for highly selective universities such as NYU, Boston University, and the University of Virginia.
- 1350+ (roughly top 10%): A strong score for many selective universities including Penn State, University of Miami, and Baylor University.
- 1280+ (roughly top 15%): Competitive at a wide range of four-year universities such as Arizona State, Michigan State, and the University of Alabama.
For most state schools and regional colleges, middle 50% ranges tend to cluster closer to 1000–1200.
The Most Important Number: The Middle 50%
When researching colleges, the most useful data point is the middle 50% SAT range — the band between the 25th and 75th percentile of admitted students. If your score falls within that range, you are competitive. If it falls above the range, your score is a genuine strength. If it falls well below, your score may work against you.
A smart strategy is to aim for the upper end of the middle 50% range at your target schools — that puts you in a stronger position for both admission and merit aid.
SAT Score Ranges at Top Colleges
Here are the middle 50% SAT ranges for a selection of well-known schools, based on the most recent available data:
| School | Middle 50% SAT Range |
|---|---|
| Harvard | 1510–1580 |
| MIT | 1520–1570 |
| Stanford | 1510–1570 |
| Yale | 1480–1560 |
| Princeton | 1500–1560 |
| Columbia | 1510–1560 |
| Northwestern | 1510–1560 |
| Cornell | 1510–1560 |
| Rice | 1510–1560 |
| Vanderbilt | 1510–1560 |
| Carnegie Mellon | 1510–1560 |
| University of Notre Dame | 1440–1540 |
| University of Michigan | 1360–1530 |
| University of Virginia | 1410–1520 |
| Ohio State | 1280–1430 |
Sources: Common Data Set filings from each institution. Middle 50% ranges reflect the most recently reported enrollment data. Always verify current figures on each school’s official admissions page.
A Note on Test-Optional Admissions
Many colleges remain test-optional, meaning you are not required to submit an SAT score. However, a strong score can still work in your favor — especially for competitive majors, merit scholarships, and out-of-state applicants. If you choose to submit scores at a test-optional school, make sure your score is at or above the school’s middle 50% range. Submitting a score that falls well below the typical range is unlikely to help your application.
It’s also worth noting that a growing number of selective schools — including MIT, Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, Brown, and Georgetown — have reinstated standardized testing requirements. Stanford and Cornell have more complex or school-specific policies — always check the current testing policy on each school’s official admissions page before applying, as requirements continue to evolve.
How to Set Your Target Score
The most effective approach is to work backwards from your college list:
- Make a list of 8–12 schools you are seriously considering
- Look up the middle 50% SAT range for each school
- Identify the highest range on your list — that’s your target score
- Aim for the top of that range, not the bottom
This gives you a concrete, personalized goal rather than chasing a vague idea of what a “good” score looks like.
How to Improve Your Score
The most efficient way to improve your SAT score is targeted practice by question type — focusing your time on the specific skills where you are losing the most points. Drilling the same question types repeatedly builds both accuracy and speed. FreeTestPrep.com has free drills for both SAT sections:
Putting It in Perspective
A good SAT score is one that makes you competitive at the schools you actually want to attend — not a round number you read somewhere. The national average is context, not a goal. Your real target comes from the middle 50% ranges of the specific schools you’re applying to. Set that target, prep toward it, and keep the score in perspective: it’s one part of your application, not the whole thing.