What is a good SAT score? Targets by college goal

A good SAT score is one that sits at or above the middle of the range for the colleges you're applying to. Nationally, the average total score for the class of 2026 was 1045, according to College Board's 2026 SAT Suite Annual Report, so a score above that beats the typical test taker. For selective colleges, "good" means a lot higher, and the only way to know how much is to look up each school's own numbers.

What College Board's data says

College Board publishes score data for every graduating class. Its 2026 report covers about 1.95 million students in the class of 2026 and shows these figures:

The same report shows that 9% of the class scored 1400 or higher and 19% scored between 1200 and 1390. Together, that's about 28% of test takers at 1200 or above.

Keep in mind who is in that pool. Many states give the SAT to every junior on a school day, including students who aren't applying to four-year colleges. College Board's report shows that students who tested only through SAT School Day averaged 909, while students who tested only on a weekend averaged 1179. If you're comparing yourself with other college applicants, the bar is higher than the national average suggests.

Your own score report also lists percentile ranks. A percentile tells you the share of test takers who scored at or below you, which is a quick way to see where you stand.

College Board's readiness benchmarks

College Board sets two benchmark scores: 480 in Reading and Writing and 530 in Math. According to College Board, a student who meets the Math benchmark has a 75% chance of earning at least a C in a first-semester college course in algebra, statistics, precalculus, or calculus. The Reading and Writing benchmark means the same thing for first-semester courses in history, literature, social science, or writing.

In the class of 2026, 42% of test takers met both benchmarks. Meeting both is a sensible floor. It says you're ready for college coursework, but on its own it won't stand out at a selective school.

How to find a good score for your colleges

The number that matters most is each college's middle 50% range: the scores of the middle half of its students. You can find it in three places:

• The Common Data Set. Most colleges publish one each year. Section C9 lists the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile SAT scores of enrolled first-year students. Search for the college's name plus "common data set."
• The admissions website. Look for a first-year class profile.
• BigFuture. College Board's free college search shows score ranges for many schools.

Then compare your score with the range:

Here's an example with made-up numbers. If a college reports a middle 50% of 1290 to 1450, a 1300 won't keep you out, but it isn't helping either. A 1460 puts you in the top quarter of enrolled students.

Good scores by goal

State universities and regional colleges. Ranges vary a lot, even inside one state system. A flagship campus is often far more selective than the regional campuses of the same system. At less selective public colleges, the middle range can sit close to the national average. For these schools, a score at or above the college's median is good. Many public universities also use scores for merit scholarships or course placement, so read those pages before you settle on a target.

Selective colleges. If a school admits a small share of its applicants, aim for its 75th percentile rather than its median. Admissions readers see plenty of applicants in the middle of the range, and a score near the top gives you more room if another part of your application is weaker.

Highly selective colleges. At the most selective universities, the middle 50% sits near the top of the 1600 scale, in a band that only a small share of students reach. Most applicants to these schools have high scores, so a strong score keeps you in the running but doesn't set you apart on its own. Grades, course rigor, essays, and recommendations carry the rest. A growing number of selective colleges require scores again after years of test-optional admissions, so check each school's current policy.

Look at both section scores

Your total is the sum of two section scores, and colleges see both. An engineering or math-heavy program will pay closer attention to your Math score. A large gap between your sections also tells you where your practice time should go. If you have a practice test result, the SAT score calculator estimates your section scores from the number of questions you got right in each module.

Should you send your score to a test-optional college?

A common rule of thumb: send your score if it's at or above the college's median, and think about applying without it if it's below the 25th percentile. Between those points, your score is unlikely to hurt you. Also check whether the college superscores, which means it combines your best Reading and Writing score and your best Math score from different test dates. If it does, your best sections across attempts are what count.

If you're not at your target yet

Most students can raise their score with focused practice on the skills where they lose the most points. Start by finding those skills, then work on them daily for a few weeks before your next test date. The 3-week study plan lays out what to do each day.

To see where you'd score today, take SAT Owl's free 24-question diagnostic. It gives you a predicted score and the skills to practice first.