SAT Score Percentiles 2026: What Your Score Means

An SAT percentile tells you how your score compares with a reference group.

If your score is at the 85th percentile, roughly 85% of that comparison group scored at or below your score.

College Board publishes two percentile types:

1. Nationally representative percentiles
2. SAT user percentiles

For college-prep comparisons, students often look at user percentiles because those are based on recent students who actually took the SAT.

Selected current SAT user percentiles

These values come from College Board's current SAT user-percentile table and can be updated over time.

Is a 1200 good?

A 1200 is around the 75th percentile among SAT users.

That means it is nationally strong relative to many test takers.

Whether it is a good college application score depends on your list. For a broader answer to what counts as a good score, see our guide on what is a good SAT score.

Is a 1300 good?

A 1300 is around the 85th percentile.

That is a strong national result.

At many colleges, it can be highly competitive.

At the most selective institutions, it may fall below the typical submitted range.

Is a 1400 good?

A 1400 is around the 93rd percentile.

That is an excellent national score.

But a percentile is not the same as an admissions threshold.

Is a 1500 good?

A 1500 is around the 97th percentile.

That means only a small share of SAT users score higher.

It is a very strong score nationally, though no SAT score guarantees admission.

Percentile vs college range

These answer different questions.

Percentile asks:

How did I compare with other SAT users?

College range asks:

How does my score compare with students who submitted scores at a particular college?

For admissions decisions, the second question is usually more useful.

Example

Student: 1450 SAT

National user percentile: about 95th.

College A middle 50%: 1250–1390.

1450 is likely a relative strength.

College B middle 50%: 1510–1560.

The exact same 1450 may be below the usual submitted range.

Section percentiles matter too

Suppose:

• R&W: 760
• Math: 650

Total: 1410

The total is strong, but the section split may matter for:

• your retake plan;
• superscoring;
• quantitative programs;
• scholarship criteria.

Do not study only the total number. See the rest of our SAT score guides for related topics.

Percentiles are not fixed admissions odds

Being in the 97th SAT percentile does not mean:

“I have a 97% chance of admission.”

Percentile rank describes test performance. For how those scores are actually calculated, see our guide on how Digital SAT scoring works.

Admissions depend on:

• grades;
• rigor;
• activities;
• essays;
• recommendations;
• institutional priorities;
• applicant pool;
• testing policy.

Use percentiles for the right job

Percentiles are useful for:

• understanding national score strength;
• setting context for improvement;
• explaining your score to yourself/parents.

College-specific ranges are better for:

• deciding whether to submit;
• setting a target;
• deciding whether to retake.

Official source

• College Board Research: SAT User Percentiles
  https://research.collegeboard.org/reports/sat-suite/understanding-scores/sat

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