SAT Scores and Percentiles

About the SAT Scores

Your SAT score report will arrive in the mail a few weeks after you have taken the test. This report will include three SAT scores: one for math, one for writing, and one for verbal. These three SAT scores will be scaled, meaning they will be fit to a range that runs from a low of 200 to a perfect score of 800.

An absolutely perfect SAT score would total 2400 (3 times 800). Of course, almost no one scores that high. The median score on any one section of the test is just over 500, making a score a bit above 1500 the median or put differently about a score of 500 on the Writing, Math, and Critical Reading sections. Each score is rounded to the nearest ten.

Percentiles

Your percentile score is probably the one that will give you a bit more comfort with your overall SAT score -- assuming you are like so many SAT students we have encountered over the years.  Quite simply, your percentile score indicates the percent of other test takers who scored lower than you.  Hence, if you are in the 90 percentile for a test section, that means that 90% of the other SAT test takers did worse than you in that particular section.

Scores for Universities

An average score means 50th percentile or around 1500, or 1000 for Critical Reading and Math, fulfills the minimum requirement for most state colleges and universities.

However, if you're interested in applying to the nation's top universities, most applicants have a score in the 90th percentile or above.  This means you should have a score of 2100 or higher.   Keep in mind that an SAT score at this level won't automatically earn you an acceptance letter, but a high SAT score will certainly help your application look better!

On the other side, a lower SAT score doesn't necessarily mean you won't be able to get into a good university or college since your application is comprised of your SAT score, GPA, extra-curricular activities, and statement of interest.

Scores & Percentiles & IQ Correlations

Here are the percentiles 2007 College-Bound Seniors—Critical Reading + Mathematics + Writing.
The Mean score in 2007 was 1512 (504 average per test).

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