SAT Percentiles: Complete Score-to-Percentile Chart (2026)

An SAT percentile tells you the percentage of students who earned your score or a lower score. A 1400 is currently in the 93rd percentile among recent SAT users, for example, which means it is as high as or higher than about 93% of scores in that comparison group.

Percentiles make a score easier to interpret, but they do not tell you whether a score is strong for a particular college. For that decision, compare your score with the middle 50% range published by each school.

Quick answer: In the current College Board user-group table, 1500 is the 98th percentile, 1400 is the 93rd, 1300 is the 86th, 1200 is the 76th, 1100 is the 63rd, and 1000 is the 48th.

SAT percentile chart

The table below uses the user-group percentiles in College Board's current SAT research table. User percentiles are based on actual SAT scores from students graduating during the most recent three-year reporting window.

Scores between these rows have their own percentile. College Board publishes the complete official SAT percentile table in 10-point increments.

User percentiles vs. nationally representative percentiles

College Board shows two percentile columns, and they answer different questions.

User-group percentile compares you with recent students who actually took the SAT. This is usually the more useful number when you want to understand where you stand among other applicants with SAT scores.

Nationally representative percentile estimates how your score compares with all US students in grades 11 and 12, including students who do not normally take the SAT. This number is often higher than the user percentile.

For example, a 1200 is listed at the 81st nationally representative percentile but the 76th user percentile. Neither is incorrect; the comparison groups are different. When discussing college admissions, say which percentile you are using.

What percentile is a good SAT score?

There is no universal cutoff, but these bands are useful starting points:

The better question is not simply “Is this percentile good?” It is “How does this score compare with the students admitted to my target school?” A 1300 may be above the 75th percentile at one college and below the 25th percentile at another.

How to use percentiles for a college list

Use a school's most recent Common Data Set or admissions profile to find the 25th and 75th percentile SAT scores for enrolled students.

• Likely or safer score position: your score is above the school's 75th percentile.
• Target score position: your score sits inside the middle 50% range.
• Reach score position: your score is below the school's 25th percentile.

This is only one part of college selection. Admission rates, grades, course rigor, essays, recommendations, residency, major, and institutional priorities still matter. A score above the 75th percentile improves the academic evidence in your application; it never guarantees admission.

Should you submit your score at a test-optional college?

A practical rule is to consider submitting when your score is at or above the school's 25th percentile, especially when it strengthens the academic story shown by your transcript. If it is meaningfully below that range, test-optional submission may be worth considering.

Do not use that as an automatic rule. Some scholarships, honors programs, athletic processes, or state systems may still use scores even when general admission is test optional. Confirm the current policy on the college's own website.

How much can your percentile change?

Percentile gains are not evenly distributed across the SAT scale. A 100-point increase near the middle can move you through many percentile points. Near the top, score changes can be smaller in percentile terms because the distribution is compressed.

That is why a useful score goal should combine three things:

1. your current Reading and Writing and Math section scores;
2. the middle 50% range at your target colleges;
3. the number of realistic test and study weeks available.

Use Makon's SAT score calculator to model section-score combinations, then compare the result with the SAT score range guide and the colleges on your list.

Use three benchmarks, not one

Students often search sat percentiles hoping for a universal verdict. A more accurate interpretation uses three layers:

Use all three. A score can be above the national average but below the usual range at a particular university. It can also be below a dream school’s range while still representing meaningful progress and opening scholarship options elsewhere.

Worked decision scenarios

Scenario 1: Inside the college range. A student’s score sits near the middle of a target college’s published range. The score is consistent with recent enrolled submitters, so submission may reinforce the academic record. The student should still verify the current testing policy and program-specific requirements.

Scenario 2: Below the 25th percentile. A student is applying test optional and the score falls well below the recent range. Before withholding it, the student checks whether the score is required for merit aid, honors, placement, athletics, or a particular major. The submission decision belongs to the whole application context, not a single cutoff.

Scenario 3: Strong total, uneven sections. A student’s total is competitive, but one section is significantly below the intended major’s typical preparation. A focused retake may help, especially where superscoring is used. The study plan should protect the stronger section and concentrate on the recoverable gap.

Translate a target into section goals

Do not stop at “I want a higher score.” Write several section combinations that produce the goal. Then compare them with your last two official practice tests.

For the current ACT, the Composite averages English, Math, and Reading. For the SAT, the total adds Reading and Writing to Math. Because different combinations can reach the same total, the fastest route is usually not equal improvement everywhere. It is the combination supported by your error data.

Create a planning table:

Score calculators: what they can and cannot do

A calculator is useful for modeling section combinations and estimating a practice result. It cannot reproduce an official score without the correct form-specific conversion. Raw-to-scale tables can vary because tests are equated.

Use the answer key and conversion table packaged with the exact official practice form. Keep unofficial estimates labeled as estimates. Never enter a predicted score in an application as though it were reported by the testing organization.

Decide whether to retake

A retake is most defensible when four conditions are true:

• the new test date fits application and score-reporting deadlines;
• fresh practice shows improvement beyond ordinary score fluctuation;
• the target colleges will use the higher score or a superscore;
• preparation time will not meaningfully harm grades, sleep, essays, or other priorities.

Set a decision date. Complete two fresh official checkpoints before it. If both show the same section opportunity and the needed gain is realistic, register and follow a focused plan. If results have plateaued, redirect time to the rest of the application.

A college-list worksheet

For every institution, record the policy for your entry year, the middle 50%, superscore rules, self-reporting rules, official-report deadline, and scholarship requirements. Add the source URL and the date checked. This prevents a general score article from overriding a current institutional policy.

FAQs

Sources and related reading

Percentile values in this guide come from College Board's SAT percentile research. Next, read Average SAT Score, What's a Good SAT Score?, and SAT Score Range.