SAT Scoring

Colleges use SAT scores to determine whether or not you will be a good fit for their school. Though SAT scores are important, they are not the only factor that schools look at during the admissions process. Colleges also consider essays, interviews, recommendations, community involvement, your high school GPA, and much more. Even so, your chances of acceptance increase if you have a high SAT score.

Average Scores
The SAT has three sections and three scores, each on a scale of 200 to 800.

• Writing (200-800)
• Math (200-800)
• Critical Reading (200-800)

The average total score is approximately 1,538 points (520 in Math, 510 in Writing, and 508 in Critical Reasoning).

An average score is acceptable for most colleges and universities. However, some of the top schools will expect you to achieve an SAT score of 2,100 of more. A score above 2,100 puts you in the 90th percentile, meaning that you scored better on the test than 90% of test takers.

Perfect Scores
A perfect score is 2,400 points. Approximately 1,000,000 students take the SAT each year and on average, only 20 of them get a perfect score. Click here to learn more about preparing for the SAT.