What Is a Good SAT Score in 2026?
A breakdown of what counts as a good Digital SAT score, with percentiles, target colleges, and how the bar shifts depending on your goals.
Good Depends on Your Goals
A 'good' SAT score is the score that gets you into the colleges you want. National averages are a reference point, not a goal.
- 1050–1100: National average — competitive at many regional universities.
- 1200+: Above average — competitive at most four-year colleges.
- 1400+: Strong — competitive at selective universities.
- 1500+: Elite — Ivy League and top-ranked schools in range.
Find Your Target Score
Look up the middle-50% SAT range for your top three schools, then aim for the 75th percentile. Use our SAT score breakdowns for details at every score level.
Related Posts
- How to Get a 1600 on the Digital SAT
A realistic plan for scoring a perfect 1600 on the Digital SAT, based on what 1600-scorers actually do differently from 1500 scorers.
- Digital SAT Scoring Explained: From Raw Score to 1600
A complete breakdown of how Digital SAT scoring works, including adaptive modules, raw-to-scaled conversion, and why the same raw score can mean different totals.
- What SAT Score Do You Need for the Ivy League?
The middle-50% SAT score ranges for every Ivy League school, plus how to think about the bar if you're aiming for admission.
Practice on 1600.now
Apply what you just read. Run the numbers in the SAT score calculator, take a full Digital SAT module, or drill targeted skills in the question bank.
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