What Are Good SAT Scores?
One of the most frequent questions we get from high school parents and students is "What are good SAT scores?" The truth of the matter is, there's no simple answer to that question. It depends on which colleges a student plans to apply to, how selective those colleges are, and how important standardized test scores are in the admissions process. What are considered good SAT scores for one college could be considered exceptional scores for another.
Are My SAT Scores Good Enough?
The average SAT scores for 2018 high school graduates are 536 Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and 531 Math. However, most colleges release data regarding the average SAT scores for first-year students at their schools, which is one of the best ways for students to determine whether their SAT scores are considered "good enough" for a particular college. Typically, the more selective a college is, the higher its average SAT scores for first-year students will be. Keep in mind though that SAT scores are just one piece of the college admissions puzzle. In most cases, high SAT scores that aren't backed up by other aspects of a student's application (like a strong high school record, extracurricular and volunteer activities, strong application essays and recommendations, etc.) are unlikely to win a student admission to a college. However, when it comes down to it, the higher a student's SAT scores are, the better, as strong SAT scores will give a student more options when applying to colleges.
SAT Scores Comparison Chart
As we mentioned above, one of the best ways to find out if a student has good SAT scores for a college is to compare the student's SAT scores with the average SAT scores for first-year students at that particular school. The comparison chart below shows the SAT scores for the middle 50% of first-year students, the acceptance rate, and the weight given to standardized test scores for a variety of popular colleges and universities. Though a student's goal should be for his or her SAT scores to fall within or above the middle 50% range for a college, remember that 25% of first-year students at that college scored below that range and still gained acceptance to the school. If you don't see the college you're looking for on this list, go to the College Board's College Search site.
| College/University |
SAT Scores for Middle 50% of First-Year Students |
Acceptance Rate |
Weight Given to Standardized Test Scores in Admissions Process |
| American University |
630-700 ERW |
32% |
Considered (not required) |
| 590-680 M |
| Amherst College |
690-760 ERW |
13% |
Very Important |
| 700-780 M |
| Arizona State University |
570-670 ERW |
85% |
Very Important |
| 560-690 M |
| Auburn University |
580-650 ERW |
75% |
Very Important |
| 570-660 M |
| Barnard College |
660-760 ERW |
14% |
Important |
| 650-740 M |
| Bates College |
640-720 ERW |
18% |
Considered (not required) |
| 650-740 M |
| Baylor University |
600-680 ERW |
39% |
Very Important |
| 590-690 M |
| Boston College |
650-720 ERW |
28% |
Very Important |
| 670-770 M |
| Boston University |
650-720 ERW |
22% |
Important |
| 680-780 M |
| Bowdoin College |
650-740 ERW |
10% |
Important |
| 650-770 M |
| Brown University |
700-760 ERW |
8% |
Very Important |
| 720-790 M |
| Bryn Mawr College |
660-730 ERW |
34% |
Considered |
| 660-770 M |
| Claremont McKenna College |
670-730 ERW |
9% |
Very Important |
| 680-770 M |
| Colby College |
670-740 ERW |
13% |
Considered |
| 680-770 M |
| Colorado State University |
540-640 ERW |
84% |
Important |
| 530-640 M |
| Cornell University |
680-750 ERW |
11% |
Very Important |
| 710-790 M |
| Dartmouth College |
700-770 ERW |
9% |
Very Important |
| 720-790 M |
| Duke University |
670-750 ERW |
10% |
Very Important |
| 710-790 M |
| Emory University |
660-730 ERW |
19% |
Important |
| 690-790 M |
| George Washington University |
640-720 ERW |
41% |
Considered |
| 640-720 M |
| Georgia Institute of Technology |
640-730 ERW |
23% |
Important |
| 690-790 M |
| Hamilton College |
670-740 ERW |
21% |
Important |
| 680-770 M |
| Harvard College |
720-780 ERW |
5% |
Considered |
| 740-800 M |
| Ithaca College |
590-670 ERW |
69% |
Considered (not required) |
| 570-670 M |
| Middlebury College |
660-730 ERW |
17% |
Important |
| 670-770 M |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
720-770 ERW |
7% |
Important |
| 780-800 M |
| Northwestern University |
700-760 ERW |
8% |
Very Important |
| 730-790 M |
| Princeton University |
710-770 ERW |
5% |
Very Important |
| 730-800 M |
| Stanford University |
700-770 ERW |
4% |
Very Important |
| 720-800 M |
| University of Chicago |
720-770 ERW |
7% |
Very Important |
| 750-800 M |
| University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill) |
640-720 ERW |
22% |
Very Important |
| 630-750 M |
| University of Pennsylvania |
690-760 ERW |
8% |
Very Important |
| 730-790 M |
| University of Virginia |
660-730 ERW |
26% |
Important |
| 670-770 M |
| University of Wisconsin (Madison) |
630-700 ERW |
52% |
Important |
| 670-780 M |
| Virginia Tech |
590-680 ERW |
65% |
Very Important |
| 590-710 M |
| Washington University in St. Louis |
710-770 ERW |
15% |
Very Important |
| 760-800 M |
| Yale University |
720-770 ERW |
6% |
Very Important |
| 730-790 M |
Related Topics
- For more general information about the SAT Test, visit our SAT Test page.
- Students have options when it comes to sending SAT scores to colleges. Find out why StudyPoint recommends viewing SAT scores before sending them to colleges. Visit our Sending SAT Scores page.
- For information about upcoming SAT test dates, visit our SAT Test Dates page.
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