What Is the SAT Score Range?
The total SAT score ranges from 400 to 1600. That total is simply the sum of your two section scores:
- Reading & Writing: 200–800
- Math: 200–800
Add the two together and you get a composite between 400 (the lowest possible) and 1600 (a perfect score). Section scores move in 10-point increments, so totals always end in a multiple of 10.
SAT Score Range Breakdown
| Score Component | Minimum | Maximum | Increment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading & Writing | 200 | 800 | 10 pts |
| Math | 200 | 800 | 10 pts |
| Total Score | 400 | 1600 | 10 pts |
What Is a Good SAT Score Range?
"Good" depends on your college goals, but here is how the 400–1600 range maps to competitiveness. The national average is about 1050, so anything above that is above average.
| Score Range | Percentile | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| 1500–1600 | 99th+ | Excellent — Ivy League / Top 10 range |
| 1400–1490 | 94th–98th | Very strong — top-50 universities |
| 1300–1390 | 86th–93rd | Strong — competitive for many schools |
| 1200–1290 | 74th–85th | Above average — solid for state schools |
| 1050–1190 | 50th–73rd | Average to above average |
| 400–1040 | Below 50th | Below the national average |
Percentiles reflect the latest College Board data and may vary slightly by year. Look up an exact figure with our SAT percentile calculator.
What Score Range Do Most Students Fall In?
Because the SAT distribution clusters around the ~1050 average, the middle 50% of test-takers score roughly between 900 and 1200. Scores at the extremes — below 700 or above 1500 — are far less common. This is why even a modest gain near the middle of the range can move your percentile substantially.
Understanding the "Middle 50%" Range for Colleges
Colleges publish their own score ranges, usually as a middle-50% range (the 25th to 75th percentile of admitted students). If a school's range is 1350–1500, it means 25% of admits scored below 1350 and 25% scored above 1500. To be competitive, aim for at or above the 75th-percentile figure of your target schools. For a deeper breakdown by college tier, see what is a good SAT score.
How Your Raw Score Becomes a Scaled Score in This Range
You don't earn points directly on the 400–1600 scale — you answer questions, and College Board converts your raw score (number correct) into a scaled score within the range using equating and Item Response Theory. On the adaptive Digital SAT, your Module 1 performance also affects your scoring ceiling. To see where your practice results land in the range, run them through our SAT score calculator, or read how to calculate your SAT score.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the SAT score range?
The SAT total score ranges from 400 to 1600. It's the sum of two sections — Reading & Writing and Math — each scored from 200 to 800. The lowest possible total is 400 and a perfect score is 1600.
What is a good SAT score range?
Generally 1200–1600. A 1200–1350 is above average and competitive for many state universities, 1350–1500 is strong for selective colleges, and 1500–1600 is excellent for the most selective schools. The national average is about 1050.
What is the SAT section score range?
Each section — Reading & Writing and Math — is scored from 200 to 800 in 10-point increments. The two section scores add together to produce your 400–1600 total.
What SAT score range do most students fall in?
The middle 50% of test-takers score roughly between 900 and 1200. About half of all students score within about 150 points of the 1050 national average, making the 900–1200 band the most common.