What‌ ‌Is‌ ‌a‌ ‌Good‌ ‌SAT‌ ‌Score‌ ‌in‌ ‌2022?

What’s Covered:

• What Is the Average SAT Score?
• How to Set Your Target SAT Score
• What Is the Average SAT Score at Top Schools?
• What To Do If Your Score is Too Low
• How Does the SAT Impact My College Chances?

What is a good SAT score? There is no one-size-fits-all answer. A “good score” depends on a variety of factors, including personal context, overall average test scores, and the schools on your college list. 

SAT scores are incredibly important at top schools. Many use students’ transcripts and test scores to filter out unqualified applicants, so it’s important to know how you compare to accepted students to understand your chances.

Keep reading to learn some strategies to determine what a good SAT score is for you, how to set an SAT goal for yourself, and what the average SAT score is at some of the top colleges in the country. 

What Is the Average SAT Score?

Alone‌, ‌an‌ ‌SAT‌ ‌score‌ ‌is‌ ‌just‌ ‌a‌ ‌number—‌it’s‌ ‌how‌ ‌your‌ ‌SAT‌ ‌score‌ ‌compares‌ ‌against‌ ‌others‌ ‌that‌ give‌ ‌it‌ ‌context.‌ ‌Let’s‌ ‌face‌ ‌it: ‌if‌ ‌you‌ ‌scored‌ ‌the‌ ‌highest‌ ‌on‌ ‌an‌ ‌exam‌ ‌but‌ ‌only‌ ‌answered‌ ‌half‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ questions‌ ‌correctly,‌ ‌your‌ ‌50%‌ ‌means‌ ‌something‌ ‌different‌ ‌than‌ ‌your‌ ‌75%‌ ‌on‌ ‌an‌ ‌exam‌ ‌where‌ the‌ ‌highest‌ ‌score‌ ‌was‌ ‌98%.‌ ‌ ‌

The‌ ‌table‌ ‌below‌ ‌shows‌ ‌SAT‌ ‌scores‌ ‌along‌ ‌with‌ ‌the‌ ‌average‌ ‌percentile‌ ‌of‌ ‌2020‌ test-takers ‌who‌ scored‌ ‌below‌ ‌that‌ ‌number.‌ ‌The‌ ‌higher‌ ‌your‌ ‌SAT‌ ‌User‌ Percentile,‌ ‌the‌ ‌better‌ ‌your‌ ‌score‌ ‌is‌ perceived to be‌ ‌by‌ ‌colleges‌ ‌and‌ ‌scholarship‌ ‌committees.‌ ‌

When we talk about SAT scores, we are actually talking about three different data points. Students who take the SAT receive one score from 200-800 for the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing Test (EBWR), and another score ranging from 200-800 for the Math test, leading to a composite score ranging from 400-1600, which is the sum of the section scores.

According to the 2021 SAT Suite of Assessments Annual Report, the average ERW score was 533, the average Math score was 528, and the average overall composite score was 1060. 

SAT College Readiness Benchmarks 

The SAT College Readiness Benchmarks offer college-bound students an indication of how prepared they are for higher education, and are predictive of students’ performance in college-level courses. SAT scorecards use a color-coded scale to represent readiness. 

• Green: Section score meets or exceeds the benchmark
• Yellow: Section score is within one year of academic growth for the benchmark
• Red: Section score is below the benchmark by more than one year of academic growth

The current SAT College Readiness Section Scores are: 

A great SAT score for one student is potentially a disappointment for another. Below we share a few factors to consider when determining what a good SAT score is for you. 

How to Set Your Target SAT Score

There is a certain amount of subjectivity to consider when looking at SAT scores. A great SAT score for one student may not be a great score for another student. If you’re trying to set a target for your SAT score, there are a few different factors you should consider. 

1. What Is Your Starting Point?

Take a practice SAT to find out your starting point. Take the test under actual testing conditions, using the same resources and time constraints you’d have during an official test. This will give a realistic picture of where you’re starting from in your studying journey. Alternatively, you could use your PSAT score. Check what percentile you achieved on your PSAT and compare it to the same percentile SAT score to get a rough idea of what you might score on the SAT. 

Once you start studying, your score will hopefully improve. In general, the lower your score is to begin with, the more improvement you’ll see. If your score on a particular section is below 500, you may feasibly improve up to 200 points. For higher scores, you can aim to improve between 100 and 150 points. 

You should also realize that you’ll likely take the actual SAT test more than once, and your score will likely continue to improve each time you take it. Most students take the SAT two or three times, and the greatest score increases on actual tests occur between the first and second test administration. 

No matter where you’re starting from, establishing a baseline can help you set realistic goals for your SAT score based on the time you have before college applications and scholarship deadlines. 

2. What Colleges Do You Want to Attend?   

The other factor you’ll need to consider when setting a target score is what the SAT score range is at the colleges you want to attend. Generally, the more selective a college is, the higher the average SAT score of admitted students will be. Therefore, if you want to attend a selective college, you should expect to achieve a top SAT score to be a competitive applicant. 

Most colleges release their middle 50% ranges, meaning that the middle 50% of accepted students scored in that range, with 25% scoring below and above. For example, if a school’s middle 50% SAT range is 1320-1450, 25% of students scored below 1320, 50% scored 1320-1450, and 25% of students scored above 1450. It’s important to have a score that is up to par with these ranges.

Test-Optional Schools and COVID-19

A handful of schools had established test-optional admissions policies before COVID-19. Test-optional admissions allow students to decide whether or not to submit standardized test scores with their applications. However, due to the disruption of the administration of standardized exams because of the pandemic, many colleges have adopted test-optional policies, at least in the short term. 

Should I Submit My SAT Score? 

CollegeVine suggests taking a standardized test if you can do so safely and submitting scores that are at (or above) the 25th percentile for the school you’re applying to. Applicants who submit test scores are accepted at higher rates than those that do not and strong standardized test scores can only bolster your candidacy. For example, if you’re applying to Bowdoin, which has a middle 50% range of 1340-1510, you should submit a score of 1340 or higher. 

It should be noted that the pandemic has changed norms around standardized tests which makes comparing scores year to year a challenge—‌for example, about 700,000 fewer students in the high school Class of 2021 took the SAT at least once compared to the Class of 2020. Despite fewer test-takers, the average score of the Class of 2021 was 1060, nine points higher than the Class of 2020’s average score of 1051. 

What Is the Average SAT Score at Top Schools?

Determining what a good SAT score is for you has a lot to do with where you’re applying. If you’re interested in attending a top college, you should aim for a score that lands you comfortably in the top 50% of admitted students.  

All hope isn’t lost if your score falls outside of the SAT score range of your prospective schools, however, you’ll need to demonstrate achievement and excellence in other areas of your application. 

Middle 50% SAT Scores at Top 20 National Universities

Middle 50% SAT Scores at Top 20 Liberal Arts Schools

What To Do If Your Score is Too Low

If your SAT score doesn’t fall within the mid-to-high range of the middle 50% SAT scores at your desired college, you should try to get that score up before you apply. This is because many selective colleges use the Academic Index to filter out applicants. If your grades and scores aren’t good enough, you may be automatically rejected. 

Of course, it is possible to get in with lower scores, especially if you have stronger grades, or if you’re an underrepresented minority, legacy, or recruited athlete. But you should always strive for a score that’s as competitive, if not more, than those of accepted students. 

Here are our tips for improving your score:

1. Make a Study Plan

Use your target score to help create a study plan. Work backwards from the date you intend to take your test and break down your prep work into manageable chunks. Set time aside each day to prep for the test, especially for your weaker sections and concepts. 

Take at least a few timed practice tests, but don’t only take practice tests. It’s important to hone in on your weaknesses so that they’re no longer an issue. You can drill certain types of questions, or take practice section tests. 

2. Learn the Two-Passes Strategy

The two-pass strategy helps ensure you have time to answer all the questions that you find easy. The strategy is simple: first, answer every question that you know or that seems obvious, and skip the more challenging questions. After answering the “easy” questions, return to the ones you passed over.  

Make sure that you practice using this strategy in advance so that you can get your timing on each section just right. You should also pay special attention to your scantron, as you don’t want to accidentally mess up the numbering.

3. Use the Resources Available

SAT prep materials and courses are abundantly available, many of which are free. The most notable of these is offered by Khan Academy—the official study partner of the College Board. It’s been shown that studying 20 hours on Khan Academy leads to a 115-point average improvement. 

• Your Guide to Online SAT Prep Classes
• Your Guide to Free SAT Prep Classes

CollegeVine also has an abundance of useful information on its blog. Check out these awesome articles about SAT prep:

• Links to Every Free SAT Practice Test + Other Resources
• 15 Hardest SAT Math Questions
• Tips to Prepare Yourself for Your SAT Test Day
• How to Pace Yourself on Every Section of the SAT
• 10 Tips to Improve Your SAT Score

4. Apply to test-Optional Colleges 

Another option for students who underperformed on the SAT is to apply at a school with test-optional admissions. Test-optional schools have been around awhile—Bowdoin, one of the best liberal arts colleges in the country, has had a test-optional admissions policy since 1969. For the 2021-2022 admissions cycle, however, most colleges have gone test-optional due to the pandemic. 

Test-optional admission is particularly beneficial for candidates with strong credentials—such as fantastic extracurricular activities and excellent grades—but lackluster test scores. They are also great for groups who generally are disadvantaged by standardized tests, like women, immigrants, students of color, people with disabilities, and first-generation students. 

How Does the SAT Impact My College Chances?

Despite the large number of colleges offering test-optional admissions, your SAT score remains a strong predictor of your future collegiate success. Colleges use standardized test scores along with GPA to determine your level of academic achievement, a major consideration in the college admissions process. Simply, strong test scores are a proven method to improve your chances of gaining admissions to the schools on your college list. 

CollegeVine can help you learn how your SAT score affects your chances at hundreds of colleges across the country. Our free Admissions Calculator uses factors like your GPA, test scores, extracurriculars, and more to give you a personalized estimate of your chances at the schools of your choice!