"Good" is relative to where you're applying. A 1450 is a 96th-percentile score nationally — and the 25th percentile at Harvard. Here are the numbers that matter, by tier.
SAT percentile reference (nationally representative sample)
- 1600 — 99+ percentile
- 1500 — 99th percentile
- 1400 — 95th percentile
- 1300 — 88th percentile
- 1200 — 75th percentile
- 1100 — 58th percentile
- 1050 — 50th percentile (national average)
What's a good SAT score for the Ivy League?
The middle-50% SAT range at every Ivy is roughly 1470–1580. Below 1500 is a headwind; above 1530 is in line with most admitted students.
Score ranges for the most selective US universities
- Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, MIT, Caltech: 1500–1580
- Columbia, Penn, Brown, Dartmouth, Duke, Northwestern, JHU, UChicago: 1490–1570
- Cornell, Vanderbilt, Notre Dame, WashU, USC: 1450–1570
- Top publics (Berkeley, UCLA, Michigan, UVA, UNC, Georgia Tech): 1290–1540
- Selective state flagships (Ohio State, Wisconsin, Indiana, UT Austin): 1200–1450
Should you retake the SAT?
Retake if your current score is below the 25th-percentile mark at your top-choice schools. Most students improve 30–80 points on a second sitting with focused prep. Beyond a third take, returns diminish.
Test-optional considerations
Many top schools went test-optional during COVID and several have stayed optional. Even at test-optional schools, students who submit scores in the 75th-percentile range have a measurable edge. If your score is at or above the school's 50th-percentile mark, submit. Below the 25th, hold.