SAT Scores and Score Categories
The SAT was updated in 2023 for international students and 2024 for students in the United States, with the biggest update being the transition away from a paper and pencil exam to a completely digital exam taken on a laptop or tablet. Below we will examine what the digital version of the test means for scoring, types of scores on the digital exam score report, when students can expect to receive their test scores, and what is considered a strong SAT score following the most recent revision.
The 2025 SAT continues with the usage of the 1600-point scale put into place back in 2016. From 2005 to 2016, the SAT was briefly scored on a 2400-point scale to include the newly added essay, allotting up to 800 points across three sections (writing, critical reading, and mathematics). This system was discarded in 2016 with a return to the 1600-point scale, allotting up to 800 points across two sections (Evidence-Based Reading and Writing, and Math). Following the 2024 revision, the scoring system remained the same: the SAT consists of two sections (Reading & Writing, and Math), and test-takers can earn between 200 to 800 points per section.
Students receive three scores on their score report:
- Total SAT score (range of 400-1600)
- Reading & Writing score (range of 200-800)
- Math score (range of 200-800)
On the prior version of the SAT, students also received sub scores and cross-test scores. The two cross test scores were “Analysis in Science and Analysis in History” and “Social Studies.” There were seven sub scores, including Words in Context, Heart of Algebra, Command of Evidence, Problem Solving and Data Analysis, Expression of Ideas, Passport to Advanced Mathematics, and Standard English Conventions. Cross test scores ranged from 10-40, and sub scores fell between 1-15. With the SAT becoming digital, cross scores and sub scores are no longer reported. According to the College Board, this creates a more streamlined score report that is easier for students, parents, and educators to understand.
Using the most recent available data, the average SAT score across the U.S. in 2024 was 1024. This was a slight drop from the 2023 national average of 1028 and a more notable drop from the 2022 national average of 1050. The national average Reading & Writing score was 480 and the national average Math score was 530. In 2024, nearly two million students took the SAT (1.97 million) up from 1.91 million students who took the exam in 2023. The number of students who took the SAT at their school through SAT School Day testing reached a record high following the release of the digital version of the exam.
Essays and the SAT moving forward
In 2021, the College Board announced that the then-optional essay would no longer be part of the SAT moving forward. With the transition from a paper-and-pencil test to a computerized version of the SAT, the essay has not returned, and there is no indication from the College Board that it will be brought back in the near future.
SAT Scoring Process
One welcome change of the digital SAT is that test-takers no longer need to use test booklets or fill in answer sheets, which had to be shipped to specific centers before they could be scored. This meant test-takers waited anywhere from three to six weeks to receive test scores. With the computerized version of the exam, the SAT is scored after it is completed, and test-takers now receive scores in two to three weeks.
A raw score is calculated based on the number of correct answers. This raw score is then converted to a scaled score, which accounts for variations in test difficulty due to the computer adaptive nature of the exam. Score reports reflect scaled scores rather than raw scores, making it possible to compare your scores across two different test administrations. Students generally receive an email when their SAT scores are available online.
What is Considered a “Good” SAT Score?
Most test professionals agree that a test score above the national average of 1024 is considered a “good” score, but what makes a score strong or weak is often less the score itself and more the colleges and universities you are applying to. The more elite the university, the higher an SAT score must be in order to be considered “good” or even “great.” Most students taking the SAT are advised to aim for a score at or above the 75th percentile. A percentile score means that the score you obtained was better than a percentage of students who took the exam, so a score at the 75th percentile means you performed better than 75% of students who took the exam.
In general, an SAT score at the 75th percentile falls near 1200, but it must be stressed that this varies depending on the university you are applying to. The table below lists the 25th and 75th percentile scores of students admitted to some of the most competitive U.S. universities using data from February 2025:
| University | 25th Percentile Score | 75th Percentile Score |
| Harvard University | 1500 | 1580 |
| MIT | 1520 | 1580 |
| Stanford University | 1510 | 1570 |
| Princeton University | 1510 | 1560 |
| Columbia University | 1470 | 1530 |
| University of Pennsylvania | 1430 | 1570 |
| Yale University | 1500 | 1560 |
| University of Chicago | 1510 | 1560 |
Among these eight universities, the average 25th percentile SAT score was 1494 and the average 75th percentile score was 1564. It is imperative that students understand the range of SAT scores among students admitted to their dream university because a 75th percentile score at an Ivy League school will not be the same as a 75th percentile score at a less prestigious college or university. Do your research and know the average SAT scores expected by your top undergraduate programs, as this will determine the score you need to obtain in order to be considered a competitive applicant.