Is 1400 a good SAT score?
Yes, 1400 is a very good SAT score. It sits around the 93rd to 94th percentile, so only about 6 or 7 in 100 test takers score higher, and it is 50 points above the 1350 that College Board names as the start of the top 10%. It is competitive at most colleges, including many selective ones, but often below the middle range at the most selective schools.
The SAT runs from 400 to 1600, and College Board puts the average around 1050. A 1400 is about 350 points above that, for example 700 in Reading and Writing and 700 in Math. At this level every extra point is harder to win. The test is adaptive: how you do in the first module of a section decides whether the second module is harder or easier, and only the harder second module opens the way to the top scores.
Where 1400 stops setting you apart is the most selective tier. At many of those colleges the middle 50% of admitted students starts in the mid 1400s and runs past 1500, so a 1400 sits near or below the bottom of the range. It will not rule you out on its own, but your grades, essays and activities carry more of the load. At most state flagships and many private colleges, 1400 sits in or above the middle range.
| Score | Where it sits |
|---|---|
| 1600 | Highest possible score |
| 1400 | About the 93rd to 94th percentile |
| 1350 | Start of the top 10%, per College Board |
| 1300 | About the 87th percentile |
| About 1050 | Average score, per College Board |
- 1Write down the middle 50% SAT range of each college on your list.
- 2If 1400 is at or above the 75th percentile for most of them, stop testing and put the time into grades and essays.
- 3If your top choices have ranges that start above 1400, a retake can help. Plan one or two more attempts, not five.
- 4Look at your section split. A 680 and a 720 tells you where the next points are easiest to find.
- 5Check whether your colleges superscore, which means they take your best section scores across test dates. If they do, aim the retake at your weaker section.
- 6Before test day, review every miss from your recent practice tests and sit at least one full timed test.