Sharp SAT prep home

    Is an 1150 SAT score good?

    An 1150 SAT is above average. It's at the 69th percentile of recent SAT takers and at the 74th percentile of all U.S. 11th and 12th graders, by College Board's percentiles. Whether it's good for you depends on your colleges: it's inside or above the middle 50% of enrolled freshmen at 652 of the 925 colleges we track with published SAT ranges.

    Updated

    percentile of recent SAT takers
    69th
    percentile of all U.S. 11th and 12th graders
    74th
    colleges where it's in or above the middle 50%
    652 of 925
    ACT equivalent
    23

    Percentiles: College Board, SAT Nationally Representative and User Percentiles. User group percentiles count students who graduated in the past three school years; nationally representative ones are weighted to stand for all U.S. 11th and 12th graders. Checked October 31, 2026. ACT equivalent: ACT and College Board concordance (2018).

    Key takeaways

    • An 1150 is 10 to 50 points below the 25th percentile at Texas A&M, South Florida, Cincinnati, George Mason, South Carolina and Indiana. At 1200, it's inside all six ranges.
    • Between 1100 and 1150, the send call flips from close to send at Michigan State and Alabama.
    • Several automatic awards worth more than $20,000 a year start at 1130, including New Mexico's Amigo Scholarship for out-of-state students.

    How an 1150 compares across colleges

    Where 1150 falls against the middle 50% of enrolled freshmen who sent scores, at public and at private colleges.

    Where a 1150 falls in colleges' middle 50% SAT ranges
    Where a 1150 fallsPublic (378)Private (547)
    Above the 75th percentile9158
    Inside the middle 50%217286
    Below the 25th percentile70203
    Colleges we track with a published SAT range: each college's Common Data Set, or the federal College Scorecard where it has none.

    Large public universities where an 1150 is in range

    The largest public universities where 1150 is inside the middle 50%. Each range links to its source and each policy to the college's admissions page. "Sent an SAT" is the share of enrolled first-years the range describes.

    Large public universities where an 1150 is in range
    CollegeMiddle 50% SAT2026-27 test policySent an SAT
    University of Arizona1090-1320Optional12%
    Kennesaw State University1010-1210Required41%
    Michigan State University1100-1310Optional52%
    Florida International University1070-1260Required92%
    University of Houston1140-1310Optional55%
    Texas State University990-1200Varies by applicant41%
    University of North Texas960-1210Optional40%
    The University of Alabama1100-1360Optional19%
    Texas Tech University1110-1260Optional35%
    University of Colorado Boulder1130-1370Optional27%
    Sources: each college's Common Data Set (or College Scorecard) and admissions page, linked in the table.

    Selective private colleges where an 1150 is in range

    The private colleges with the highest middle 50% that still includes 1150, most selective first.

    Selective private colleges where an 1150 is in range
    CollegeMiddle 50% SAT2026-27 test policySent an SAT
    Siena University1138-1430Optional6%
    Knox College1150-1410Optional29%
    Pratt Institute-Main1140-1380Optional16%
    Covenant College1150-1360Recommended44%
    Cedarville University1120-1380Optional37%
    Messiah University1150-1350Optional51%
    Lipscomb University1120-1370Optional15%
    Point Loma Nazarene University1135-1350Optional8%
    DePaul University1150-1330Optional30%
    Juniata College1150-1320Optional27%
    Sources: each college's Common Data Set (or College Scorecard) and admissions page, linked in the table.

    Where does an 1150 fall short?

    An 1150 is 10 to 50 points below the 25th percentile at Texas A&M (1160), South Florida (1160), Cincinnati (1160), George Mason (1180), South Carolina (1200) and Indiana (1200). At 1200, it's inside all six ranges. UCF and Purdue (1220 at both) are a little further.

    Florida's public universities require scores, so their ranges describe most of the class: 74% of UCF's Fall 2025 first-years sent an SAT, and 78% of South Florida's. At Cincinnati, 9% did.

    Should you send an 1150 to test-optional colleges?

    At most test-optional colleges, yes: an 1150 is at or above our estimate of the typical SAT of freshmen who enrolled without one at about 70% of those we can estimate. That now includes Michigan State and Alabama (1120 at both), where an 1100 was a close call, along with Houston (1150) and Texas Tech (1120).

    Where an 1150 is slightly below the 25th percentile, it's usually a close call and your GPA decides: at Texas A&M we estimate 1170, at Cincinnati 1160 and at South Carolina 1190.

    Which scholarships does an 1150 earn?

    Several of the larger automatic awards start at 1130, twenty points below. For out-of-state students, New Mexico's Amigo Scholarship pays $23,349 a year with a 3.5 GPA, and Centenary College of Louisiana's Trustee's Scholarship pays $28,000 a year with a 3.25. Drury pays $24,000 a year from 1130 with a 4.00.

    Ten points up, at 1160, non-residents at Oklahoma with a 3.5 GPA receive $12,000 a year, and Texas State's Distinguished Scholarship rises to $5,000. This page counts only awards with an SAT minimum. Many colleges also give merit aid on GPA alone; our merit aid calculator estimates awards from your GPA and score together.

    Where 1150 fits, college by college

    Each college we track, with its middle 50% of enrolled freshmen, where 1150 falls in it, whether to send it, and the merit aid whose SAT minimum it meets. Pick a score within 20 points of 1150 or a state to redraw the lists.

    At 1150: 510 target, 85 reach and 146 likely colleges; worth sending to 535 of 762 test-optional colleges.

    Target colleges for 1150 (510)

    1150 is inside the middle 50% of enrolled freshmen, or at a test-optional college it's worth sending. Most selective first.

    Target colleges for 1150
    Fisk UniversityNashville, TN · Admits 37%SAT, middle 50%1140 to 1510Lower half of the middle 50%Send this score?Send itTest optional. Send from 1090
    University of Missouri-Kansas CityKansas City, MO · Admits 65%SAT, middle 50%1115 to 1525Lower half of the middle 50%Send this score?Send itTest optional. Send from 1060
    Missouri Southern State UniversityJoplin, MO · Admits 97%SAT, middle 50%1150 to 1420Lower half of the middle 50%Send this score?Send itTest optional. Send from 1040Merit at this scoreMOSO Merit Scholarship (Gold)3.80+ GPA, 1090 to 1180 SAT or 21 to 23 ACT, $1,750 per semester
    Siena UniversityLoudonville, NY · Admits 69%SAT, middle 50%1138 to 1430Lower half of the middle 50%Send this score?No estimateTest optional
    Knox CollegeGalesburg, IL · Admits 77%SAT, middle 50%1150 to 1410Lower half of the middle 50%Send this score?Close callYour GPA decides. Send from 1160
    DigiPen Institute of TechnologyRedmond, WA · Admits 64%SAT, middle 50%1150 to 1400Lower half of the middle 50%Send this score?Close callYour GPA decides. Send from 1160
    Grove City CollegeGrove City, PA · Admits 72%SAT, middle 50%1141 to 1388Lower half of the middle 50%Send this score?Send itTest optional. Send from 1140
    Hamline UniversitySaint Paul, MN · Admits 88%SAT, middle 50%1133 to 1391Lower half of the middle 50%Send this score?Send itTest optional. Send from 1080
    Augustana UniversitySioux Falls, SD · Admits 73%SAT, middle 50%1150 to 1370Lower half of the middle 50%Send this score?Send itTest optional. Send from 1090
    Benedictine CollegeAtchison, KS · Admits 98%SAT, middle 50%1140 to 1380Lower half of the middle 50%Send this score?Send itTest optional. Send from 1130

    Reach colleges for 1150 (85)

    1150 is below the middle 50% but above the bottom 10% or so, or the college admits under 15% of applicants, a reach for everyone. Closest first.

    Reach colleges for 1150
    New Saint Andrews CollegeMoscow, ID · Admits 84%SAT, middle 50%1155 to 1358Below the middle 50%Send this score?RequiredTest required
    University of DallasIrving, TX · Admits 73%SAT, middle 50%1155 to 1375Below the middle 50%Send this score?RequiredTest requiredMerit at this score$31,000 a yearFreshman Academic Achievement Scholarship. 3.40 to 3.59 GPA or 1100 to 1190 SAT or 22 to 24 ACT, Uses the higher of GPA or test score; or CLT 72-77
    Berea CollegeBerea, KY · Admits 19%SAT, middle 50%1156 to 1335Below the middle 50%Send this score?Close callYour GPA decides. Send from 1160
    Immaculata UniversityImmaculata, PA · Admits 87%SAT, middle 50%1156 to 1323Below the middle 50%Send this score?Close callYour GPA decides. Send from 1160
    Belmont UniversityNashville, TN · Admits 94%SAT, middle 50%1160 to 1360Below the middle 50%Send this score?Close callYour GPA decides. Send from 1180
    Centre CollegeDanville, KY · Admits 48%SAT, middle 50%1160 to 1450Below the middle 50%Send this score?Apply without itTest optional. Send from 1200
    Connecticut CollegeNew London, CT · Admits 39%SAT, middle 50%1160 to 1370Below the middle 50%Send this score?Close callYour GPA decides. Send from 1160
    Kettering UniversityFlint, MI · Admits 79%SAT, middle 50%1160 to 1330Below the middle 50%Send this score?Close callYour GPA decides. Send from 1170
    Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health SciencesBoston, MA · Admits 85%SAT, middle 50%1160 to 1416Below the middle 50%Send this score?Close callYour GPA decides. Send from 1160
    Rollins CollegeWinter Park, FL · Admits 48%SAT, middle 50%1160 to 1370Below the middle 50%Send this score?Close callYour GPA decides. Send from 1170

    Not listed: 169 more colleges where 1150 is under roughly the 10th percentile of freshmen.

    Likely colleges for 1150 (137)

    1150 is above the 75th percentile of enrolled freshmen at a college admitting 15% or more. Closest first.

    Likely colleges for 1150
    Averett UniversityDanville, VA · Admits 57%SAT, middle 50%926 to 1143Above the middle 50%Send this score?Send itTest optional. Send from 1010
    Adrian CollegeAdrian, MI · Admits 73%SAT, middle 50%873 to 1140Above the middle 50%Send this score?Send itTest optional. Send from 1010
    Augusta UniversityAugusta, GA · Admits 86%SAT, middle 50%970 to 1140Above the middle 50%Send this score?RequiredTest required
    Calvary UniversityKansas City, MO · Admits 72%SAT, middle 50%980 to 1140Above the middle 50%Send this score?RequiredTest required
    Central Connecticut State UniversityNew Britain, CT · Admits 79%SAT, middle 50%900 to 1140Above the middle 50%Send this score?Send itTest optional. Send from 990
    CUNY New York City College of TechnologyBrooklyn, NY · Admits 80%SAT, middle 50%900 to 1140Above the middle 50%Send this score?Send itTest optional. Send from 990
    East Texas A&M UniversityCommerce, TX · Admits 92%SAT, middle 50%910 to 1140Above the middle 50%Send this score?Send itTest optional. Send from 1000
    Fort Hays State UniversityHays, KS · Admits 90%SAT, middle 50%970 to 1140Above the middle 50%Send this score?Send itTest optional; required below a 2.3 GPA. Send from 1020
    Georgia Southern UniversityStatesboro, GA · Admits 87%SAT, middle 50%980 to 1140Above the middle 50%Send this score?RequiredTest required
    Lamar UniversityBeaumont, TX · Admits 84%SAT, middle 50%930 to 1140Above the middle 50%Send this score?Send itTest optional. Send from 1000Merit at this score$5,000 a yearDistinguished Scholars. 1080 to 1190 SAT or 22 to 24 ACT, No GPA requirement

    Not listed: 9 more colleges where 1150 is more than 150 points above the middle 50%.

    Automatic scholarships with an SAT minimum at or below 1150

    90 colleges we track publish an automatic merit award with an SAT minimum at or below 1150, including colleges not listed above. Each award's other requirements, usually a GPA, are listed with it, and the college's page has every rule. Largest first.

    What 50 more points changes

    At 1200, 170 colleges move up a band, 84 test-optional colleges become worth sending to, and 68 colleges have a larger scholarship whose SAT minimum it meets. See every college at 1200.

    Moves up a band (170)

    Becomes worth sending (84)

    Meets a larger award's SAT minimum (68)

    We sort by score alone, with the same rules as our college pages, because this page doesn't ask for your GPA. SAT ranges are the middle 50% of enrolled freshmen who sent scores, mostly the Fall 2025 entering class, from each college's Common Data Set or the federal College Scorecard. Test policies are for fall 2027. "Send from" is our estimate of the typical SAT of freshmen who enrolled without one. Scholarships come from each college's published policy, linked.

    What costs points at an 1150?

    An 1150 is about 50 points from 1200, where you can miss roughly 13 to 17 Reading and Writing questions and 10 to 11 Math questions (see how many questions you can miss at each score). At this level, the remaining misses are a mix of content gaps and execution errors, and the second group is usually the faster one to shrink.

    Practice in module-length timed sets, then review every miss, including the ones you guessed right. In Math, use Desmos for systems of equations and quadratics. In Reading and Writing, Standard English Conventions questions should be close to automatic by now; if they aren't, they're the cheapest points left. We've written more about what to practice between 1000 and 1200.

    Other SAT scores

    1100 is 50 lower; 1200 is 50 higher. Every score from 900 to 1600 is on the SAT scores page. To check one college against your score and GPA, use the submit or retake tool.

    Common questions about an 1150 SAT

    Is an 1150 a good SAT score?
    An 1150 SAT is above average. It's at the 69th percentile of recent SAT takers and at the 74th percentile of all U.S. 11th and 12th graders, by College Board's percentiles. Whether it's good for you depends on your colleges: it's inside or above the middle 50% of enrolled freshmen at 652 of the 925 colleges we track with published SAT ranges.
    What percentile is an 1150 on the SAT?
    An 1150 is at the 69th percentile among students who took the SAT and graduated in the past three school years (College Board's user group percentiles): about 31% of them scored higher. Against all U.S. 11th and 12th graders, including those who don't take the SAT (College Board's nationally representative percentiles), it's at the 74th percentile.
    What colleges can I get into with an 1150 SAT?
    By score alone, an 1150 makes 510 colleges we track a target, including Fisk University, University of Missouri-Kansas City and Missouri Southern State University, and 146 colleges likely: it's above the middle 50% of their freshmen. Grades, courses and the rest of your file count too, and colleges admitting under 15% of applicants are a reach for everyone.
    Should I send an 1150 to test-optional colleges?
    At 535 of the 762 test-optional colleges where we estimate the typical score of freshmen who enrolled without one, an 1150 is at or above it, so sending it helps. Elsewhere, applying without it is usually the better call, unless the score earns a scholarship. Each college's row in the table gives the call.
    What ACT score is an 1150 SAT?
    An 1150 SAT matches a 23 on the ACT, by the concordance tables ACT and College Board published together in 2018.
    Should I retake the SAT with an 1150?
    It depends on your list. Fifty more points, 1200, would move up a band at 170 colleges, become worth sending at 84 colleges and meet a richer scholarship's SAT minimum at 68 colleges. If none of those colleges is on your list, you may get more from spending that time on the rest of your application.

    Have another question? Email us at team@getsharp.app.