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    Is a 1250 SAT score good?

    Yes. A 1250 is a good score on the SAT. It's at the 80th percentile of recent SAT takers and at the 86th 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 783 of the 925 colleges we track with published SAT ranges.

    Updated

    percentile of recent SAT takers
    80th
    percentile of all U.S. 11th and 12th graders
    86th
    colleges where it's in or above the middle 50%
    783 of 925
    ACT equivalent
    26

    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

    • A 1250 is below the 25th percentile at Penn State, UConn and Minnesota, and still worth sending at all three by our estimates.
    • Ohio State and Florida State (1300) are 50 points away; Florida (1330) and Washington (1320) further.
    • Butler's automatic award pays $26,000 a year at 1230 to 1250 on the SAT alone, and $28,000 from 1260.

    How a 1250 compares across colleges

    Where 1250 falls against the middle 50% of enrolled freshmen who sent scores, at public and at private colleges.

    Where a 1250 falls in colleges' middle 50% SAT ranges
    Where a 1250 fallsPublic (378)Private (547)
    Above the 75th percentile204183
    Inside the middle 50%148248
    Below the 25th percentile26116
    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 a 1250 is in range

    The largest public universities where 1250 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 a 1250 is in range
    CollegeMiddle 50% SAT (Fall 2025)2026-27 test policySent an SAT
    Texas A&M University-College Station1160-1390Optional77%
    University of Central Florida1220-1350Required74%
    Purdue University-Main Campus1220-1470Required84%
    University of Arizona1090-1320Optional12%
    Michigan State University1100-1310Optional52%
    Florida International University1070-1260Required92%
    University of Houston1140-1310Optional55%
    Indiana University-Bloomington1200-1410Optional43%
    University of South Florida1160-1340Required78%
    The University of Alabama1100-1360Optional19%
    Sources: each college's Common Data Set (or College Scorecard) and admissions page, linked in the table.

    Selective private colleges where a 1250 is in range

    The private colleges with the highest middle 50% that still includes 1250, most selective first.

    Selective private colleges where a 1250 is in range
    CollegeMiddle 50% SAT2026-27 test policySent an SAT
    The College of Wooster1245-1440Optional20%
    University of the Pacific1220-1453Optional15%
    Colorado College1240-1430Optional28%
    Lawrence University1240-1420Optional21%
    Pepperdine University1240-1410Optional17%
    Westmont College1220-1430Optional20%
    Loyola University Maryland1250-1370Optional13%
    Sarah Lawrence College1238-1378Optional11%
    Gonzaga University1230-1383Optional19%
    Ithaca College1240-1370Optional22%
    Sources: each college's Common Data Set (or College Scorecard) and admissions page, linked in the table.

    Where does a 1250 fall short?

    A 1250 is below the 25th percentile at UConn (1260), Penn State (1280), Ohio State (1300), Florida State (1300), Minnesota (1310), Washington (1320) and the University of Florida (1330). At 1300, the first four are inside their ranges.

    Read Ohio State's range with care. It began requiring scores with the 2026 admissions cycle, so its Fall 2025 range comes from a class admitted when scores were optional, and only 25% of that class sent an SAT.

    Should you send a 1250 to test-optional colleges?

    Usually yes, even below the range. A college's middle 50% covers only the students who sent scores, and at a test-optional college the freshmen who didn't send one typically scored lower. A 1250 is below the 25th percentile at Penn State, UConn and Minnesota, but above our estimate of the typical SAT of their freshmen who enrolled without one (1210, 1230 and 1240), so sending it helps at all three.

    Minnesota's range rests on the fewest students: 7% of its Fall 2025 first-years sent an SAT. At about seven in eight test-optional colleges we can estimate, a 1250 is worth sending.

    Which scholarships does a 1250 earn?

    A 1250 sits at the top of several grid bands, which makes the next ten points worth checking:

    • Butler. The Academic Scholarship pays $26,000 a year for 1230 to 1250 and $28,000 from 1260, on the SAT alone.
    • Alabama. For out-of-state students with a 3.50 GPA, the automatic grid pays $6,000 a year for 1200 to 1250 and $8,000 from 1260, from a single test date.
    • Oklahoma. Non-residents with a 3.5 GPA receive $14,000 a year for 1230 to 1290, and $14,500 from 1300.

    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 1250 fits, college by college

    Each college we track, with its middle 50% of enrolled freshmen, where 1250 falls in it, whether to send it, and the merit aid whose SAT minimum it meets. Pick a score within 20 points of 1250 or a state to redraw the lists.

    At 1250: 412 target, 24 reach and 375 likely colleges; worth sending to 666 of 762 test-optional colleges.

    Target colleges for 1250 (412)

    1250 is inside the middle 50% of enrolled freshmen, or at a test-optional college it's worth sending. Most selective first.

    Target colleges for 1250
    The University of Texas at AustinAustin, TX · Admits 22%SAT, middle 50%1250 to 1510Lower half of the middle 50%Send this score?RequiredTest required
    University of TulsaTulsa, OK · Admits 62%SAT, middle 50%1223 to 1530Lower half of the middle 50%Send this score?Send itTest optional. Send from 1210
    Purdue University-Main CampusWest Lafayette, IN · Admits 43%SAT, middle 50%1220 to 1470Lower half of the middle 50%Send this score?RequiredTest required
    The College of WoosterWooster, OH · Admits 64%SAT, middle 50%1245 to 1440Lower half of the middle 50%Send this score?Send itTest optional. Send from 1220
    Willamette UniversitySalem, OR · Admits 77%SAT, middle 50%1240 to 1440Lower half of the middle 50%Send this score?Send itTest optional. Send from 1230
    School of Visual ArtsNew York, NY · Admits 93%SAT, middle 50%1188 to 1490Lower half of the middle 50%Send this score?Send itTest optional. Send from 1150
    University of the PacificStockton, CA · Admits 69%SAT, middle 50%1220 to 1453Lower half of the middle 50%Send this score?Send itTest optional. Send from 1200
    Touro UniversityNew York, NY · Admits 61%SAT, middle 50%1218 to 1453Lower half of the middle 50%Send this score?Send itTest optional. Send from 1180
    College of the AtlanticBar Harbor, ME · Admits 69%SAT, middle 50%1240 to 1430Lower half of the middle 50%Send this score?Send itTest optional. Send from 1200
    Colorado CollegeColorado Springs, CO · Admits 22%SAT, middle 50%1240 to 1430Lower half of the middle 50%Send this score?Send itTest optional. Send from 1210

    Reach colleges for 1250 (24)

    1250 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 1250
    Otis College of Art and DesignLos Angeles, CA · Admits 82%SAT, middle 50%1265 to 1395Below the middle 50%Send this score?No estimateTest optional
    Brigham Young UniversityProvo, UT · Admits 68%SAT, middle 50%1270 to 1460Below the middle 50%Send this score?Close callYour GPA decides. Send from 1260
    Auburn UniversityAuburn, AL · Admits 47%SAT, middle 50%1280 to 1370Below the middle 50%Send this score?RequiredTest required
    Fairfield UniversityFairfield, CT · Admits 25%SAT, middle 50%1280 to 1370Below the middle 50%Send this score?Close callYour GPA decides. Send from 1270
    Furman UniversityGreenville, SC · Admits 49%SAT, middle 50%1280 to 1410Below the middle 50%Send this score?Close callYour GPA decides. Send from 1270
    The University of Tennessee-KnoxvilleKnoxville, TN · Admits 44%SAT, middle 50%1280 to 1380Below the middle 50%Send this score?RequiredTest requiredMerit at this score$1,500 a yearOrange & White Scholarship. 3.60 to 3.79 GPA, 1230+ SAT or 26+ ACT, UT Weighted Core GPA; ACT/SAT composite superscore; must graduate from a Tennessee high school, from TN. In-state students
    University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh CampusPittsburgh, PA · Admits 59%SAT, middle 50%1280 to 1460Below the middle 50%Send this score?Close callYour GPA decides. Send from 1270
    St. John's CollegeSanta Fe, NM · Admits 53%SAT, middle 50%1290 to 1460Below the middle 50%Send this score?Close callYour GPA decides. Send from 1280
    Bennington CollegeBennington, VT · Admits 37%SAT, middle 50%1291 to 1403Below the middle 50%Send this score?Close callYour GPA decides. Send from 1300
    The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and ArtNew York, NY · Admits 21%SAT, middle 50%1295 to 1501Below the middle 50%Send this score?No estimateVaries by applicant

    Not listed: 99 more colleges where 1250 is under roughly the 10th percentile of freshmen.

    Likely colleges for 1250 (304)

    1250 is above the 75th percentile of enrolled freshmen at a college admitting 15% or more. Closest first.

    Likely colleges for 1250
    Piedmont UniversityDemorest, GA · Admits 93%SAT, middle 50%1038 to 1245Above the middle 50%Send this score?Send itTest optional. Send from 1070
    University of Maine at FarmingtonFarmington, ME · Admits 97%SAT, middle 50%995 to 1245Above the middle 50%Send this score?Send itTest optional. Send from 1050
    University of ToledoToledo, OH · Admits 89%SAT, middle 50%980 to 1245Above the middle 50%Send this score?Send itTest optional. Send from 1060
    Salem CollegeWinston-Salem, NC · Admits 77%SAT, middle 50%1066 to 1243Above the middle 50%Send this score?Send itTest optional. Send from 1030
    University of New OrleansNew Orleans, LA · Admits 74%SAT, middle 50%935 to 1241Above the middle 50%Send this score?Send itTest optional; required below a 2.5 GPA. Send from 1010Merit at this score$4,000 a yearOut-of-State Promise Scholarship. 3.00+ GPA, 1230+ SAT or 26+ ACT. Out-of-state students
    Ball State UniversityMuncie, IN · Admits 86%SAT, middle 50%1090 to 1240Above the middle 50%Send this score?Send itTest optional. Send from 1100
    Eastern Connecticut State UniversityWillimantic, CT · Admits 85%SAT, middle 50%1100 to 1240Above the middle 50%Send this score?Send itTest optional. Send from 1110
    Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-WorldwideDaytona Beach, FL · Admits 58%SAT, middle 50%1040 to 1240Above the middle 50%Send this score?Send itTest optional. Send from 1070
    Farmingdale State CollegeFarmingdale, NY · Admits 62%SAT, middle 50%1040 to 1240Above the middle 50%Send this score?Send itTest optional. Send from 1080
    Franklin CollegeFranklin, IN · Admits 70%SAT, middle 50%1060 to 1240Above the middle 50%Send this score?Send itTest optional. Send from 1080

    Not listed: 71 more colleges where 1250 is more than 150 points above the middle 50%.

    Automatic scholarships with an SAT minimum at or below 1250

    117 colleges we track publish an automatic merit award with an SAT minimum at or below 1250, 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 1300, 154 colleges move up a band, 24 test-optional colleges become worth sending to, and 64 colleges have a larger scholarship whose SAT minimum it meets. See every college at 1300.

    Moves up a band (154)

    Becomes worth sending (24)

    Meets a larger award's SAT minimum (64)

    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 a 1250?

    A 1250 sits between 1200, where you can miss roughly 23 to 27 questions, and 1300, where you can miss about 16 to 20. Those seven or so questions are usually medium-difficulty ones in Module 1, which also decide whether you reach the harder Module 2.

    If one section score has stayed at or below about 650 across several practice tests while your accuracy in drills improves, routing may be the cause. Bluebook doesn't tell you which Module 2 you received. Practice 22 Math questions in 35 minutes or 27 Reading and Writing questions in 32 minutes, then review every miss. We've written more about what to practice between 1200 and 1400.

    Other SAT scores

    1200 is 50 lower; 1300 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 a 1250 SAT

    Is a 1250 a good SAT score?
    Yes. A 1250 is a good score on the SAT. It's at the 80th percentile of recent SAT takers and at the 86th 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 783 of the 925 colleges we track with published SAT ranges.
    What percentile is a 1250 on the SAT?
    A 1250 is at the 80th percentile among students who took the SAT and graduated in the past three school years (College Board's user group percentiles): about 20% 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 86th percentile.
    What colleges can I get into with a 1250 SAT?
    By score alone, a 1250 makes 412 colleges we track a target, including The University of Texas at Austin, University of Tulsa and Purdue University-Main Campus, and 375 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 a 1250 to test-optional colleges?
    At 666 of the 762 test-optional colleges where we estimate the typical score of freshmen who enrolled without one, a 1250 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 a 1250 SAT?
    A 1250 SAT matches a 26 on the ACT, by the concordance tables ACT and College Board published together in 2018.
    Should I retake the SAT with a 1250?
    It depends on your list. Fifty more points, 1300, would move up a band at 154 colleges, become worth sending at 24 colleges and meet a richer scholarship's SAT minimum at 64 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.