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    Is a 1300 SAT score good?

    Yes. A 1300 is a good score on the SAT. It's at the 85th percentile of recent SAT takers and at the 91st 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 816 of the 925 colleges we track with published SAT ranges.

    Updated

    percentile of recent SAT takers
    85th
    percentile of all U.S. 11th and 12th graders
    91st
    colleges where it's in or above the middle 50%
    816 of 925
    ACT equivalent
    28

    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 1300 is 10 to 30 points below the 25th percentile at Minnesota, NC State, Washington, Florida and UMass Amherst. At 1350, it's inside all five ranges.
    • At Minnesota, NC State and UMass Amherst, a 1300 is below the range and still worth sending by our estimates.
    • 1330 is a step on several merit grids: Alabama, Oklahoma and Butler all pay more from 1330 than at 1300.

    How a 1300 compares across colleges

    Where 1300 falls against the middle 50% of enrolled freshmen who sent scores, at public and at private colleges.

    Where a 1300 falls in colleges' middle 50% SAT ranges
    Where a 1300 fallsPublic (378)Private (547)
    Above the 75th percentile259254
    Inside the middle 50%102201
    Below the 25th percentile1792
    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 1300 is in range

    The largest public universities where 1300 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 1300 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%
    Ohio State University-Main Campus1300-1440Required25%
    Purdue University-Main Campus1220-1470Required84%
    University of Arizona1090-1320Optional12%
    Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus1280-1410Optional29%
    Michigan State University1100-1310Optional52%
    University of Houston1140-1310Optional55%
    Indiana University-Bloomington1200-1410Optional43%
    University of South Florida1160-1340Required78%
    Sources: each college's Common Data Set (or College Scorecard) and admissions page, linked in the table.

    Selective private colleges where a 1300 is in range

    The private colleges with the highest middle 50% that still includes 1300, most selective first.

    Selective private colleges where a 1300 is in range
    CollegeMiddle 50% SAT2026-27 test policySent an SAT
    Bryn Mawr College1300-1470Optional65%
    Wheaton College1260-1470Optional35%
    Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology1270-1450Optional36%
    Syracuse University1300-1410Optional23%
    Creighton University1280-1410Optional8%
    Denison University1270-1420Optional27%
    Drexel University1260-1430Optional35%
    Furman University1280-1410Optional25%
    The College of Wooster1245-1440Optional20%
    Clark University1270-1410Optional19%
    Sources: each college's Common Data Set (or College Scorecard) and admissions page, linked in the table.

    Where does a 1300 fall short?

    A 1300 is 10 to 30 points below the 25th percentile at Minnesota (1310), NC State (1310), Washington (1320), the University of Florida (1330) and UMass Amherst (1330). At 1350, it's inside all five ranges. Michigan and Georgia Tech (1370 at both) are further.

    At this level, a range says less about your chances than the admit rate does. Florida admitted 20% of applicants for Fall 2025, Michigan 16% and Georgia Tech 13%. At those rates, a score in range doesn't make an admission likely.

    Should you send a 1300 to test-optional colleges?

    At nine in ten test-optional colleges we can estimate, yes, including several where a 1300 is below the range. At Minnesota, NC State and UMass Amherst, we estimate the freshmen who enrolled without a score would typically have scored about 1240, 1270 and 1280, so a 1300 helps even though it's under the 25th percentile.

    Those ranges rest on a minority of the class: 7% of Minnesota's Fall 2025 first-years sent an SAT, 11% of NC State's and 25% of UMass Amherst's. At Michigan, where 55% sent one and we estimate 1360, apply without it.

    Which scholarships does a 1300 earn?

    On several automatic grids, a 1300 is in one tier and 1330 starts the next:

    • Alabama. For out-of-state students with a 3.50 GPA, the automatic grid pays $10,000 a year for 1300 to 1320 and $15,000 from 1330, from a single test date.
    • Oklahoma. Non-residents with a 3.5 GPA receive $14,500 a year for 1300 to 1320 and $16,500 from 1330.
    • Butler. The Academic Scholarship pays $29,000 a year for 1300 to 1320 and $31,000 from 1330, on the SAT alone.

    The University of Dallas pays $35,000 a year from 1300 or a 3.75 GPA. 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 1300 fits, college by college

    Each college we track, with its middle 50% of enrolled freshmen, where 1300 falls in it, whether to send it, and the merit aid whose SAT minimum it meets. Pick a score within 20 points of 1300 or a state to redraw the lists.

    At 1300: 318 target, 14 reach and 499 likely colleges; worth sending to 690 of 762 test-optional colleges.

    Target colleges for 1300 (318)

    1300 is inside the middle 50% of enrolled freshmen, or at a test-optional college it's worth sending. Most selective first.

    Target colleges for 1300
    The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and ArtNew York, NY · Admits 21%SAT, middle 50%1295 to 1501Lower half of the middle 50%Send this score?No estimateVaries by applicant
    Bryn Mawr CollegeBryn Mawr, PA · Admits 28%SAT, middle 50%1300 to 1470Lower half of the middle 50%Send this score?Send itTest optional. Send from 1280
    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
    St. John's CollegeSanta Fe, NM · Admits 53%SAT, middle 50%1290 to 1460Lower half of the middle 50%Send this score?Send itTest optional. Send from 1280
    Ohio State University-Main CampusColumbus, OH · Admits 49%SAT, middle 50%1300 to 1440Lower half of the middle 50%Send this score?RequiredTest required
    University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh CampusPittsburgh, PA · Admits 59%SAT, middle 50%1280 to 1460Lower half of the middle 50%Send this score?Send itTest optional. Send from 1270
    Brigham Young UniversityProvo, UT · Admits 68%SAT, middle 50%1270 to 1460Lower half of the middle 50%Send this score?Send itTest optional. Send from 1260
    Gettysburg CollegeGettysburg, PA · Admits 40%SAT, middle 50%1270 to 1460Lower half of the middle 50%Send this score?Send itTest optional. Send from 1250
    University of VermontBurlington, VT · Admits 73%SAT, middle 50%1300 to 1430Lower half of the middle 50%Send this score?Send itTest optional. Send from 1260

    Reach colleges for 1300 (14)

    1300 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 1300
    Binghamton UniversityVestal, NY · Admits 39%SAT, middle 50%1320 to 1480Below the middle 50%Send this score?Close callYour GPA decides. Send from 1320
    Hillsdale CollegeHillsdale, MI · Admits 21%SAT, middle 50%1320 to 1490Below the middle 50%Send this score?Close callYour GPA decides. Send from 1320
    University of Washington-Seattle CampusSeattle, WA · Admits 42%SAT, middle 50%1320 to 1502Below the middle 50%Send this score?No estimateVaries by applicant
    Bates CollegeLewiston, ME · Admits 15%SAT, middle 50%1325 to 1510Below the middle 50%Send this score?Close callYour GPA decides. Send from 1310
    Trinity UniversitySan Antonio, TX · Admits 25%SAT, middle 50%1330 to 1460Below the middle 50%Send this score?Close callYour GPA decides. Send from 1320
    University of FloridaGainesville, FL · Admits 20%SAT, middle 50%1330 to 1490Below the middle 50%Send this score?RequiredTest required
    Macalester CollegeSaint Paul, MN · Admits 28%SAT, middle 50%1350 to 1480Below the middle 50%Send this score?Close callYour GPA decides. Send from 1320
    Wesleyan UniversityMiddletown, CT · Admits 16%SAT, middle 50%1350 to 1510Below the middle 50%Send this score?Close callYour GPA decides. Send from 1340
    Georgia Institute of Technology-Main CampusAtlanta, GA · Admits 13%SAT, middle 50%1370 to 1530Below the middle 50%Send this score?RequiredTest required
    University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn Arbor, MI · Admits 16%SAT, middle 50%1370 to 1530Below the middle 50%Send this score?Apply without itTest optional. Send from 1360

    Not listed: 79 more colleges where 1300 is under roughly the 10th percentile of freshmen.

    Likely colleges for 1300 (353)

    1300 is above the 75th percentile of enrolled freshmen at a college admitting 15% or more. Closest first.

    Likely colleges for 1300
    Belhaven UniversityJackson, MS · Admits 50%SAT, middle 50%1010 to 1298Above the middle 50%Send this score?Send itTest optional; required below a 2.8 GPA. Send from 1050Merit at this score$17,500 a yearPresident's Scholarship for First-Year Students. 3.50+ GPA, 1230 to 1320 SAT or 26 to 28 ACT, Includes a $5,000 housing portion
    University of Hawaii at ManoaHonolulu, HI · Admits 88%SAT, middle 50%1081 to 1293Above the middle 50%Send this score?Send itTest optional. Send from 1050
    American College of the Building ArtsCharleston, SC · Admits 44%SAT, middle 50%1130 to 1290Above the middle 50%Send this score?RequiredTest required
    Andrews UniversityBerrien Springs, MI · Admits 82%SAT, middle 50%990 to 1290Above the middle 50%Send this score?Send itTest optional; required below a 3.5 GPA. Send from 1050
    Christopher Newport UniversityNewport News, VA · Admits 86%SAT, middle 50%1060 to 1290Above the middle 50%Send this score?Send itTest optional. Send from 1110
    Coe CollegeCedar Rapids, IA · Admits 64%SAT, middle 50%1070 to 1290Above the middle 50%Send this score?Send itTest optional; required below a 3.0 GPA. Send from 1110
    CUNY Queens CollegeQueens, NY · Admits 64%SAT, middle 50%1010 to 1290Above the middle 50%Send this score?Send itTest optional. Send from 1090
    Drury UniversitySpringfield, MO · Admits 66%SAT, middle 50%1130 to 1290Above the middle 50%Send this score?Send itTest optional. Send from 1120Merit at this score$24,000 a yearAcademic Scholarship. 4.00+ GPA, 1230 to 1320 SAT or 26 to 28 ACT
    Harding UniversitySearcy, AR · Admits 71%SAT, middle 50%1050 to 1290Above the middle 50%Send this score?RequiredTest required
    Hartwick CollegeOneonta, NY · Admits 85%SAT, middle 50%1070 to 1290Above the middle 50%Send this score?Send itTest optional. Send from 1090

    Not listed: 146 more colleges where 1300 is more than 150 points above the middle 50%.

    Automatic scholarships with an SAT minimum at or below 1300

    122 colleges we track publish an automatic merit award with an SAT minimum at or below 1300, 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 1350, 164 colleges move up a band, 26 test-optional colleges become worth sending to, and 22 colleges have a larger scholarship whose SAT minimum it meets. See every college at 1350.

    Moves up a band (164)

    Becomes worth sending (26)

    Meets a larger award's SAT minimum (22)

    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 1300?

    At 1300 you can miss roughly 9 to 12 Reading and Writing questions and 7 to 8 Math questions (see how many questions you can miss at each score). This is the range where the adaptive structure most often sets the limit: a handful of medium-difficulty misses in Module 1 can be the difference between the harder and easier Module 2.

    Work on medium questions in your weakest domains. In Math, Advanced Math (quadratics, functions, exponential models) carries as many questions as Algebra. In Reading and Writing, inference and evidence questions often have more than one plausible choice; predicting the answer before reading the choices helps. We've written more about what to practice between 1200 and 1400.

    Other SAT scores

    1250 is 50 lower; 1350 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 1300 SAT

    Is a 1300 a good SAT score?
    Yes. A 1300 is a good score on the SAT. It's at the 85th percentile of recent SAT takers and at the 91st 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 816 of the 925 colleges we track with published SAT ranges.
    What percentile is a 1300 on the SAT?
    A 1300 is at the 85th percentile among students who took the SAT and graduated in the past three school years (College Board's user group percentiles): about 15% 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 91st percentile.
    What colleges can I get into with a 1300 SAT?
    By score alone, a 1300 makes 318 colleges we track a target, including The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, Bryn Mawr College and The University of Texas at Austin, and 499 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 1300 to test-optional colleges?
    At 690 of the 762 test-optional colleges where we estimate the typical score of freshmen who enrolled without one, a 1300 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 1300 SAT?
    A 1300 SAT matches a 28 on the ACT, by the concordance tables ACT and College Board published together in 2018.
    Should I retake the SAT with a 1300?
    It depends on your list. Fifty more points, 1350, would move up a band at 164 colleges, become worth sending at 26 colleges and meet a richer scholarship's SAT minimum at 22 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.