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    Is a 900 SAT score good?

    A 900 SAT is below average. It's at the 32nd percentile of recent SAT takers and at the 29th 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 131 of the 925 colleges we track with published SAT ranges.

    Updated

    percentile of recent SAT takers
    32nd
    percentile of all U.S. 11th and 12th graders
    29th
    colleges where it's in or above the middle 50%
    131 of 925
    ACT equivalent
    16

    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 900 is 20 to 40 points below the 25th percentile at Grand Valley State, New Mexico, Sam Houston State and Georgia State. A 950 is inside all four ranges.
    • At nearly every test-optional college, a 900 is below our estimate of what freshmen who enrolled without a score would have scored, so apply without it.
    • Most missed points at this level are on easy and medium questions, which are the cheapest points on the test to win back.

    How a 900 compares across colleges

    Where 900 falls against the middle 50% of enrolled freshmen who sent scores, at public and at private colleges.

    Where a 900 falls in colleges' middle 50% SAT ranges
    Where a 900 fallsPublic (378)Private (547)
    Above the 75th percentile02
    Inside the middle 50%7158
    Below the 25th percentile307487
    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 900 is in range

    The largest public universities where 900 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 900 is in range
    CollegeMiddle 50% SAT2026-27 test policySent an SAT
    The University of Texas at El Paso850-1050Flexible2%
    Montclair State University850-1160Optional10%
    University of Houston-Downtown880-1050Optional60%
    Southern Illinois University-Carbondale890-1180Optional39%
    Ferris State University900-1120Optional73%
    Central Connecticut State University900-1140Optional43%
    Angelo State University860-1130Optional29%
    Columbus State University800-1030Optional13%
    University of North Carolina at Pembroke835-1068Optional4%
    Texas A&M University-Kingsville890-1080Optional27%
    Sources: each college's Common Data Set (or College Scorecard) and admissions page, linked in the table.

    Selective private colleges where a 900 is in range

    The private colleges with the highest middle 50% that still includes 900, most selective first.

    Selective private colleges where a 900 is in range
    CollegeMiddle 50% SAT (Fall 2025)2026-27 test policySent an SAT
    Saint Ambrose University900-1170Optional12%
    Capital University900-1120Optional12%
    Aurora University875-1078Optional8%
    Sources: each college's Common Data Set (or College Scorecard) and admissions page, linked in the table.

    Where does a 900 fall short?

    A 900 is below the 25th percentile at most large public universities, including many that admit most of their applicants. It is 20 to 40 points short at Grand Valley State (920), the University of New Mexico (920), Sam Houston State (930) and Georgia State (940).

    A gap that size means less at a college that admits nearly everyone. Grand Valley State admitted 93% of applicants for Fall 2025 and Sam Houston State 94%, so their ranges describe who enrolled; they aren't admission cutoffs. At 950, all four universities are inside their ranges.

    Should you send a 900 to test-optional colleges?

    At most test-optional colleges, apply without it. Where we can estimate it, a 900 is below the typical SAT of freshmen who enrolled without sending one: about 1010 at Grand Valley State and 1000 at New Mexico, for example. It clears that estimate at only a few colleges we track, such as Alabama A&M and UNC Pembroke.

    At a test-required college you send a score whatever it is. Georgia State and Georgia Southern require one for 2026-27, so the only choice there is which test to send. A 900 matches a 16 on the ACT, so if you have an ACT score of 17 or higher, send that instead.

    Which scholarships does a 900 earn?

    Very few. Of the automatic awards we track with an SAT minimum, a 900 meets one: Hope International University's Dean's Scholarship, worth up to $18,000 a year with a 2.75 GPA, for freshmen who live on campus. Two more start a little above it: Auburn University at Montgomery's Opportunity Scholarship pays $3,000 a year from 940 with a 2.30 GPA, and Regent University's Freshman Booster Merit Award pays $2,000 a year from 950.

    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 900 fits, college by college

    Each college we track, with its middle 50% of enrolled freshmen, where 900 falls in it, whether to send it, and the merit aid whose SAT minimum it meets. Pick a score within 20 points of 900 or a state to redraw the lists.

    At 900: 126 target, 173 reach and 2 likely colleges; worth sending to 8 of 762 test-optional colleges.

    Target colleges for 900 (126)

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

    Target colleges for 900
    St. Mary's UniversitySan Antonio, TX · Admits 98%SAT, middle 50%900 to 1310Lower half of the middle 50%Send this score?Apply without itTest optional. Send from 1020
    College of Staten Island CUNYStaten Island, NY · Admits 92%SAT, middle 50%890 to 1250Lower half of the middle 50%Send this score?No estimateTest optional
    Pacific UniversityForest Grove, OR · Admits 90%SAT, middle 50%900 to 1240Lower half of the middle 50%Send this score?No estimateTest optional
    University of Northwestern-St PaulSaint Paul, MN · Admits 93%SAT, middle 50%868 to 1271Lower half of the middle 50%Send this score?Apply without itTest optional. Send from 1070
    Brevard CollegeBrevard, NC · Admits 42%SAT, middle 50%870 to 1220Lower half of the middle 50%Send this score?No estimateTest optional
    Roosevelt UniversityChicago, IL · Admits 97%SAT, middle 50%895 to 1175Lower half of the middle 50%Send this score?Apply without itTest optional. Send from 1000
    Saint Ambrose UniversityDavenport, IA · Admits 80%SAT, middle 50%900 to 1170Lower half of the middle 50%Send this score?Apply without itTest optional. Send from 1020
    Southern Illinois University-CarbondaleCarbondale, IL · Admits 94%SAT, middle 50%890 to 1180Lower half of the middle 50%Send this score?Apply without itTest optional; required below a 2.8 GPA. Send from 1000
    University of BaltimoreBaltimore, MD · Admits 83%SAT, middle 50%740 to 1330Lower half of the middle 50%Send this score?No estimateTest optional
    Wilmington CollegeWilmington, OH · Admits 92%SAT, middle 50%850 to 1220Lower half of the middle 50%Send this score?Apply without itTest optional. Send from 990

    Reach colleges for 900 (173)

    900 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 900
    The University of Tennessee SouthernPulaski, TN · Admits 87%SAT, middle 50%905 to 1110Below the middle 50%Send this score?RequiredTest required
    University of Nebraska at KearneyKearney, NE · Admits 86%SAT, middle 50%905 to 1125Below the middle 50%Send this score?Apply without itTest optional. Send from 1020
    East Texas A&M UniversityCommerce, TX · Admits 92%SAT, middle 50%910 to 1140Below the middle 50%Send this score?Apply without itTest optional. Send from 1000
    Holy Family UniversityPhiladelphia, PA · Admits 71%SAT, middle 50%910 to 1150Below the middle 50%Send this score?Apply without itTest optional. Send from 1000
    Muskingum UniversityNew Concord, OH · Admits 82%SAT, middle 50%910 to 1105Below the middle 50%Send this score?Apply without itTest optional. Send from 990
    Southwestern Adventist UniversityKeene, TX · Admits 78%SAT, middle 50%910 to 1200Below the middle 50%Send this score?No estimateTest optional
    Tiffin UniversityTiffin, OH · Admits 80%SAT, middle 50%910 to 1110Below the middle 50%Send this score?Apply without itTest optional. Send from 960
    University of Central ArkansasConway, AR · Admits 89%SAT, middle 50%910 to 1170Below the middle 50%Send this score?Apply without itTest optional; required below a 3.0 GPA. Send from 1050
    University of Connecticut-Waterbury CampusWaterbury, CT · Admits 87%SAT, middle 50%910 to 1200Below the middle 50%Send this score?Apply without itTest optional. Send from 1010
    University of MemphisMemphis, TN · Admits 72%SAT, middle 50%915 to 1180Below the middle 50%Send this score?RequiredTest required

    Not listed: 609 more colleges where 900 is under roughly the 10th percentile of freshmen.

    Likely colleges for 900 (2)

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

    Likely colleges for 900
    Gallaudet UniversityWashington, DC · Admits 58%SAT, middle 50%762 to 898Above the middle 50%Send this score?RequiredTest required
    Virginia Union UniversityRichmond, VA · Admits 98%SAT, middle 50%850 to 885Above the middle 50%Send this score?RequiredTest required

    Automatic scholarships with an SAT minimum at or below 900

    1 colleges we track publish an automatic merit award with an SAT minimum at or below 900, 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 950, 80 colleges move up a band, 25 test-optional colleges become worth sending to, and 2 colleges have a larger scholarship whose SAT minimum it meets. See every college at 950.

    Moves up a band (80)

    Becomes worth sending (25)

    Meets a larger award's SAT minimum (2)

    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 900?

    At this level, most missed points come from content you haven't learned yet or don't apply reliably, and a good share fall on easy and medium questions. Those are the cheapest points on the test: the SAT is scored with Item Response Theory, and missing an easy question generally costs more than missing a hard one.

    In Math, start with Algebra: linear equations, linear functions and systems of linear equations. It accounts for 13 to 15 of the 44 Math questions, and much of Advanced Math builds on it. In Reading and Writing, start with Standard English Conventions: joining clauses, punctuation and subject-verb agreement are a finite set of rules you can apply every time they appear. Answer every question, since a blank earns nothing. We've written more about what to practice below 1000.

    Other SAT scores

    950 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 900 SAT

    Is a 900 a good SAT score?
    A 900 SAT is below average. It's at the 32nd percentile of recent SAT takers and at the 29th 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 131 of the 925 colleges we track with published SAT ranges.
    What percentile is a 900 on the SAT?
    A 900 is at the 32nd percentile among students who took the SAT and graduated in the past three school years (College Board's user group percentiles): about 68% 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 29th percentile.
    What colleges can I get into with a 900 SAT?
    By score alone, a 900 makes 126 colleges we track a target, including St. Mary's University, College of Staten Island CUNY and Pacific University, and 2 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 900 to test-optional colleges?
    At 8 of the 762 test-optional colleges where we estimate the typical score of freshmen who enrolled without one, a 900 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 900 SAT?
    A 900 SAT matches a 16 on the ACT, by the concordance tables ACT and College Board published together in 2018.
    Should I retake the SAT with a 900?
    It depends on your list. Fifty more points, 950, would move up a band at 80 colleges, become worth sending at 25 colleges and meet a richer scholarship's SAT minimum at 2 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.