The short answer

  • 1150 is a solid, above-average SAT score. It is at the 74th percentile of U.S. 11th and 12th graders (College Board nationally representative sample), above the national median.
  • Among actual SAT takers it is at the 69th percentile (SAT User Group).
  • It is 105 points above the class of 2026 national average of 1045.
  • On the official ACT/SAT concordance, 1150 corresponds to an ACT composite of about 23.
  • It beats the average SAT score in 31 of 51 states and DC (class of 2026).

1150 SAT percentile

Two numbers describe a 1150. Against all U.S. juniors and seniors (College Board’s nationally representative sample) it lands at the 74th percentile. Against students who actually sat the SAT in the last three graduating classes (the SAT User group) it lands at the 69th percentile. The 5-point gap exists because people who choose to test score higher on average, so the user percentile is the one that matters for applications.

SAT totalNationally representative percentileSAT User percentileACT equivalent
105058th55th20
110067th62nd22
115074th69th23
120081st75th25
125086th80th26

Table: SAT percentiles around 1150. Source: College Board, SAT Understanding Scores (retrieved October 2026); ACT/SAT concordance tables (2018).

What section scores add up to 1150?

The total is the sum of Reading and Writing (200–800) and Math (200–800). Different splits reach the same 1150, and they read differently: colleges and scholarship programs sometimes look at one section, and College Board’s college-readiness benchmarks are 480 for Reading and Writing and 530 for Math.

Reading & WritingMathRW percentileMath percentileMeets both benchmarks?
4906604085Yes
5306205379Yes
5705806571Yes
6105407561Yes
6505008450No

Table: example section splits for a 1150 total, with College Board section percentiles (nationally representative). Score your own practice test with the SAT score calculator.

How does 1150 compare with state averages?

A 1150 is higher than the class of 2026 SAT average in 31 of 51 states and DC, including Kentucky (1147), Oregon (1136), Hawaii (1132), Massachusetts (1128). It is at or below the average in 20, such as Alabama (1175), North Carolina (1177), Oklahoma (1183), Arizona (1186).

State averages mostly reflect who takes the test. In the 8 states where at least 90% of graduates sit the SAT (usually a school-day requirement), averages are low because everyone tests; a 1150 beats the average in 8 of them. States with tiny participation post the highest averages because mostly college-bound students test. The full table is in our SAT and ACT scores by state study.

Is 1150 good enough for college?

A 1150 is a workable score for a wide range of colleges, especially where it falls inside the middle-50% range; at selective colleges it may sit below the 25th percentile. The reliable check is each college’s middle-50% SAT range, published in its Common Data Set (section C9) or admissions profile: inside the range is typical for admitted students, above the 75th percentile is a plus, below the 25th percentile is a reach on scores alone. See which colleges require the SAT again, read what is a good SAT score for the full method, and keep your GPA in view with the high school GPA calculator.

Raising a 1150 to 1200

Moving from 1150 to 1200 means 50 more points, roughly 25 per section. That shifts you from the 74th to the 81st percentile nationally (75th among SAT takers) and from about 23 to about 25 on the ACT scale. Use the SAT score calculator with a practice test to see how many more correct answers that takes on your own module mix. If math is your weaker section, the ACT score calculator shows whether the ACT suits you better.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

What percentile is a 1150 SAT score?
A 1150 is at the 74th percentile on College Board’s nationally representative scale and the 69th percentile among students who actually took the SAT in the last three graduating classes. That means roughly 69% of recent SAT takers scored at or below 1150.
What is a 1150 SAT score on the ACT?
The official ACT/SAT concordance maps a 1150 SAT total to an ACT composite of about 23. Concordance is an approximation based on students who took both tests, so use it to compare, not to predict an exact ACT score.
Is 1150 a good SAT score for college?
Compare 1150 with each college’s middle-50% SAT range in its Common Data Set. Inside the range is typical for admitted students; above the 75th percentile helps; below the 25th percentile makes scores a weak point. At test-optional colleges you can choose not to send a score that falls below the range.
Is 1150 above the national average SAT score?
The class of 2026 national average SAT total was 1045, according to College Board’s annual report, so a 1150 is 105 points above it. The national average includes students tested on school day in states that require the SAT.