The short answer

  • 1250 is a strong SAT score, comfortably above average. It is at the 86th percentile of U.S. 11th and 12th graders (College Board nationally representative sample), better than about three in four students.
  • Among actual SAT takers it is at the 80th percentile (SAT User Group).
  • It is 205 points above the class of 2026 national average of 1045.
  • On the official ACT/SAT concordance, 1250 corresponds to an ACT composite of about 26.
  • It beats the average SAT score in 50 of 51 states and DC (class of 2026).

1250 SAT percentile

Two numbers describe a 1250. Against all U.S. juniors and seniors (College Board’s nationally representative sample) it lands at the 86th percentile. Against students who actually sat the SAT in the last three graduating classes (the SAT User group) it lands at the 80th percentile. The 6-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
115074th69th23
120081st75th25
125086th80th26
130091st85th28
135094th89th29

Table: SAT percentiles around 1250. Source: College Board, SAT Understanding Scores (retrieved October 2026); ACT/SAT concordance tables (2018).

What section scores add up to 1250?

The total is the sum of Reading and Writing (200–800) and Math (200–800). Different splits reach the same 1250, 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?
5407105692Yes
5806706787Yes
6206307781Yes
6605908673Yes
7005509264Yes

Table: example section splits for a 1250 total, with College Board section percentiles (nationally representative). Score your own practice test with the SAT score calculator.

How does 1250 compare with state averages?

A 1250 is higher than the class of 2026 SAT average in 50 of 51 states and DC, including Wisconsin (1244), Utah (1242), Wyoming (1239), Kansas (1236). It is at or below the average in 1, such as Nebraska (1270).

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 1250 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 1250 good enough for college?

A 1250 is inside or above the typical range at many public universities and a large share of private colleges, and below the range at the most selective schools. 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 1250 to 1300

Moving from 1250 to 1300 means 50 more points, roughly 25 per section. That shifts you from the 86th to the 91st percentile nationally (85th among SAT takers) and from about 26 to about 28 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 1250 SAT score?
A 1250 is at the 86th percentile on College Board’s nationally representative scale and the 80th percentile among students who actually took the SAT in the last three graduating classes. That means roughly 80% of recent SAT takers scored at or below 1250.
What is a 1250 SAT score on the ACT?
The official ACT/SAT concordance maps a 1250 SAT total to an ACT composite of about 26. Concordance is an approximation based on students who took both tests, so use it to compare, not to predict an exact ACT score.
Is 1250 a good SAT score for college?
Compare 1250 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 1250 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 1250 is 205 points above it. The national average includes students tested on school day in states that require the SAT.