Is 1150 a Good SAT Score? (2026)

Where a 1150 lands at state universities, how close it is to scholarship cutoffs, and whether a fall retake is worth it.

A 1150 is a solid, above-average SAT score. It sits at the 74th percentile nationally and the 69th percentile among students who actually take the SAT, so you outscored roughly 7 in 10 recent test takers. That is about 120 points above the class of 2025 average of 1029.

To be honest about it, though: a 1150 is above average, not high. At many public universities it lands right in the middle of the range for enrolled students, which is a perfectly good place to be. At selective flagships it sits below the typical submitter, and it is 40 points short of one well-known scholarship cutoff. This guide shows exactly where it fits and what a realistic next step looks like.

What Percentile Is a 1150 SAT Score?

Here is how a 1150 compares with nearby scores in the College Board's current percentile tables:

Notice how steep this part of the curve is. Going from 1150 to 1250 moves you from the 69th to the 80th user percentile, an 11-point jump for 100 points. In the 1400s, the same 100 points buys only a few percentile points. Scores in the middle of the curve move much further in percentile terms per point than scores near the top.

One small note if you just got your September scores: 2026-27 score reports show an All Tester Percentile, based on the past three cohorts of 12th-grade SAT takers (see the College Board's Fall 2026 Understanding Scores guide). It may not match the table above exactly. For the full score-by-score chart, see our SAT percentiles guide.

Colleges Where a 1150 Is Competitive

These ranges come from each university's most recent Common Data Set (section C9) and describe enrolled first-year students who submitted SAT scores:

At every school in this table, a 1150 is inside the middle 50%. At New Mexico and Ole Miss it is close to the 75th percentile, which makes it a real strength. At Texas Tech it is in the lower half but still comfortably in range. If your score is a little lower, our guide to an 1100 SAT score covers the next band down.

One honest caveat about reading these numbers: at some schools only a small share of students send the SAT. At Kansas State, for example, only 7% of enrolled first-years submitted SAT scores and about 80% submitted the ACT, so its SAT range describes a small group. Kansas State's admission requirements are also unusually clear: you qualify with a 3.25 GPA or an SAT of 1060 or higher, and a 1150 clears that bar.

Where a 1150 Is a Stretch

At more selective public universities, a 1150 falls below the 25th percentile of students who submitted scores:

• LSU (2024-25 middle 50%: 1180-1320). LSU also requires an SAT or ACT score from 2027-entry applicants whose weighted GPA is below 3.5, so a retake matters more there than at a test-optional school.
• Schools whose ranges start in the 1200s and above, which you can explore in our guides to a 1200 and a 1250 SAT score.

A score below a school's 25th percentile does not rule you out, since admission is holistic. But at a test-optional school you would usually be better off applying without the score, and at a test-required school a higher score would clearly help. If you are wondering whether your score counts as low, our guide to what makes an SAT score "bad" walks through the 25th-percentile rule in detail.

Does a 1150 Qualify for Scholarships?

This is where a 1150 is most frustrating, because several cutoffs sit just above it.

• Florida Bright Futures. For 2026-27 graduates, Florida Medallion Scholars requires a 1190 SAT and Florida Academic Scholars requires a 1330, alongside GPA and service-hour requirements (Florida Department of Education). A 1150 is 40 points short of Medallion (for 2027-28 graduates the Medallion bar rises to 1200). If you are a Florida senior, that retake is worth real money; see our Bright Futures SAT guide.
• Scholarships that need a score even at test-optional schools. The University of Arkansas, for example, is test-optional for admission with a 3.2 GPA but says test scores are required for most scholarship opportunities. At schools like this, sending a 1150 is usually better than sending nothing.
• University merit awards. Many public universities publish automatic awards tied to SAT and GPA. The thresholds vary a lot, so check the scholarship page of each school on your list rather than relying on a general rule.

Should You Retake the SAT With a 1150?

Use your college list to decide:

• Your schools' middle 50% brackets 1150 (like most of the table above): a retake is optional. Your score already fits.
• A scholarship cutoff is within 50 to 100 points (Bright Futures Medallion, or a university award tier): retake. This is the best return on a few weeks of work.
• Your schools start around 1200 or higher, or require scores: retake with a focused plan.

If your 1150 came from the September 12 test, scores came out on September 25. The next realistic dates are November 7 (register by October 23, late by October 27; scores November 20) and December 5 (register by November 20, late by November 24; scores December 18), per the College Board's test calendar. October 3 registration closed on September 22, and a week is too short to prepare anyway.

The College Board notes that most students score higher the second time, and there is no limit on attempts. Because many colleges superscore the SAT, raising just one section can lift the score they consider.

How to Go From 1150 to 1250

A 100-point gain means about 50 points per section, or a bigger jump in one section. At this level, that is very doable in six to ten weeks.

1. Check both benchmarks. The College Board's readiness benchmarks are 480 in Reading and Writing and 530 in Math. A 1150 usually clears both, but a split like 640 and 510 does not. If one section is under its benchmark, start there.
2. Use the Knowledge and Skills breakdown. Your score report rates you across eight content domains. Pick the two weakest and drill only those for the first two weeks.
3. Target the high-yield Math topics. Linear equations, systems, and percent and ratio problems appear often, and they are often the quickest points to pick up at this level.
4. Learn the grammar rules. The Standard English Conventions questions in Reading and Writing reward memorizable rules (punctuation, agreement, verb tense) more than reading speed.
5. Practice daily in short blocks and take a full Bluebook practice test a week or two before test day, so the adaptive modules and the timing feel familiar.

For daily practice that fits between classes, Larry Learns has quick SAT quizzes with explanations; the free plan includes 3 quizzes and 3 AI explanations a day.

1150 SAT: Where It Fits

• You scored higher than about 69% of recent SAT takers and 74% of all US 11th and 12th graders.
• A 1150 concords to about a 23 on the ACT, according to the official ACT/SAT concordance (see our ACT to SAT conversion chart).
• You are within the middle 50% at many public universities, and near the top of it at some.
• You are 40 points from Bright Futures Medallion (2026-27 graduates) and about 100 points from the 80th percentile.

If you are close to a cutoff that matters to you, a fall retake is worth it. If not, a 1150 is a score you can send with confidence to schools where it fits.

Frequently Asked Questions About a 1150 SAT Score

Is 1150 a good SAT score?

It is a solid, above-average score. A 1150 is at the 74th percentile nationally and the 69th among SAT takers, about 120 points above the class of 2025 average of 1029. It fits well at many state universities but is below range at selective flagships.

What colleges can I get into with a 1150 SAT?

A 1150 is inside the middle 50% at schools like Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Kansas State, Ball State, Arkansas, West Virginia, Louisville, Ole Miss, and New Mexico. At LSU, whose middle 50% is 1180-1320, it is below the typical submitter.

Is 1150 enough for Bright Futures?

Not quite. For 2026-27 graduates, Florida Medallion Scholars requires a 1190 SAT and Academic Scholars requires a 1330 (rising to 1200 and 1350 for 2027-28 graduates). A 1150 is 40 points short of Medallion, which makes a retake well worth it for Florida students.

What ACT score is equal to a 1150 SAT?

The official ACT/SAT concordance matches a 1150 SAT to a 23 on the ACT. SAT totals from 1130 to 1150 all concord to a 23.

Should I retake the SAT with a 1150?

Retake if a scholarship cutoff or your target schools' ranges are 50 to 100 points above you. November 7 and December 5 are the realistic fall dates if you just got September scores. If your schools' ranges already bracket 1150, a retake is optional.

Is 1150 above average?

Yes. The class of 2025 average was 1029, and 1150 beats about 69% of recent SAT takers. It is above average but below the roughly 1200-plus range where scores start to stand out at more selective schools.

Ready to push past 1150? Take a free SAT practice quiz to see where your points are hiding, or create a free account to track your progress before test day.