A good SAT Math score is one that helps you get into the colleges on your list. Look them up to see whether your score meets or exceeds their score range.
As quick guideposts: ~590+ places you in the top 25%, ~690+ in the top 10%, and ~740+ in the top 5% of recent scores on the SAT Math.

Understanding SAT Math Scoring
SAT Math section scores range from 200–800 and make up half of your total SAT score (400–1600). That means every point you add in Math directly moves your total score.
Average SAT Math Scores
For the Class of 2024, the average SAT Math score was 505; the average total SAT score was 1024. If you’re above those, you’re above the national mean. Unless you're applying to a school that is Test Free, you can make your application more competitive by raising your test scores.
National mean (Class of 2024):
- Math: 505
- Evidence-Based Reading & Writing: 519
- Total: 1024
A Math score in the 520s–530s is just above average; 600+ is above average at the national level.
What Is Considered a “Good” SAT Math Score?
“Good” depends on your goals, but percentiles are a helpful yardstick:
Estimated percentile benchmarks:
SAT Math | Approximate Percentile* | What It Means |
---|---|---|
590 | ~75th | Above Average—competitive at many schools |
650 | ~85th | Strong—competitive at many selective schools |
700 | ~92nd | Very Strong—competitive at selective STEM schools |
740 | ~95th | Excellent—competitive at highly selective schools |
770 | ~97th | Outstanding—competitive almost everywhere |
780 | ~98th | Elite—competitive at Ivy League schools |
800 | 99+ | Perfect—competitive everywhere |
*Percentiles reflect the distribution for recent SAT users nationally.
Percentiles vary slightly year to year; the values above reflect recent College Board user percentiles for the Math section.
SAT Math Score Requirements by College Type
Expectations rise with selectivity:
- Less selective colleges: Often admit students with Math scores near or modestly above the national average.
- More Selective colleges: The middle-50%* Math ranges often sit around the 600s–700s.
- Highly selective & STEM-focused programs: Competitive applicants frequently present high-600s to 700+ in Math.
* The middle-50% represents the SAT scores of most admitted students, excluding the lowest and highest 25%.
To get precise ranges for your colleges:
Use our College Search Tool to look up each school and locate the “SAT and ACT scores” section with middle-50% ranges.
How Important Is Your SAT Math Score?
- Admissions & Scholarships: Many colleges use SAT scores in admissions and to award scholarships, including schools that are test optional. Submitting a strong SAT score, which will require a high Math score, can boost your academic profile.
- Non-STEM vs. STEM: For engineering, computer science, and quantitative majors, SAT Math weighs more heavily; for non-STEM majors, a solid Math score still supports your academic readiness. How strongly any institution weighs test scores, like the SAT Math, depends on what else it is holistically evaluating.
- Test-Optional vs. Test-Blind (Test-Free):
- Test-optional: You choose whether to submit scores. If your SAT score strengthens your application, submit it.
- Test-blind/test-free: The college won't consider scores at all, even if submitted. Always check each school's current policy.
How to Set Your SAT Math Score Goal
- List your target colleges.
- Find middle-50% scores for each school using our College Search Tool .
- Pick a target at or above the 75th percentile of the most selective school on your list (or the scholarship threshold, if listed).
- Close the gap with an SAT study plan that prioritizes your highest-value weaknesses.
Tips to Improve Your SAT Math Score
Once you've taken a full-length practice test and decided that you need to improve your SAT Math score, look more closely at your strengths and weaknesses in each Math module.
- Master high-yield skills first: Prioritize linear equations, functions, systems, exponent rules, ratios/proportions, and data analysis before niche topics.
- Build from a diagnostic: Note content gaps, careless errors, and timing issues—then address each category with targeted practice.
- Adopt a repeatable process for word problems: Set up → check units and magnitudes → solve.
- Use your calculator deliberately: Offload tedious arithmetic; never outsource algebraic thinking.
- Keep an error log: Write a one-line "cause of miss" and a "fix" you'll apply next time.
- Retake strategically: Many colleges superscore—they consider your highest section scores across dates—so targeted retesting can pay off. Always confirm each college's policy.
Ready to raise your score?
Try a Free SAT Practice Test to get an accurate baseline.
Choose the best-fit SAT course (from essentials to 1400+ targets) or tutoring plan to reach your math goal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a 600 a good SAT Math score?
Yes—600 is above the national average (505) and sits around the 77th percentile of recent test-takers, which is competitive for many colleges.
But “good” depends on your goals. Compare your score to the middle-50% ranges at your target schools—if 600 is within or above those ranges, it’s good for you; if not, set a higher target.
Is an SAT math score of 700 good for engineering or computer science?
Generally, yes. It’s ~92nd percentile, but many top STEM programs report middle-50% ranges that stretch into the high-700s. Check each school’s profile.
What if my Math score is lower than my Reading & Writing score?
Focus prep time on Math to rebalance your total (Math is half your 1600). Target the specific Math skills pulling down your score and retest once practice scores meet your goal.
Do colleges care about the Math section if I’m not applying to STEM?
Yes. Math is part of your overall academic profile, and a solid Math score supports your readiness for quantitative work in core requirements. Use each school’s SAT admission ranges to decide whether to submit.
Do colleges superscore the SAT Math section?
Many do. Superscoring means a college takes your highest section scores (including Math) across test dates. Always verify each school’s policy.
SAT Math Next Steps
Take a Free SAT Practice Test to get your baseline.
Explore 麻豆色情片 SAT courses or 1:1 tutoring to zero in on Math.
Browse 麻豆色情片 college profiles to confirm each school’s SAT Math range and testing policy.