Is 1030 a Good SAT Score?
A 1030 puts you at the 53 percentile of SAT takers — right around the national average — fine for open-admission and many regional schools.
1030 on the SAT = 53 percentile (vs. the 1029 national average).
- Score1030
- Percentile (test takers)53
- vs. national average+1 pts
- VerdictAbove average
Source: College Board 2025–26 percentile tables (test takers, past three classes).
Scores near 1030
| SAT score | Percentile (test takers) |
|---|---|
| 970 | 44 |
| 990 | 47 |
| 1010 | 50 |
| 1030 | 53 |
| 1050 | 56 |
| 1070 | 59 |
| 1090 | 62 |
Jump to: 980 · 1020 · 1040 · 1080 · next milestones: 1100 · 1200
What a 1030 means in practice
The national average is 1029, so a 1030 sits above it by 1 points — right around the national average — fine for open-admission and many regional schools. Percentiles compress at the top: 40 points around 1000 moves you ~7 percentile ranks, while 40 points past 1500 moves you one. Superscoring (mixing best section scores across dates) is accepted at most selective schools, so section-level retakes are usually the efficient move.
Frequently asked questions
Is 1030 a good SAT score?
A 1030 is at the 53 percentile of SAT takers — right around the national average — fine for open-admission and many regional schools.
What percentile is a 1030 SAT score?
53th percentile among students who took the SAT in the past three graduating classes, per College Board tables.
Can I get into college with a 1030?
Yes — admissions is a match game, not a bar exam. Aim for schools whose middle-50% range brackets your score, and remember most U.S. colleges are test-optional.
Sources & methodology
Sources: College Board — Understanding SAT Scores.
Percentiles are official College Board user norms; verdicts are editorial guidance, not admissions predictions.