Is 1040 a Good SAT Score?
A 1040 puts you at the 54 percentile of SAT takers — right around the national average — fine for open-admission and many regional schools.
1040 on the SAT = 54 percentile (vs. the 1029 national average).
- Score1040
- Percentile (test takers)54
- vs. national average+11 pts
- VerdictAbove average
Source: College Board 2025–26 percentile tables (test takers, past three classes).
Scores near 1040
| SAT score | Percentile (test takers) |
|---|---|
| 980 | 45 |
| 1000 | 48 |
| 1020 | 51 |
| 1040 | 54 |
| 1060 | 57 |
| 1080 | 60 |
| 1100 | 63 |
Jump to: 990 · 1030 · 1050 · 1090 · next milestones: 1100 · 1200
What a 1040 means in practice
The national average is 1029, so a 1040 sits above it by 11 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 1040 a good SAT score?
A 1040 is at the 54 percentile of SAT takers — right around the national average — fine for open-admission and many regional schools.
What percentile is a 1040 SAT score?
54th percentile among students who took the SAT in the past three graduating classes, per College Board tables.
Can I get into college with a 1040?
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.