Is 1170 a Good SAT Score?
A 1170 puts you at the 73 percentile of SAT takers — a solid, above-average score — usable at most schools, below the midpoint at selective ones.
1170 on the SAT = 73 percentile (vs. the 1029 national average).
- Score1170
- Percentile (test takers)73
- vs. national average+141 pts
- VerdictAbove average
Source: College Board 2025–26 percentile tables (test takers, past three classes).
Scores near 1170
| SAT score | Percentile (test takers) |
|---|---|
| 1110 | 65 |
| 1130 | 68 |
| 1150 | 70 |
| 1170 | 73 |
| 1190 | 75 |
| 1210 | 77 |
| 1230 | 80 |
Jump to: 1120 · 1160 · 1180 · 1220 · next milestones: 1200 · 1300
What a 1170 means in practice
The national average is 1029, so a 1170 sits above it by 141 points — a solid, above-average score — usable at most schools, below the midpoint at selective ones. 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 1170 a good SAT score?
A 1170 is at the 73 percentile of SAT takers — a solid, above-average score — usable at most schools, below the midpoint at selective ones.
What percentile is a 1170 SAT score?
73th percentile among students who took the SAT in the past three graduating classes, per College Board tables.
Can I get into college with a 1170?
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.