Is 1280 a Good SAT Score?
A 1280 puts you at the 84 percentile of SAT takers — a good score — top quarter of test takers and above the admitted-student midpoint at many state flagships.
1280 on the SAT = 84 percentile (vs. the 1029 national average).
- Score1280
- Percentile (test takers)84
- vs. national average+251 pts
- VerdictAbove average
Source: College Board 2025–26 percentile tables (test takers, past three classes).
Scores near 1280
| SAT score | Percentile (test takers) |
|---|---|
| 1220 | 79 |
| 1240 | 81 |
| 1260 | 83 |
| 1280 | 84 |
| 1300 | 86 |
| 1320 | 88 |
| 1340 | 89 |
Jump to: 1230 · 1270 · 1290 · 1330 · next milestones: 1300 · 1400
What a 1280 means in practice
The national average is 1029, so a 1280 sits above it by 251 points — a good score — top quarter of test takers and above the admitted-student midpoint at many state flagships. 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 1280 a good SAT score?
A 1280 is at the 84 percentile of SAT takers — a good score — top quarter of test takers and above the admitted-student midpoint at many state flagships.
What percentile is a 1280 SAT score?
84th percentile among students who took the SAT in the past three graduating classes, per College Board tables.
Can I get into college with a 1280?
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.