What is a 1200 SAT score percentile?

A 1200 is the 75th percentile among SAT takers and the 81th nationally representative percentile.

Why are there two percentile columns?

They use different comparison groups. The user group is students who actually took the SAT in the past three graduating classes. The nationally representative sample is weighted to represent all US 11th and 12th graders, including those who never sit the test.

Which column should I use?

The user group column, for almost every purpose. It compares you with the people you are actually being compared with in admissions. The nationally representative figure is higher and describes a broader population.

Why is this different from the percentile on my score report?

Your report shows an All Tester Percentile, comparing you with the past three cohorts of 12th graders worldwide. College Board publishes no lookup table for it, so it cannot be reproduced here or anywhere else outside your own report.

SAT percentiles

The complete published tables, both columns, exactly as College Board prints them. To look up a single score instead, use the percentile calculator.

Quick anchors

Among SAT takers, in the user group column:

1020 is the 50th percentile
1200 is the 75th
1360 is the 90th
1440 is the 95th
1530 is the 99th

For comparison, the Class of 2025 mean total was 1029. Percentiles are inclusive: a percentile of 75 means 75 percent of the comparison group scored at or below that score, not below it.

The values 99+ and 1- are censored bounds, printed that way by College Board rather than computed. They are reproduced here unchanged.

Total score, 400 to 1600

SAT total score percentile ranks
Total score	User group	Nationally representative
1600	99+	99+
1590	99+	99+
1580	99+	99+
1570	99+	99+
1560	99+	99+
1550	99	99+
1540	99	99+
1530	99	99+
1520	98	99+
1510	98	99
1500	97	99
1490	97	99
1480	97	99
1470	96	99
1460	96	99
1450	95	99
1440	95	98
1430	94	98
1420	94	98
1410	93	97
1400	93	97
1390	92	97
1380	91	96
1370	91	96
1360	90	95
1350	89	94
1340	88	94
1330	88	93
1320	87	93
1310	86	92
1300	85	91
1290	84	90
1280	83	89
1270	82	88
1260	81	87
1250	80	86
1240	79	85
1230	78	84
1220	77	83
1210	76	82
1200	75	81
1190	74	80
1180	72	78
1170	71	77
1160	70	76
1150	69	74
1140	67	73
1130	66	71
1120	65	70
1110	63	69
1100	62	67
1090	60	65
1080	59	63
1070	58	61
1060	56	60
1050	55	58
1040	53	56
1030	52	54
1020	50	52
1010	48	50
1000	47	48
990	45	46
980	44	44
970	42	42
960	41	40
950	39	38
940	38	36
930	36	35
920	35	33
910	33	31
900	32	29
890	30	27
880	29	26
870	27	24
860	26	23
850	24	21
840	23	20
830	21	18
820	20	17
810	18	16
800	17	14
790	16	13
780	14	11
770	13	10
760	12	9
750	11	8
740	10	7
730	9	6
720	8	5
710	7	4
700	6	4
690	5	3
680	5	2
670	4	2
660	4	1
650	3	1
640	3	1
630	3	1
620	2	1-
610	2	1-
600	2	1-
590	2	1-
580	2	1-
570	1	1-
560	1	1-
550	1	1-
540	1	1-
530	1	1-
520	1	1-
510	1	1-
500	1	1-
490	1-	1-
480	1-	1-
470	1-	1-
460	1-	1-
450	1-	1-
440	1-	1-
430	1-	1-
420	1-	1-
410	1-	1-
400	1-	1-

Source: SAT Understanding Scores - percentile ranks, College Board Research. Retrieved 2026-08-26.

Section scores, 200 to 800

SAT section score percentile ranks for Reading and Writing and Math
Score	Reading and Writing		Math
Score	User	National	User	National
800	99+	99+	99+	99+
790	99+	99+	99	99+
780	99+	99+	98	99
770	99	99+	97	99
760	99	99+	96	99
750	98	99	95	98
740	97	99	95	98
730	96	99	94	97
720	95	98	93	97
710	94	97	92	96
700	92	97	91	95
690	91	96	90	94
680	89	95	88	93
670	88	93	87	92
660	86	92	85	91
650	84	90	84	90
640	82	88	82	89
630	80	86	81	87
620	77	84	79	85
610	75	81	77	83
600	72	79	75	81
590	70	76	73	79
580	67	74	71	76
570	65	71	69	73
560	62	68	66	71
550	59	65	64	68
540	56	62	61	65
530	53	58	59	61
520	50	55	56	57
510	47	51	53	52
500	43	48	50	47
490	40	44	48	44
480	37	41	45	40
470	34	38	42	36
460	32	34	40	32
450	29	31	37	29
440	26	28	34	25
430	24	24	31	23
420	21	22	28	20
410	19	19	24	17
400	16	16	21	15
390	14	13	18	13
380	11	11	15	10
370	9	9	12	9
360	8	7	10	7
350	6	5	8	5
340	5	3	6	4
330	4	2	5	3
320	3	2	4	2
310	2	1	3	1
300	2	1	2	1
290	2	1-	2	1-
280	1	1-	2	1-
270	1	1-	1	1-
260	1	1-	1	1-
250	1	1-	1	1-
240	1	1-	1	1-
230	1	1-	1	1-
220	1	1-	1	1-
210	1	1-	1	1-
200	1-	1-	1-	1-

Same source and retrieval date as the total score table above.

A note on the third percentile

There is a number these tables cannot give you. Your own score report shows an All Tester Percentile, which College Board defines as based on the actual scores of the past three cohorts of students who took the SAT in 12th grade, for tests completed anywhere in the world. Online score insights add country and state percentiles as well.

No lookup table for any of those is published. So if the figure on your report differs from what you find here, nothing is broken. They are different comparisons. The full explanation is here.

Common questions

What is a 1200 SAT score percentile?: A 1200 is the 75th percentile among SAT takers and the 81th nationally representative percentile.
Why are there two percentile columns?: They use different comparison groups. The user group is students who actually took the SAT in the past three graduating classes. The nationally representative sample is weighted to represent all US 11th and 12th graders, including those who never sit the test.
Which column should I use?: The user group column, for almost every purpose. It compares you with the people you are actually being compared with in admissions. The nationally representative figure is higher and describes a broader population.
Why is this different from the percentile on my score report?: Your report shows an All Tester Percentile, comparing you with the past three cohorts of 12th graders worldwide. College Board publishes no lookup table for it, so it cannot be reproduced here or anywhere else outside your own report.

Last updated August 26, 2026