Practice Test SAT Interquartile Range

Interquartile Scores and Why They Matter

Camila Calderon

 

TLDR: What Is a “Good” SAT/ACT Score?

  • A “good” score depends on your college goals.
  • The interquartile range (IQR) shows the middle 50% of admitted student scores.
  • Target the 75th percentile of your dream schools.
  • Transcripts carry more weight than scores in most admissions reviews. 
  • Use IQRs to build a strategy test prep plan.

 

So you just got your practice SAT/ACT score back. Now comes the big question every family asks:

“Is this a good score?” 

The answer: it depends on where you want to go. Without context, numbers are just numbers.

In today’s admissions world, a “good” score is one that:

  • Aligns with your dream college list
  • Enhances your overall application story
  • Signals academic readiness for the dream schools
Let’s break down how to assess your score using a simple tool: the interquartile range. 

 

What Scores Aren't 

Let’s start with what scores don’t represent: your worth or potential.

Colleges use a “holistic review” to see the whole picture of a student application. Transcripts matter more than test scores. It’s not just the GPA—admissions officers look closely at the rigor and selection of classes. Did you challenge yourself by taking AP classes? Is there growth from Freshman year to Senior year? Were you consistent?   

Think of test scores as one important chapter in the story, not the whole book. 

 

What is an Interquartile Range? 

Okay, let’s demystify the jargon. The interquartile range (IQR) is a fancy term for the “middle 50%.” It’s the range of scores for the middle half of a college’s admitted students. 

25th Percentile: 25% of admitted students scored at or below this number. 

75th Percentile: 75% of admitted students scored at or below this number. 

This “middle 50%” is your guide because it filters out the extreme outliers and shows you what a competitive score looks like for a typical, successful applicant for the given school. 


How to Set a Goal Score 

To determine your goal SAT/ACT score, look up the interquartile ranges for your list of dream schools. Schools release this information through “Common Data Sets” which are easily accessible through their respective websites. Your goal should be to aim for the 75th percentile score of your top-choice schools. 

Why? Because scoring at or above the 75th percentile turns a test score from a simple checkbox into a genuine strength on an application. It tells admissions you’re in the top quarter of their class. 

 

What This Looks Like in the Real World

 

Compare Top Colleges by Score Range

A "good" score for one school might just be the starting point for another. This is why context is everything. Check out the differences below. 

University 

SAT Total (Middle 50%) 

ACT Composite (Middle 50%) 

Princeton University 

1510 - 1580 

34 - 35 

University of Michigan 

1440-1480 

33-34

University of Florida

1380-1420

31-32

Penn State University

1310-1350

31-32

Texas A&M University

1250-1290

28-29

University of Alabama

1200-1240

26-27

The "middle 50%" score ranges for admitted students at various universities for the 2024-2025 application cycle. 

👉 View the complete list of interquartile scores for 250+ colleges below.

 

Your Next Steps 

Your practice exam score is your starting line. Now you know how to find the finish line for each of your dream schools, and the detailed report from a Revolution Prep practice test shows exactly where you can improve.  

The best part? You’re not alone in this! 

An expert advisor can help you connect those dots and build a personalized plan to bridge the gap.

 

👉 Want help building a strategic plan to reach the 75th percentile? Book a free consultation with a Revolution Prep expert and take the next step.

 

Speak with a Test Expert

 

 

Explore Interquartile SAT/ACT Score Ranges 250+ Top Colleges and Universities.

Updated for 2025-2026 academic year.

 

College/University SAT® Math SAT® Reading ACT® Math & Reading ACT® Science & English
American University 650-740 670-710 29-33 26-33
Amherst College 670-780 690-770 31-35 31-35
Appalachian State University 540–630 560–650 22–28 22–28
Arizona State University–Tempe 560-690 570-670 26-28 26-28
Auburn University 610-690 620-680 25-32 24-32
Augustana University 510–650 510–650 21–29 21–27
Babson College 720-780 660-720 30-34 26-31
Baldwin Wallace University 530–620 520–630 22–27 22–27
Bard College 590-710 640-740 28-31 26-31
Barnard College 730-780 723-770 26-32 30-34
Beloit College 580-640 630-720 25-32 26-33
Bentley University 630-720 620-690 29-32 28-31
Bob Jones University 530–630 540–630 22–27 23–28
Boston College 730-780 705-760 30-34 33-35
Boston University 700-780 660-740 29-34 32-34
Bowdoin College 750-790 730-760 31-33 32-35
Brandeis University 690-780 680-750 31-34 28-34
Brigham Young University Provo (BYU) 640-730 650-720 25-32 25-32
Brown University 740-800 720-770 34-36 30-35
Bryant University 570–660 560–650 26–30 25–29
Bryn Mawr College 630-730 670-740 28-32 27-34
Bucknell University 580-760 580-740 25-32 27-29
Butler University 570-670 590-680 25-31 24-31
Cal Institute of Technology 790-800 740-760 35-36 34-35
Cal Poly State University–San Luis Obispo 560-660 540-640 27-30 24-29
Cal State Poly University–Pomona 510-640 510-620 19-27 19-25
Cal State University–Fullerton 430-540 450-570 19-21 19-21
Cal State University–Long Beach 520-630 520-620 20-26 20-24
Cal State University–Los Angeles 410-530 430-530 15-22 15-20
Cal State University–Northridge 460-560 470-570 16-22 15-22
Cal State University–Sacramento 440-550 450-540 16-24 17-22
Calvin University 570–670 590–700 23–30 24–30
Carleton College 710-790 700-760 29-33 29-33
Carnegie Mellon University 770-800 730-770 30-34 30-34
Carroll College 530–630 560–660 21–28 22–28
Case Western Reserve University 730-790 700-750 28-34 28-34
Centre College 600-760 595-710 26-32 26-31
Chapman University 620-720 630-710 24-29 25-31
Christopher Newport University 540–630 570–650 23–28 22–28
Citadel Military College of South Carolina 540–640 540–660 23–27 20–26
Claremont McKenna College 740-790 710-770 32-35 30-34
Colby College 620-720 610-710 27-32 28-33
Colgate University 690-780 – 28-33 30-34
College of Charleston 540–630 560–650 22–27 22–27
College of Idaho 530–630 510–620 20–25 20–25
College of New Jersey 630–730 630–700 26–32 26–31
College of the Holy Cross 610-690 610-690 28-31 28-31
College of William & Mary 620-720 625-740 27-32 28-34
Colorado College 615-710 610-710 26-31 28-34
Colorado School of Mines 560-720 650-720 25-32 25-31
Columbia University 690-780 690-780 29-35 32-35
Cooper Union 650-780 605-710 30-33 30-33
Cornell University 680-780 650-740 30-34 30-34
Creighton University 530-660 530-640 24-29 23-32
Dartmouth College 680-780 675-780 30-35 30-35
Davidson College 640-710 620-730 29-33 29-33
Denison University 590-670 590-660 27-31 27-31
Dickinson College 590-690 590-670 27-31 27-31
Dordt University 520–650 530–660 22–28 22–28
Drake University 510-640 510-640 24-29 24-31
Duke University 665-790 665-760 30-35 31-35
Earlham College 560-640 555-700 26-31 26-31
Elmhurst University 520–620 500–620 21–27 21–27
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University 570–670 550–650 24–29 24–30
Emerson College 585-680 585-680 24-30 26-30
Emory College 650-750 655-770 30-34 30-34
Florida International University 1250–1380 1250–1380 26–31 26–31
Florida Southern College 550–650 550–660 22–28 22–29
Florida State University 1310–1430 1310–1430 26–31 26–33
Franklin W Olin Coll. of Engineering 760–800 720–780 34–36 34–36
Freed-Hardeman University 510–620 520–630 20–26 20–26
Furman University 610–705 650–720 28–32 28–32
George Mason University 560–670 580–670 25–30 24–31
George Washington University– 670–740 710–740 28–31 32–35
Georgetown University 710–780 720–770 29–35 34–36
Georgia College & State University 560–650 570–650 22–27 23–28
Georgia Institute of Technology 710–790 680–750 28–34 28–35
Gettysburg College 640–710 640–720 27–32 27–34
Goshen College 430–568 420–570 22–29 22–29
Grinnell College 700–780 680–750 30–34 33–34
Gustavus Adolphus College 560–710 600–660 25–31 25–31
Hamilton College 710–780 700–770 32–34 32–34
Harvard College 760–800 740–780 34–36 34–36
Harvey Mudd College 760–790 720–760 33–35 34–36
Haverford College 720–780 710–760 32–34 32–34
Illinois Institute of Technology 610–720 570–690 25–31 26–34
Illinois Wesleyan University 1140–1330 1140–1330 24–29 24–29
Indiana University–Bloomington 580–710 590–690 27–32 27–32
Iowa State University 560–690 550–660 21–28 21–28
Ithaca College 570–660 570–660 25–31 27–31
John Brown University 520–650 530–670 23–29 23–29
John Carroll University 540–640 530–630 24–29 24–29
Johns Hopkins University 740–800 700–770 34–36 34–36
Kenyon College 670–750 690–750 30–33 32–34
Kettering University 590–700 520–630 24–30 24–30
Le Moyne College 550–650 540–660 24–29 24–29
Lehigh University 28–32* 31–33* 31–34 33–34
Lewis & Clark College 590–670 620–720 28–31 28–31
Liberty University 510–620 530–660 21–29 19–30
Longwood University 520–600 530–620 18–24 19–24
Louisiana State University (LSU) 560–660 590–670 24–29 24–29
Loyola Marymount University (LMU) 620–730 640–720 27–31 27–31
Loyola University Maryland 600–690 600–690 27–31 27–31
Macalester College 670–760 680–750 30–33 30–33
Manhattan College 570–670 570–660 24–29 25–30
Marist College 580–670 580–670 26–30 27–31
Massachusetts Maritime Academy 540–610 510–620 20–27 20–27
Michigan State University 570–680 580–670 25–31 24–32
Middlebury College 710–780 700–760 33–35 34–35
Milligan University 500–630 500–620 21–27 21–27
Missouri University of Science & Technology 590–708 560–670 27* 27*
MIT 780–800 730–780 34–36 34–36
Monmouth University 540–630 540–630 22–28 22–28
Murray State University 510–630 520–640 21–27 21–27
N. Carolina State University–Raleigh 650–740 630–720 28–33 28–33
New College of Florida 560–660 620–700 25–28 28–33
New York University 760–800 720–770 34–36 34–36
Northeastern University 750–790 710–760 33–35 33–35
Northwestern University 760–790 730–770 33–35 34–36
NYU Tandon (Poly)* 760–800 720–770 34–36 34–36
Oberlin College 690–780 710–760 32–35 32–35
Occidental College 670–750 690–750 29–33 33–33
Ohio State University–Main Campus 640–750 620–710 28–32 28–32
Oregon State University 560–680 540–660 22–29 22–29
Otterbein University 520–620 520–630 21–27 21–27
Penn State (Main) 630–730 630–700 27–32 27–32
Pepperdine University 630–760 630–720 29–33 31–34
Pomona College 730–800 730–780 33–35 33–35
Princeton University 760–800 740–780 34–36 34–36
Providence College 590–680 600–690 26–31 25–30
Purdue University–Main Campus 670–780 630–720 27–34 27–34
Queens University of Charlotte 530–610 540–630 21–27 21–27
Reed College 680–780 700–760 32–34 32–34
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) 690–780 650–740 29–33 29–33
Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) 610–730 570–690 — —
Rice University 770–800 730–780 34–36 34–36
Rockhurst University 540–650 560–670 22–28 22–28
Rollins College 580–670 590–690 26–30 27–31
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology 670–770 630–720 29–33 29–33
Rutgers University–New Brunswick 640–760 610–700 29–33 29–33
Saint Louis University 600–700 610–690 27–32 27–32
San Diego State University 570–670 580–670 22–29 22–29
San Jose State University 530–650 530–650 20–27 20–27
Santa Clara University 660–770 660–740 30–34 30–34
Savannah College of Art & Design 540–640 540–640 21–27 21–27
Scripps College 670–770 670–760 31–34 32–34
Siena College 540–650 560–660 22–27 23–28
Skidmore College 650–740 660–740 29–33 29–33
Soka University of America 610–700 650–730 27–32 27–32
Southern Methodist University (SMU) 660–750 640–710 29–33 29–33
St. Bonaventure University 520–620 520–630 22–28 22–28
St. Edward’s University 510–610 510–620 20–26 20–26
St. Joseph’s University 570–670 590–690 24–30 25–31
St. Louis College of Pharmacy 590–700 580–680 25–29 24–29
St. Mary's College of Maryland 590–690 610–710 27–31 27–31
St. Olaf College 670–760 670–760 29–33 29–33
Stanford University 770–800 730–780 34–36 34–36
Stetson University 560–650 560–660 21–28 22–28
Stevens Institute of Technology 700–790 670–730 30–34 29–33
SUNY Albany 550–650 560–650 22–28 22–28
SUNY Binghamton 670–750 650–720 29–33 29–33
SUNY Geneseo 640–730 650–720 27–32 27–32
Swarthmore College 730–800 730–780 33–35 33–35
Taylor University 1130–1350 1130–1350 23–29 23–29
Temple University 620–710 620–700 27–31 27–31
Texas A&M–College Station 590–710 590–680 25–31 24–32
Texas State University 1040–1230 1040–1230 21–27 21–27
Thomas Aquinas College 580–690 600–720 25-32 25-35
Towson University 540–620 550–630 21–27 21–27
Trinity University 680–750 660–740 28–33 28–33
Truman State University 1160–1340 1160–1340 24–30 24–30
Tufts University 740–800 730–780 33–35 33–35
Tulane University 1410–1540 1410–1540 31–34 31–34
Tuskegee University 470–590 480–600 18–23 18–23
U.S. Air Force Academy 670–760 660–730 29–33 29–33
U.S. Coast Guard Academy 1260–1390 1260–1390 27–32 27–32
U.S. Military Academy (West Point) 650–760 660–750 30–34 30–34
U.S. Naval Academy 670–760 660–740 28–33 28–33
UC Berkeley 680–790 660–750 31–35 31–35
UC Davis 650–780 630–730 28–34 28–34
UC Irvine 700–790 670–760 27–34 27–34
UCLA 690–790 670–760 29–35 29–35
UC San Diego 720–790 690–760 29–35 29–35
UC Santa Barbara 660–770 640–730 27–33 27–33
UC Santa Cruz 630–740 600–700 25–32 25–32
Union College 1300–1450 1300–1450 29–33 29–33
University of Alabama-Huntsville 1230–1470 1230–1470 25–32 25–32
University of Arizona 1160–1370 1160–1370 23–29 23–29
University of Central Florida 1230–1360 1230–1360 25–30 25–30
University of Chicago 770–800 750–800 34–35 34–35
University of Cincinnati 1190–1380 1190–1380 25–30 25–30
University of Colorado–Boulder 1200–1390 1200–1390 27–32 27–32
University of Connecticut (UConn) 630–720 630–710 28–33 28–33
University of Dallas 1190–1390 1190–1390 25–31 25–31
University of Florida 650–740 650–720 29–33 29–33
University of Georgia 620–730 620–710 28–33 28–33
University of Houston 600–700 610–690 23–29 23–30
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 700–790 670–750 28–34 28–34
University of Iowa 570–690 570–680 23–29 23–29
University of Kentucky 540–650 540–660 22–29 22–29
University of Maryland–College Park 690–780 680–750 30–34 30–34
University of Massachusetts–Amherst 600–700 610–690 27–32 27–32
University of Miami 680–760 660–750 30–33 30–34
University of Michigan–Ann Arbor 730–790 690–770 32–35 32–35
University of Minnesota–Twin Cities 670–770 650–730 28–33 28–33
University of Missouri–Columbia 570–670 560–670 23–29 23–29
University of Montevallo 480–590 490–600 19–26 19–26
University of Nevada–Las Vegas (UNLV) 520–630 530–650 19–25 19–25
University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill 700–780 690–760 32–35 32–35
University of North Texas 1050–1260 1050–1260 22–27 22–27
University of Northern Iowa 530–640 510–630 20–25 20–25
University of Notre Dame 760–800 730–780 34–36 34–36
University of Oregon 560–680 560–670 22–29 22–29
University of Pennsylvania 770–800 730–770 34–36 34–36
University of Pittsburgh–Pittsburgh 660–760 660–730 29–33 29–33
University of Portland 600–700 600–690 25–31 24–30
University of Redlands 540–640 550–650 22–28 21–27
University of Richmond 660–750 670–750 31–34 31–34
University of Rochester 710–790 680–760 31–34 32–34
University of Scranton 540–640 550–650 22–27 23–28
University of South Carolina–Columbia 600–700 600–690 26–31 26–31
University of South Florida 1170–1330 1170–1330 25–30 25–30
University of Southern California (USC) 740–800 700–760 32–35 32–35
University of Tampa 540–630 550–640 22–27 23–28
University of Tennessee - Martin 500–620 510–620 20–26 20–26
University of Tennessee–Knoxville 590–690 580–680 25–32 25–32
University of Texas–Austin 650–770 650–730 28–34 28–35
University of Texas–Dallas 1270–1450 1270–1450 27–33 27–33
University of the Pacific 1150–1370 1150–1370 23–31 23–31
University of Tulsa 1130–1430 1130–1430 23–31 23–31
University of Utah 630–770 630–690 24–31 24–31
University of Virginia–Main Campus 720–790 720–770 32–35 32–35
University of Washington - Bothell 600–680 590–670 22–27 22–27
University of Washington–Seattle 660–780 660–730 29–34 29–34
University of Wisconsin–Madison 690–790 670–740 28–33 28–33
Vanderbilt University 770–800 750–800 34–36 34–36
Vassar College 710–780 700–760 32–34 32–34
Villanova University 650–750 650–720 31–34 31–33
Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) 1070–1290 1070–1290 21–28 21–28
Virginia Tech 640–740 630–710 27–32 27–32
Washington and Lee University 720–790 710–770 33–35 33–35
Washington State University 1020–1210 1020–1210 20–27 20–27
Washington University (St. Louis) 770–800 740–780 34–36 34–36
Webb Institute 700–790 700–750 32–35 32–35
Wellesley College 720–790 720–770 32–35 32–35
Wesleyan University 720–790 720–780 32–35 32–35
West Virginia University 1060–1250 1060–1250 21–27 21–27
Wheaton College 1290–1470 1290–1470 28–33 28–33
Whitman College 1290–1460 1290–1460 29–33 29–33
Whitworth University 560–670 570–690 23–29 23–29
Williams College 740–800 720–780 33–35 33–35
Winthrop University 490–590 500–600 20–26 20–26
Xavier University of Louisiana 530–650 530–650 21–26 21–26
Yale University 760–800 760–800 34–36 34–36

 

 

Data is sourced from each university's official 2024-2025 Common Data Set (CDS). Examples below.

  1. Penn State University. "Common Data Set 2024-2025." http://bpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com/sites.psu.edu/dist/d/114442/files/2025/06/CDS_2024_2025_UniversityPark_v2.pdf
  2. Princeton University. "Admission Statistics." https://admission.princeton.edu/how-apply/admission-statistics
  3. Texas A&M University. "Common Data Set 2024-2025." https://abpa.tamu.edu/getattachment/439f54fe-1105-48af-955a-405775f80872/CDS-2024-2025_TexasA-M.pdf
  4. University of Florida. "Common Data Set 2024-2025." UF Institutional Research. https://data-apps.ir.aa.ufl.edu/public/cds/CDS_2024-2025_UFMAIN_Post_v1.pdf
  5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. "Common Data Set 2024-2025." U-M Office of Budget and Planning. https://obp.umich.edu/wp-content/uploads/pubdata/cds/CDS_2024-25_UMAA.pdf
  6. University of Alabama "Common Data Set 2024-2025." https://oira.ua.edu/d/sites/all/files/reports25/UA%20CDS%202024-25%20FINAL%2022aJan2025.pdf

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