What a 18 ACT score means on the SAT scale
On the concordance table published jointly by ACT and College Board, an ACT composite of 18 corresponds to an SAT total of 970. Because one ACT point spans several SAT points, the table also gives a range, 960–980, and colleges treat any SAT score in that range as equivalent to a 18. An SAT 970 is below average: the 42nd percentile of SAT takers, or the top 58%. ACT publishes its own percentile tables for the composite, which differ slightly because the two tests are taken by different groups of students.
Which colleges a 18 fits
Admissions readers compare test scores with the middle-50% range of admitted students, published for both tests in each college’s Common Data Set. An SAT-equivalent of 970 is below the national average, which is where focused preparation moves scores fastest. The per-score page is 970 a good SAT score gives the full picture, including section splits and how to move it, and the good-score guide lists sample college ranges.
One ACT point in SAT terms
Moving from a 18 to a 19 is worth about 40 SAT points (1010), and a 17 concords to 930. Near the top of both scales each ACT point covers a wider SAT range, which is why a 34 and a 35 look similar to a college that reads scores in SAT terms while a 20 and a 21 sit only about 40 SAT points apart.
ACT Math 18 to SAT Math
The concordance also maps the Math sections directly. An ACT Math score of 18 corresponds to an SAT Math section score of about 500 out of 800. Programs with a Math minimum, common in engineering and business schools, use this section-level table rather than the composite. The Math SAT score calculator shows how many correct answers that takes on the Digital SAT.
Nearby ACT scores
Last updated September 2026. Source: ACT/College Board 2018 concordance tables (composite and Math); SAT percentiles from College Board’s current SAT User tables.