What a 9 ACT score means on the SAT scale
On the concordance table published jointly by ACT and College Board, an ACT composite of 9 corresponds to an SAT total of 590. Because one ACT point spans several SAT points, the table also gives a range, 590–610, and colleges treat any SAT score in that range as equivalent to a 9. An SAT 590 is low: the 2nd percentile of SAT takers, or the top 98%. 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 9 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 590 is below the national average, which is where focused preparation moves scores fastest. The per-score page is 590 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 9 to a 10 is worth about 40 SAT points (630), 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.
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.