Is 1560 a Good SAT Score?

A 1560 is exceptional: the 99th+ percentile of SAT takers. Here is what it means and what to do with it.

SAT score
1560
Percentile
99+
Rating
Exceptional
ACT equivalent
35

What a 1560 SAT score means

A 1560 is exceptional. On College Board’s current tables it sits at the 99th+ percentile of students who took the SAT, so you scored at or above roughly 99+% of test-takers (top 1%). Measured against all US juniors and seniors, including those who never take the test, it is the 99th+ percentile. The national average total is about 1025, so a 1560 is 535 points above the average. On the official concordance it is equivalent to about a 35 composite on the ACT.

Which colleges a 1560 fits

Admissions readers compare your score with the middle-50% range of admitted students, published in each college’s Common Data Set. A 1560 is in the middle-50% range at the most selective universities in the country (Ivy League, MIT, Stanford, Caltech, Chicago, Duke) and above it almost everywhere else. Ranges move a little each year, and a growing number of colleges are test-optional, so check each college’s current policy; the good-score guide lists sample ranges.

How a 1560 breaks down

The total is the sum of two sections scored 200–800, so several combinations produce a 1560:

Reading and WritingMathTotal
7807801560

Colleges see both sections, and STEM programs in particular look at Math on its own, so a 1560 built on a strong Math score reads differently from the same total the other way round. With balanced sections on the harder Module 2 path, a 1560 takes roughly 52 of 54 correct in Reading and Writing and 42 of 44 in Math; try your own numbers in the score calculator.

Holding a 1560

A 1560 is at or near the top of the scale, so the question is no longer improvement but consistency. If you have not yet taken an official sitting that matches your practice results, plan one more attempt and use superscoring; otherwise the time is better spent on the rest of the application.

Nearby scores

Last updated September 2026. Percentiles from College Board’s current SAT User and Nationally Representative tables; ACT equivalents from the official 2018 concordance; college ranges approximate.

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1560 SAT score: frequently asked questions

Is 1560 a good SAT score?

A 1560 is exceptional. It is at the 99th+ percentile of SAT takers, meaning you scored at or above 99+% of students who took the test, and competitive at the most selective colleges in the country. Whether it is good enough depends on the middle-50% ranges at the colleges you are applying to.

What percentile is a 1560 SAT score?

99+ percentile among SAT takers (SAT User) and 99+ among all US 11th and 12th graders (Nationally Representative), per College Board’s current tables.

What is a 1560 SAT score on the ACT?

A 1560 concords to an ACT composite of about 35 on the official ACT/College Board table.

How many questions do I need to get right for a 1560?

With balanced sections on the harder Module 2 path, roughly 52 of 54 in Reading and Writing and 42 of 44 in Math. The exact count varies by test form and by which Module 2 you receive; use the calculator to try your own split.