Is 940 a Good SAT Score?

A 940 is below average: the 38th percentile of SAT takers. Here is what it means and what to do with it.

SAT score
940
Percentile
38th
Rating
Below average
ACT equivalent
17

What a 940 SAT score means

A 940 is below average. On College Board’s current tables it sits at the 38th percentile of students who took the SAT, so you scored at or above roughly 38% of test-takers (top 62%). Measured against all US juniors and seniors, including those who never take the test, it is the 36th percentile. The national average total is about 1025, so a 940 is 85 points below the average. On the official concordance it is equivalent to about a 17 composite on the ACT.

Which colleges a 940 fits

Admissions readers compare your score with the middle-50% range of admitted students, published in each college’s Common Data Set. A 940 is below the middle-50% range at most four-year universities, though many colleges are test-optional and community-college transfer paths do not require a score. 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 940 breaks down

The total is the sum of two sections scored 200–800, so several combinations produce a 940:

Reading and WritingMathTotal
470470940
520420940
420520940

Colleges see both sections, and STEM programs in particular look at Math on its own, so a 940 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 940 takes roughly 29 of 54 correct in Reading and Writing and 21 of 44 in Math; try your own numbers in the score calculator.

Moving a 940 up

The next band starts at 1000 (Average), 60 points away. Near this part of the scale each extra correct answer is worth roughly 10–15 points, so that is about 4 more questions right, spread across both sections. At this level the fastest gains usually come from the grammar rules in Reading and Writing and the core algebra in Math, and from being accurate on Module 1 so you are routed to the harder Module 2. See how to improve your SAT score, and remember that most colleges superscore, so a retake can target one section.

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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940 SAT score: frequently asked questions

Is 940 a good SAT score?

A 940 is below average. It is at the 38th percentile of SAT takers, meaning you scored at or above 38% of students who took the test, and below the national average, with plenty of room to improve. Whether it is good enough depends on the middle-50% ranges at the colleges you are applying to.

What percentile is a 940 SAT score?

38th percentile among SAT takers (SAT User) and 36th among all US 11th and 12th graders (Nationally Representative), per College Board’s current tables.

What is a 940 SAT score on the ACT?

A 940 concords to an ACT composite of about 17 on the official ACT/College Board table.

How many questions do I need to get right for a 940?

With balanced sections on the harder Module 2 path, roughly 29 of 54 in Reading and Writing and 21 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.

How do I get from 940 to 1000?

That is 60 points, which means about 4 more correct answers spread across the sections on the harder Module 2 path. The improvement guide explains where those points usually come from.