How good is a 1430 on the SAT?

A 1430 is in the 95th percentile: it beats about 95 of every 100 SAT takers. Among the 400 most-applied-to colleges that report SAT ranges, it's at or above the 75th percentile at 303 of them, inside the middle 50% at 76 and just below the 25th percentile at 19.

Test Ninjas Research · Updated October 26, 2026 · 5 min read
Percentile
95th
Beats about 95 of 100 test takers
In or above range
379 of 400
Most-applied-to colleges that report SAT ranges
Typical split
720 + 710
Reading and Writing + Math
01

What a 1430 Means

93rd–95th percentile: strong at flagships and many selective colleges.

A 1430 is in the 95th percentile, so it beats about 95 of every 100 test takers. It's at or above the middle 50% range at most state flagships and many selective private colleges.

At the most selective colleges a 1430 is usually below the middle 50% range. It doesn't rule you out there, but the rest of the application has to be exceptional.

For scale: a 1380 is the 92nd percentile and a 1480 is the 97th. Check your own estimate with the SAT score calculator, or any score's rank with the SAT percentile calculator.

02

Colleges Where a 1430 Is Competitive

The middle 50% is the range between the 25th and 75th percentile SAT scores of a college's first-year students. Above the 75th percentile, your score is a strength; inside the range, it's typical; below the 25th, it's a reach that the rest of the application has to make up for.

At or above the 75th percentile: the colleges with the highest ranges where a 1430 is still a strength (303 in all).
CollegeMiddle 50%Admit
Purdue University1190–143069%
University of Connecticut1230–143056%
Saint Louis University1220–143070%
New Jersey Institute of Technology1180–143069%
Denison University1230–143028%
College of Wooster1220–143061%
St. Olaf College1240–143047%
Clemson University1220–142049%
Inside the middle 50%: the most-applied-to of the 76 colleges where a 1430 is typical.
CollegeMiddle 50%Admit
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor1340–152020%
Boston University1360–152019%
Northeastern University1430–155018%
University of Southern California1410–154013%
University of Texas - Austin1230–150029%
The Ohio State University1250–144057%
University of Wisconsin1320–150060%
University of Florida1300–147030%
Within reach: colleges whose 25th percentile is up to 70 points above 1430 (19 in all).
CollegeMiddle 50%Admit
Tufts University1440–155011%
Dartmouth College1440–15606%
New York University1450–157013%
Cornell University1450–15609%
Brown University1460–15706%
Princeton University1460–15704%
Columbia University1470–15704%
Stanford University1470–15704%

Ranges are each college's most recently reported middle 50% for students who submitted scores, from our college database. University of California and Cal State campuses are left out because they don't consider SAT scores. Look up any college with the college SAT lookup.

03

Section Scores That Add Up to 1430

The SAT reports Reading and Writing and Math separately, 200–800 each. Colleges see both, so the same 1430 can read differently for an engineering program than for an English major.

ProfileReading and WritingMath
Even split720710
Reading and Writing–leaning770660
Math-leaning670760
04

Should You Retake a 1430?

Worth it if several colleges on your list are in the within-reach table above, where a 1430 is under the 25th percentile. If your list is flagships and selective privates where 1430 is already in range, the score has done its job.

Retake if:

  • Your list includes colleges where 1430 is below the 25th percentile.
  • You're aiming for merit-scholarship tiers that start just above 1430.
  • Your practice tests show you can gain 50 or more points.

Keep your 1430 if:

  • Your list is mostly colleges where 1430 is in or above range.
  • You've already taken the SAT two or three times.
  • Your time is better spent on essays, courses or activities.
Scholarships: A 1430 qualifies for merit scholarships at many public universities and often sits in the upper tiers of their published grids. Check each college's grid, since cutoffs differ.
05

Frequently Asked Questions

A 1430 is in the 95th percentile, so it beats about 95 of every 100 SAT takers. A 1480 is the 97th percentile.

A 1430 is below the 25th percentile at all 8 Ivy League schools in our data, so it would be a reach score at each of them and the rest of the application has to stand out. Ivy League admissions read the whole application, so a score in range keeps you in consideration without deciding the outcome.

Worth it if several colleges on your list are in the within-reach table above, where a 1430 is under the 25th percentile. If your list is flagships and selective privates where 1430 is already in range, the score has done its job.

A 1430 qualifies for merit scholarships at many public universities and often sits in the upper tiers of their published grids. Check each college's grid, since cutoffs differ.

720 Reading and Writing + 710 Math; 770 Reading and Writing + 660 Math; 670 Reading and Writing + 760 Math. Colleges see both section scores, so a balanced profile and a lopsided one read differently for programs that care about one section.

← How good is a 1420? · How good is a 1440? →

Percentiles come from the same SAT percentile table as our percentile calculator. SAT® is a trademark registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse, this page.