How good is a 1510 on the SAT?

A 1510 is in the 98th percentile: it beats about 98 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 353 of them and inside the middle 50% at 47.

Test Ninjas Research · Updated October 26, 2026 · 5 min read
Percentile
98th
Beats about 98 of 100 test takers
In or above range
400 of 400
Most-applied-to colleges that report SAT ranges
Typical split
760 + 750
Reading and Writing + Math
01

What a 1510 Means

98th–99th percentile: in range at most of the most selective colleges.

A 1510 is in the 98th percentile. It's at or above the middle 50% range at the large majority of colleges, and inside or just below the range at the most selective ones.

At Ivy League and similar colleges a 1510 is a competitive score, but it can still sit below the median there. It won't hold an application back, and it won't carry one either.

For scale: a 1460 is the 96th percentile and a 1560 is the 99th. Check your own estimate with the SAT score calculator, or any score's rank with the SAT percentile calculator.

02

Colleges Where a 1510 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 1510 is still a strength (353 in all).
CollegeMiddle 50%Admit
University of Maryland - College Park1330–151052%
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign1320–151060%
Tulane University1360–151010%
Southern Methodist University1340–151053%
Wesleyan University1300–151019%
Stevens Institute of Technology1370–151053%
Bowdoin College1360–15109%
University of Texas - Austin1230–150029%
Inside the middle 50%: the most-applied-to of the 47 colleges where a 1510 is typical.
CollegeMiddle 50%Admit
New York University1450–157013%
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor1340–152020%
Boston University1360–152019%
Northeastern University1430–155018%
University of Southern California1410–154013%
Cornell University1450–15609%
Columbia University1470–15704%
Harvard University1480–15804%

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 1510

The SAT reports Reading and Writing and Math separately, 200–800 each. Colleges see both, so the same 1510 can read differently for an engineering program than for an English major.

ProfileReading and WritingMath
Even split760750
Math-leaning710800
04

Should You Retake a 1510?

Only if your list leans heavily toward the most selective colleges, where a 1510 can be below the median, and you have time to prepare for a realistic jump of 30–50 points.

Retake if:

  • Most of your list is colleges where 1510 is below the median.
  • Your practice tests show you can reach the mid-1500s.
  • You have a test date left that fits your application deadlines.

Keep your 1510 if:

  • Your list is mostly colleges where 1510 is at or above the middle 50%.
  • You've already taken the SAT two or three times.
  • Essays and activities need the time more.
Scholarships: A 1510 is in or near the top tier of most published merit-scholarship grids at public universities, and it's competitive for most named scholarship programs.
05

Frequently Asked Questions

A 1510 is in the 98th percentile, so it beats about 98 of every 100 SAT takers. A 1560 is the 99th percentile.

A 1510 is at or above the 25th percentile at 8 of the 8 Ivy League schools in our data, and at or above the middle of the range at 2. Ivy League admissions read the whole application, so a score in range keeps you in consideration without deciding the outcome.

Only if your list leans heavily toward the most selective colleges, where a 1510 can be below the median, and you have time to prepare for a realistic jump of 30–50 points.

A 1510 is in or near the top tier of most published merit-scholarship grids at public universities, and it's competitive for most named scholarship programs.

760 Reading and Writing + 750 Math; 710 Reading and Writing + 800 Math. Colleges see both section scores, so a balanced profile and a lopsided one read differently for programs that care about one section.

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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.