Is 1180 a Good SAT Score?
By the Cheetah Prep team
1180 is a solid, above average SAT score.
About 581,440 of the 2,004,965 students in the most recent testing class scored 1180 or higher.
What 1180 Really Means on the SAT
A 1180 is in the 71st percentile, so you scored higher than about 71 percent of test takers, about 130 points above the national average of 1050. A 1180 opens the door at a large number of four year colleges and clears the average comfortably. It falls short of the most selective schools, so the right move depends on where you want to apply and how far your list reaches above this number.
Whether a 1180 is good enough is really a question about your list. It keeps you in range at 585 of the 787 colleges below that report SAT data. Find your target schools in that group. If the ones you want sit higher, the tools on this page show exactly how far you have to climb and how much it changes where you get in.
1180 on the SAT by Section
A 1180 is a total, and there is more than one way to reach it. An even split is about 590 on Reading and Writing and 590 on Math, but the same 1180 can come from a stronger showing on either side. That matters for your prep. The fastest way to a higher total is usually to push your weaker section, not to polish your stronger one. If one section trails the other, a few targeted topics there often move the total more than anything else.
| Mix | Reading and Writing | Math |
|---|---|---|
| Even split | 590 | 590 |
| Reading and Writing stronger | 630 | 550 |
| Math stronger | 550 | 630 |
What Colleges Can You Get Into With a 1180 SAT Score?
Every school below reports real SAT data. Filter by how a 1180 lands against each one, or search for a specific college. Every name links to its full scores and admissions page.
Your score sits inside their middle 50 percent.
| College | SAT middle 50 | Acceptance rate |
|---|---|---|
| College of the OzarksMO | 1050 to 1220 | 12.0% |
| BereaKY | 1156 to 1335 | 19.3% |
| Florida Agricultural and MechanicalFL | 1030 to 1180 | 20.6% |
| Citadel Military College of South CarolinaSC | 1085 to 1285 | 22.7% |
| SpelmanGA | 1108 to 1320 | 24.9% |
| FiskTN | 1140 to 1510 | 37.4% |
| LeTourneauTX | 990 to 1330 | 38.0% |
| RegentVA | 990 to 1250 | 38.1% |
| Illinois WesleyanIL | 1120 to 1340 | 39.3% |
| HowardDC | 1090 to 1320 | 41.3% |
| DillardLA | 968 to 1202 | 41.9% |
| LynchburgVA | 980 to 1230 | 43.0% |
| SouthwesternTX | 1130 to 1300 | 43.0% |
| South FloridaFL | 1130 to 1320 | 43.2% |
| Texas ChristianTX | 1140 to 1350 | 44.5% |
| Brigham Young University HawaiiHI | 960 to 1190 | 47.0% |
| CUNY Bernard M BaruchNY | 1100 to 1400 | 47.5% |
| RollinsFL | 1160 to 1370 | 47.5% |
| AustinTX | 1100 to 1310 | 47.6% |
| College of IdahoID | 1070 to 1280 | 49.1% |
| Oklahoma BaptistOK | 1070 to 1240 | 49.4% |
| BelhavenMS | 1010 to 1298 | 49.8% |
| North Carolina A & T StateNC | 1020 to 1190 | 49.9% |
| Louisiana State University ShreveportLA | 1000 to 1195 | 50.5% |
Should You Submit 1180 to Colleges?
Whether to submit a 1180 depends on the school. It is at or above the 25th percentile at 585 of the colleges on this page, and at those schools submitting helps more than it risks. At more selective schools where a 1180 falls below the middle 50 percent, test optional gives you a real choice, and holding it back can be the smarter play.
Test optional is not the same as test blind. A test optional school reads a score if you send one, so the decision is only about whether the number helps your case. A test blind school ignores scores entirely, so there the question never comes up. When you are unsure, one rule holds up well. If a 1180 is at or above a school's 25th percentile, submitting usually helps.
How Many More Colleges Open Up if You Raise Your Score?
A 1180 keeps you in range at 585 schools today. Drag the target to see how many more come into range as your score climbs.
+54
more colleges in range at a 1230
639
total colleges in range
That is a 50 point climb. A diagnostic shows exactly which topics stand between your 1180 and a 1230.
See how to reach your targetShould You Retake the SAT With 1180?
A 1180 has real room to grow, and the odds favor a retake. College Board data shows that most students who take the SAT a second time raise their score, often by 40 to 90 points, and the students who prep deliberately tend to gain the most. At a 1180 you have more upside than someone already near the ceiling, so a retake is one of the highest value moves on your list.
A retake only pays off if you change what you study between attempts. Sitting the same test again without fixing the topics that cost you points tends to move the score very little. So start by finding those topics. The diagnostic on this page pinpoints where a 1180 is leaking points, so a second attempt is aimed rather than hopeful.
1180 and Merit Scholarships
A 1180 opens the door to merit aid at a good number of schools. Plenty of public universities and mid tier private colleges award automatic scholarships based on SAT score and GPA, and a 1180 qualifies for the middle bands at many of them. Moving up even one tier can mean a larger award, which is part of why the score is worth another look.
Merit grids vary by school, and the cutoffs shift from year to year, so treat any single figure as a guide rather than a promise. The pattern holds across almost all of them though. A higher score and a higher GPA move you into a larger automatic award, and together they decide most merit outcomes before an essay is ever read.
Some colleges hand out automatic scholarships on stats alone. See the automatic scholarships a 1180 unlocks, from partial awards up to full ride.
How to Raise a 1180 SAT Score
The fastest gains come from the section costing you the most points, not from grinding what you already know. Our score plans break a target into weekly work by section, and the diagnostic shows exactly where a 1180 is leaking points. Start there, then drill your weakest skills with real questions until the misses stop.
Aiming higher? See the full study plan to get a 1200 on the SAT.
1180 SAT Score: Frequently Asked Questions
- Is 1180 a good SAT score?
- A 1180 is in the 71st percentile, meaning you scored higher than about 71 percent of the roughly 2 million students who take the SAT each year. It is above the national average and works at a wide range of colleges.
- What percentile is 1180 on the SAT?
- A 1180 is in the 71st percentile. About 581,440 of the 2,004,965 students in the most recent testing class scored the same or higher.
- What colleges can you get into with 1180 on the SAT?
- A 1180 is in range at 585 of the 787 colleges we track that report SAT data. Use the explorer above to filter them by target, likely, and reach, and open any school for its full admissions picture.
- Should you submit 1180 to test optional schools?
- Submit a 1180 to any school where it lands at or above the 25th percentile, because there it helps your application. At schools where it falls below the middle 50 percent, test optional lets you apply without it. The explorer above shows which schools fall into each group.
- How much can you improve a 1180 SAT score?
- Most students who retake the SAT gain points, commonly 40 to 90, and those who prep with a plan tend to gain more. A 1180 leaves real room, so a focused stretch of prep aimed at your weakest topics can move it meaningfully. The diagnostic on this page shows where the points are hiding.
- Is 1180 good for engineering or computer science?
- Engineering and computer science programs weigh the Math section heavily, and their score bars often run above the school's overall range. A 1180 with a strong Math half is more competitive for these majors than the same total carried by Reading and Writing. If you are aiming at a technical program, push your Math score specifically.
- Is 1180 good enough for the Ivy League?
- The Ivy League middle 50 percent generally runs from about 1500 to 1580, so a 1180 is below the typical admitted range. A stronger score helps, but these schools weigh essays, rigor, and activities heavily, so it is never the whole story.
Compare nearby scores