Is 1220 a Good SAT Score?
By the Cheetah Prep team
Yes. 1220 is a strong SAT score.
About 461,142 of the 2,004,965 students in the most recent testing class scored 1220 or higher.
What 1220 Really Means on the SAT
A 1220 is in the 77th percentile, so you scored higher than about 77 percent of test takers, roughly 170 points above the national average of 1050. A 1220 keeps you competitive across a wide range of colleges, including many selective ones. It is not a score you need to apologize for. The question worth asking is whether your specific target schools sit above it, because a handful of the most selective ones will.
Whether a 1220 is good enough is really a question about your list. It keeps you in range at 633 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.
1220 on the SAT by Section
A 1220 is a total, and there is more than one way to reach it. An even split is about 610 on Reading and Writing and 610 on Math, but the same 1220 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 | 610 | 610 |
| Reading and Writing stronger | 650 | 570 |
| Math stronger | 570 | 650 |
What Colleges Can You Get Into With a 1220 SAT Score?
Every school below reports real SAT data. Filter by how a 1220 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 |
|---|---|---|
| United States Naval AcademyMD | 1210 to 1410 | 9.3% |
| College of the OzarksMO | 1050 to 1220 | 12.0% |
| United States Military AcademyNY | 1200 to 1430 | 12.4% |
| BereaKY | 1156 to 1335 | 19.3% |
| 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% |
| UCFFL | 1200 to 1350 | 40.1% |
| HowardDC | 1090 to 1320 | 41.3% |
| Tennessee KnoxvilleTN | 1200 to 1370 | 41.6% |
| 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% |
| 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% |
| PurdueIN | 1200 to 1480 | 49.9% |
Should You Submit 1220 to Colleges?
A 1220 is a score you submit. At this level it sits at or above the median at the large majority of colleges, so sending it can only help. The only schools where it is not an asset are the few whose middle 50 percent starts above it, and even there it rarely counts against you. The worry that a test optional application looks weaker without a score is overstated, and it does not apply to you anyway, because a 1220 is worth showing.
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 1220 is at or above a school's 25th percentile, submitting usually helps.
How Many More Colleges Open Up if You Raise Your Score?
A 1220 keeps you in range at 633 schools today. Drag the target to see how many more come into range as your score climbs.
+39
more colleges in range at a 1270
672
total colleges in range
That is a 50 point climb. A diagnostic shows exactly which topics stand between your 1220 and a 1270.
See how to reach your targetShould You Retake the SAT With 1220?
Retaking a 1220 makes sense only if a specific target sits above it. For most lists a 1220 is already doing its job. If one or two reach schools have a middle 50 percent that starts higher, a focused retake aimed at that gap can be worth it. Chasing points with no target in mind is not.
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 1220 is leaking points, so a second attempt is aimed rather than hopeful.
1220 and Merit Scholarships
A 1220 does more than get you admitted. Many public universities and private colleges publish automatic merit aid tied to your SAT score and GPA, and a 1220 lands in or near the top tiers of those grids. At some schools that means awards worth several thousand dollars a year, and at a few it can reach full tuition. The number you apply with is often the same one that sets your price.
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 1220 unlocks, from partial awards up to full ride.
How to Raise a 1220 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 1220 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 1300 on the SAT.
1220 SAT Score: Frequently Asked Questions
- Is 1220 a good SAT score?
- A 1220 is in the 77th percentile, meaning you scored higher than about 77 percent of the roughly 2 million students who take the SAT each year. It is a strong score that keeps you competitive at most colleges.
- What percentile is 1220 on the SAT?
- A 1220 is in the 77th percentile. About 461,142 of the 2,004,965 students in the most recent testing class scored the same or higher.
- What colleges can you get into with 1220 on the SAT?
- A 1220 is in range at 633 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 1220 to test optional schools?
- Submit a 1220 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. At this level that is most schools, so submitting is almost always the right call.
- How much can you improve a 1220 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 1220 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 1220 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 1220 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 1220 good enough for the Ivy League?
- The Ivy League middle 50 percent generally runs from about 1500 to 1580, so a 1220 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