Is 1480 a Good SAT Score?
By the Cheetah Prep team
Yes. 1480 is an excellent SAT score.
About 60,149 of the 2,004,965 students in the most recent testing class scored 1480 or higher.
What 1480 Really Means on the SAT
A 1480 is in the 97th percentile, so you scored higher than about 97 percent of test takers, and it sits 430 points above the national average of about 1050. Scores this high clear the bar at nearly every college in the country and put the most selective schools within reach. At this level the SAT has done its job. Your time now pays off more on essays and the rest of the application than on squeezing out a few more points.
Whether a 1480 is good enough is really a question about your list. It keeps you in range at 766 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.
1480 on the SAT by Section
A 1480 is a total, and there is more than one way to reach it. An even split is about 740 on Reading and Writing and 740 on Math, but the same 1480 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 | 740 | 740 |
| Reading and Writing stronger | 780 | 700 |
| Math stronger | 700 | 780 |
What Colleges Can You Get Into With a 1480 SAT Score?
Every school below reports real SAT data. Filter by how a 1480 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 |
|---|---|---|
| YaleCT | 1470 to 1570 | 3.9% |
| NortheasternMA | 1440 to 1540 | 5.2% |
| ColbyME | 1460 to 1550 | 7.1% |
| BowdoinME | 1470 to 1550 | 7.1% |
| BarnardNY | 1470 to 1560 | 8.8% |
| NYUNY | 1480 to 1560 | 9.2% |
| Claremont McKennaCA | 1470 to 1560 | 9.6% |
| USCCA | 1450 to 1550 | 9.8% |
| EmoryGA | 1470 to 1550 | 10.7% |
| MiddleburyVT | 1445 to 1550 | 10.8% |
| Boston UniversityMA | 1420 to 1530 | 11.1% |
| Notre DameIN | 1455 to 1560 | 11.3% |
| TuftsMA | 1470 to 1560 | 11.5% |
| HaverfordPA | 1460 to 1550 | 12.4% |
| Georgetown (DC)DC | 1390 to 1550 | 12.9% |
| BatesME | 1420 to 1530 | 13.3% |
| DavidsonNC | 1400 to 1530 | 13.4% |
| HamiltonNY | 1450 to 1550 | 13.6% |
| ColgateNY | 1430 to 1540 | 13.9% |
| Washington and LeeVA | 1430 to 1540 | 14.0% |
| Tulane University of LouisianaLA | 1400 to 1520 | 14.0% |
| WellesleyMA | 1460 to 1560 | 14.1% |
| Georgia TechGA | 1370 to 1540 | 14.1% |
| GrinnellIA | 1410 to 1540 | 14.5% |
Should You Submit 1480 to Colleges?
A 1480 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 1480 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 1480 is at or above a school's 25th percentile, submitting usually helps.
How Many More Colleges Open Up if You Raise Your Score?
A 1480 keeps you in range at 766 schools today. Drag the target to see how many more come into range as your score climbs.
+21
more colleges in range at a 1530
787
total colleges in range
That is a 50 point climb. A diagnostic shows exactly which topics stand between your 1480 and a 1530.
See how to reach your targetShould You Retake the SAT With 1480?
There is little reason to retake a 1480. You are near the top of the scale, and the few points left cost far more effort than they return. Unless a specific program you want states a higher bar, your time pays off more on essays and activities than on another test date.
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 1480 is leaking points, so a second attempt is aimed rather than hopeful.
1480 and Merit Scholarships
A 1480 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 1480 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 1480 unlocks, from partial awards up to full ride.
How to Raise a 1480 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 1480 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 1500 on the SAT.
1480 SAT Score: Frequently Asked Questions
- Is 1480 a good SAT score?
- A 1480 is in the 97th percentile, meaning you scored higher than about 97 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 1480 on the SAT?
- A 1480 is in the 97th percentile. About 60,149 of the 2,004,965 students in the most recent testing class scored the same or higher.
- What colleges can you get into with 1480 on the SAT?
- A 1480 is in range at 766 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 1480 to test optional schools?
- Submit a 1480 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 1480 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. At a 1480 you are near the ceiling, so expect smaller gains and a higher effort per point. The diagnostic on this page shows where the points are hiding.
- Is 1480 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 1480 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 1480 good enough for the Ivy League?
- The Ivy League middle 50 percent generally runs from about 1500 to 1580, so a 1480 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