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Is a 820 a Good SAT Score?

A 820 SAT total is higher than about 20% of the user group of recent test takers, and about 17% of the nationally representative study group, according to College Board percentile data. It concords to an ACT Composite score of 14.

National Percentile
17
User Group Percentile
20
ACT Equivalent
14

Verdict: Low

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How this verdict is computed

This verdict is computed directly from the user-group percentile using a fixed rule, not a guess:

  • 90th percentile or higher: Excellent
  • 75th-89th percentile: Strong
  • 50th-74th percentile: Above average
  • 25th-49th percentile: Below average
  • Below 25th percentile: Low

Use our College Finder to compare a 820 SAT score against the middle-50% SAT ranges published by individual colleges.

Nearby scores

SAT Total Score Percentiles (scores near 820)
SAT Total National Percentile User Group Percentile
870 24 27
860 23 26
850 21 24
840 20 23
830 18 21
820 17 20
810 16 18
800 14 17
790 13 16
780 11 14
770 10 13
← 830 SAT 810 SAT →

SAT to ACT conversion

See the full SAT to ACT conversion chart for the official concordance tables.

Frequently asked questions

Is a 820 SAT score good?

A 820 SAT total is higher than about 20% of the user group of recent test takers, and about 17% of the nationally representative study group, according to College Board percentile data. Using the user-group percentile, that puts a 820 in the "low" range.

What ACT score is equal to a 820 SAT?

A 820 SAT total concords to an ACT Composite score of 14, according to the official 2018 College Board and ACT concordance tables.

What colleges accept a 820 SAT score?

Use our College Finder to compare a 820 SAT score against the middle-50% SAT ranges published by individual colleges.

Source: College Board SAT percentiles, https://research.collegeboard.org/reports/sat-suite/understanding-scores/sat (checked 2026-09-23). Nationally representative percentiles are derived from a research study of U.S. students in 11th and 12th grade and are weighted to represent all U.S. students in those grades, regardless of whether they typically take the SAT. User group percentiles are based on the actual SAT scores of students that graduated in the past three school years.