--- title: What's a Good SAT/ACT Score for the Ivy League? What's the Lowest Score I Can Get in With? description: What ACT/SAT scores do Ivy League universities like Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, UPenn, and Yale look for? Learn what scores they consider good, OK, and bad. image: https://360031.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/360031/file-1955844238.jpg --- **[![PrepScholar](https://www.prepscholar.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/PrepScholar-Logo-Colored.png)](https://www.prepscholar.com/)** CALL NOW: [+1 (866) 811-5546](tel:18668115546) [![Start Free Trial](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/360031/interactive-171805697634.png)](https://cta-service-cms2.hubspot.com/web-interactives/public/v1/track/redirect?encryptedPayload=AVxigLKJluK2NyG3jpAJh%2F2lClc1fhnVHyMZoQonqRxtJngB8FMX6lc78F84JqOaVAL0d36TA5%2FYuH%2FLCJw8AG3ewREi%2F7a3XDouZgjxWfYCBUge6z76KnSykOxONl3avMK0gUjJGpJdyJE2BDTx8g3bsgHwMtx4Kr9Jfh6Jr7WA2XEIgtLw1OoVvAMo4Kw%3D&webInteractiveContentId=171805697634&portalId=360031) ## Choose Your Test SAT Prep ACT Prep [PrepScholar Advice Blog](https://blog.prepscholar.com/) ☰ - Search Blogs By Category - [SAT](https://blog.prepscholar.com/topic/sat) - [ACT](https://blog.prepscholar.com/topic/act) - [College Admissions](https://blog.prepscholar.com/topic/college-admissions) - [AP and IB Exams](https://blog.prepscholar.com/topic/advanced-placement-ap) - [PSAT](https://blog.prepscholar.com/topic/psat-info-and-strategies) - [TOEFL](https://blog.prepscholar.com/topic/toefl) - [GPA and Coursework](https://blog.prepscholar.com/topic/coursework-gpa) # [What's a Good SAT/ACT Score for the Ivy League? What's the Lowest Score I Can Get in With?](https://blog.prepscholar.com/whats-a-good-sat-act-score-for-the-ivy-league-whats-the-lowest-score-i-can-get-in-with) ![author image](http://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/360031/author_fred2.png) Posted by [Dr. Fred Zhang](https://blog.prepscholar.com/author/dr-fred-zhang) | Updated on October 3, 2025 [SAT/ACT Score Target](https://blog.prepscholar.com/topic/sat-act-score-target) , [College Admissions](https://blog.prepscholar.com/topic/college-admissions)   ![harvard-college-adams-house](https://360031.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/360031/file-1955844238.jpg?width=449&name=file-1955844238.jpg) Are you aiming to attend an [Ivy League school](https://blog.prepscholar.com/what-are-the-ivy-league-schools)? What ACT/SAT scores do Ivy League universities—Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, Penn, and Yale—expect? Here, we look at **what test scores these eight highly selective schools consider good,** as well as what scores are considered borderline.   [![Struggling to get the SAT score you need?   We can help! Our self-paced, adaptive online program lets you study at your own pace while targeting your unique strengths and weaknesses. If that's not enough, our expert tutors can provide further support one-on-one or in group classes.](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/360031/interactive-174551174656.png)](https://blog.prepscholar.com/hs/cta/wi/redirect?encryptedPayload=AVxigLJPPpKXKPIwDWHG1pOHFCG13xnk858xRXUt4hggV%2BdLGl8XsmMuClg0ceW4rvwm7oMH4n8uSQ82vX8RnzOHLALZewst3P%2BWdgC9rGx1x%2Be3FyO1bG4zbPfEQDFBD1iEDIKOZp%2B%2BKUb70hRcfJAMQAF6Pn5%2F7uC2BoqUeH82d0YIXCmxhR9ZkQu4KdqxHXff4UqZxyLwbncSNm7F&webInteractiveContentId=174551174656&portalId=360031)   ## Disclaimer: SAT/ACT Scores Aren't Everything When you apply to an Ivy League school, they'll be looking at [many other admission factors beyond just your SAT or ACT score](https://blog.prepscholar.com/college-acceptance-calculator). In fact, if you were to ask any of these schools' directors of admissions whether a perfect score would guarantee you admission, the answer would be a big, fat NO. **You need more than a perfect SAT or ACT score to get into an Ivy League school.** Ivy League schools look for strong test scores as well as [strong recommendations](https://blog.prepscholar.com/3-excellent-letter-of-recommendation-examples), [extracurriculars](https://blog.prepscholar.com/extracurricular-activities-examples-for-college-applications), and [GPAs](https://blog.prepscholar.com/strategies-to-raise-gpa-in-high-school-fast), which I'll call "Other Factors." If you have a great SAT/ACT score, then you can get away with *merely* excellent Other Factors. **If you're at the bottom of the range, though, you'll definitely need a superstar rating in Other Factors.** Keep this in mind as you read this article. **Exclusive Free Bonus:** [Click here to download](https://www.prepscholar.com/sat/s/resources/score_target) a free step-by-step guide on finding your personal SAT/ACT score target. Once you go through these steps, you'll know exactly what score you need to aim for.   ## What's a Good SAT/ACT Score for the Ivy League? An SAT score of **1555** (out of 1600) or ACT score of **35** (out of 36) will place you right in the top 25% for most Ivy League schools, whereas an SAT score of **1455** or ACT score of **33** would put you at the boundary of the bottom 25%. Thus, you can interpret your score as follows: - **1555 SAT/35 ACT or higher:** You don't need to improve your SAT/ACT scores. Work on making sure that you don't have any weaknesses in the rest of your college application. - **1455 SAT/32 ACT or lower:** You probably need to improve your score, and at the same time make sure you have at least one additional super strong component in your college application. Check out our guide on what to do with a [low ACT/SAT score](https://blog.prepscholar.com/what-to-do-with-a-low-sat-/-act-score) for tips. Now, let's look at the **25th and 75th percentile SAT/ACT scores for all Ivy League schools:** | **School Name** | **75% SAT** | **25% SAT** | **75% ACT** | **25% ACT** | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Harvard](https://www.prepscholar.com/sat/s/colleges/Harvard-admission-requirements) | 1580 | 1500 | 36 | 34 | | [Princeton](https://www.prepscholar.com/sat/s/colleges/Princeton-admission-requirements) | 1560 | 1510 | 35 | 34 | | [Yale](https://www.prepscholar.com/sat/s/colleges/Yale-admission-requirements) | 1560 | 1500 | 35 | 33 | | [Columbia](https://www.prepscholar.com/sat/s/colleges/Columbia-University-admission-requirements) | 1570 | 1500 | 35 | 34 | | [Penn](https://www.prepscholar.com/sat/s/colleges/University-of-Pennsylvania-admission-requirements) | 1560 | 1440 | 35 | 34 | | [Brown](https://www.prepscholar.com/sat/s/colleges/Brown-University-admission-requirements) | 1560 | 1510 | 35 | 34 | | [Dartmouth](https://www.prepscholar.com/sat/s/colleges/Dartmouth-admission-requirements) | 1550 | 1450 | 35 | 32 | | [Cornell](https://www.prepscholar.com/sat/s/colleges/Cornell-admission-requirements) | 1550 | 1480 | 35 | 33 |   If you're scoring lower than the 25th percentile on either the SAT or ACT, you'll have **a really tough time** [getting accepted to an Ivy League school](https://blog.prepscholar.com/how-to-get-into-harvard-and-the-ivy-league-by-a-harvard-alum). Unfortunately, you just won't measure up to all the other highly qualified applicants who have extremely impressive SAT/ACT scores. **Clearly, these are very high standards.** In fact, all 75th percentile scores for Ivy League schools are in the [99th percentile nationwide](https://blog.prepscholar.com/sat-percentiles-and-score-rankings). To be at the top of the Ivy League application pool, you will need to be one of the top 1% of test takers in the country!   ## What's a Good SAT/ACT Score for YOU? While these SAT/ACT scores for the Ivy League can be used as standard guidelines, everyone has a different target score. This means that you'll need to know the [SAT](https://blog.prepscholar.com/what-is-a-good-sat-score-a-bad-sat-score-an-excellent-sat-score)/[ACT score target](https://blog.prepscholar.com/what-is-a-good-act-score-a-bad-act-score-an-excellent-act-score) that's right for *you*. But how do you figure this out? **Your target SAT/ACT score will be based on the colleges you're applying to.** You'll need to find the average SAT/ACT scores of admitted students for *all* the schools you're interested in attending, specifically their 75th percentile scores. Aiming for the 75th percentile will give you the best chance of getting into all the schools on your list. You can find SAT/ACT scores and percentile information for a school by visiting its admission page or by **Googling "\[School Name\] PrepScholar SAT/ACT"** For example, if you wanted to know what the average SAT scores for NYU were, you'd Google "NYU PrepScholar SAT." Once you've found these scores for all the schools you're thinking of applying to, **find the highest 75th percentile score on your list; that's the goal score you'll be aiming for.** For a more in-depth explanation and access to blank charts you can use to keep track of schools' SAT/ACT scores, click the link below and enter your email address—you'll get **a free step-by-step guide** on how to calculate your personal SAT/ACT goal score. [![featurebox-actscoretarget](https://360031.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/360031/file-2178577891.jpg)](https://www.prepscholar.com/sat/s/resources/score_target)   ## What's Next? **Want expert tips on how to get into the Ivy League?** Read our famous guide on [how to get into Harvard and the Ivy League](https://blog.prepscholar.com/how-to-get-into-harvard-and-the-ivy-league-by-a-harvard-alum), written by a Harvard alum. **Curious how Ivy League schools compare with one another?** Take a look at our in-depth analysis of the [Ivy League rankings](https://blog.prepscholar.com/ivy-league-rankings), and learn what these numbers mean for you. **What's a good SAT/ACT score for non-Ivy League schools?** Our comprehensive guides explain what [good ACT scores](https://blog.prepscholar.com/what-is-a-good-act-score-a-bad-act-score-an-excellent-act-score) and [good SAT scores](https://blog.prepscholar.com/what-is-a-good-sat-score-a-bad-sat-score-an-excellent-sat-score) are, depending on the schools you're applying to.   [![Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?   Check out our best-in-class online SAT and ACT prep classes. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your SAT score by 160+ points or your ACT score by 4+ points.   Our classes are entirely online, and they're taught by experts. If you liked this article, you'll love our classes. Along with expert-led classes, you'll get personalized homework with thousands of practice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. 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He scored a perfect score on the SAT and is passionate about sharing information with aspiring students. Fred graduated from Harvard University with a Bachelor's in Mathematics and a PhD in Economics. ## Ask a Question Below Have any questions about this article or other topics? 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All rights reserved SAT® is a registered trademark of the College Entrance Examination BoardTM. The College Entrance Examination BoardTM does not endorse, nor is it affiliated in any way with the owner or any content of this web site. ACT® is a registered trademark belonging to ACT Education Corporation ("ACT"). ACT is not involved with or affiliated with PrepScholar Inc., nor does ACT endorse or sponsor any of the products or services offered by PrepScholar Inc. GRE® and TOEFL® are registered trademarks of the ETS®. The ETS® does not endorse, nor is it affiliated in any way with, the owner or any content of this web site. GMAT® is a registered trademark of the Graduate Management Admissions Council®. The Graduate Management Admissions Council® does not endorse, nor is it affiliated in any way with, the owner or any content of this website. ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Dr. Fred Zhang", "url" : "https://blog.prepscholar.com/author/dr-fred-zhang" }, "dateModified" : "2025-10-03T23:30:40+00:00", "datePublished" : "2022-09-27T16:00:00+00:00", "description" : "What ACT/SAT scores do Ivy League universities like Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, UPenn, and Yale look for? Learn what scores they consider good, OK, and bad.", "headline" : "What's a Good SAT/ACT Score for the Ivy League? What's the Lowest Score I Can Get in With?", "image" : "http://cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/360031/file-1955844238-jpg/harvard-college-adams-house.jpg", "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://blog.prepscholar.com/whats-a-good-sat-act-score-for-the-ivy-league-whats-the-lowest-score-i-can-get-in-with", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://www.prepscholar.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/PrepScholar-Logo-Colored.png" }, "name" : "PrepScholar" } } ```