Do you have the SAT scores you need to get into a competitive public university? This article compares the SAT scores of accepted students for 22 highly ranked public universities. If your scores fall within or above the range in the chart below, you're on target for admission. Also check out the SAT comparison table for the top 10 public universities.
| Top Public University SAT Score Comparison (mid 50%) (Learn what these numbers mean) | |||||||
| SAT Scores | GPA-SAT-ACT Admissions Scattergram | ||||||
| Reading | Math | Writing | |||||
| 25% | 75% | 25% | 75% | 25% | 75% | ||
| Binghamton | 600 | 680 | 630 | 703 | 580 | 670 | see graph |
| Clemson | 560 | 660 | 590 | 690 | - | - | see graph |
| Connecticut | 550 | 650 | 580 | 690 | 550 | 650 | see graph |
| Delaware | 540 | 640 | 550 | 660 | 530 | 640 | see graph |
| Florida | 580 | 670 | 590 | 680 | 570 | 670 | see graph |
| Georgia | 570 | 660 | 580 | 670 | 560 | 660 | see graph |
| Indiana | 520 | 630 | 540 | 660 | 510 | 620 | see graph |
| James Madison | 520 | 610 | 520 | 610 | - | - | see graph |
| Maryland | 590 | 690 | 620 | 730 | - | - | see graph |
| Minnesota | 560 | 700 | 620 | 740 | 570 | 690 | see graph |
| Ohio State | 560 | 670 | 610 | 720 | 560 | 660 | see graph |
| Penn State | 530 | 630 | 560 | 670 | 540 | 640 | see graph |
| Pitt | 580 | 660 | 600 | 690 | 570 | 670 | see graph |
| Purdue | 520 | 630 | 560 | 700 | 510 | 630 | see graph |
| Rutgers | 530 | 640 | 580 | 700 | 540 | 660 | see graph |
| Texas | 570 | 690 | 600 | 720 | 560 | 690 | see graph |
| Texas A&M | 520 | 640 | 550 | 670 | 490 | 610 | see graph |
| UC Davis | 510 | 630 | 560 | 710 | 530 | 650 | see graph |
| UC Irvine | 480 | 600 | 550 | 690 | 510 | 620 | see graph |
| UCSB | 530 | 660 | 560 | 700 | 510 | 630 | see graph |
| Virginia Tech | 540 | 640 | 560 | 680 | 530 | 630 | see graph |
| Washington | 540 | 660 | 580 | 710 | 530 | 650 | see graph |
| See the ACT version of this table | |||||||
| Will You Get In? Calculate your chances with this free tool from Cappex | |||||||
continue reading below our video
4 Tips for Improving Test Performance
SAT scores are just one part of the application. It's possible to have scores above the averages presented here and still get rejected if other parts of your application are weak. Similarly, some students with scores significantly below the ranges listed here gain admission because they demonstrate other strengths.
Also, if you are an out-of-state applicant, you may need to have SAT scores significantly higher than those shown here. Most state-funded universities give preference to in-state applicants.
To see a full profile of each public university including acceptance rates and financial aid information, click on the names in the table above. You can also check out these other SAT charts (or ACT charts):
SAT Comparison Charts: Ivy League | top universities | top liberal arts | top engineering | more top liberal arts | top public universities | top public liberal arts colleges | University of California campuses | Cal State campuses | SUNY campuses | more SAT charts
SAT Comparison Tables by State: AL | AK | AZ | AR | CA | CO | CT | DE | DC | FL | GA | HI | ID | IL | IN | IA | KS | KY | LA | ME | MD | MA | MI | MN | MS | MO | MT | NE | NV | NH | NJ | NM | NY | NC | ND | OH | OK | OR | PA | RI | SC | SD | TN | TX | UT | VT | VA | WA | WV | WI | WY
Data from the National Center for Educational Statistics
