If you've achieved a score of 980 on your SATs, this places you squarely within the average range for accepted students at 421 U.S. colleges. This list features popular colleges where your application will likely be competitive, given their historical acceptance of students with a 980 SAT score. However, it's crucial to remember that a good SAT score is not the sole criterion for admission. In fact, may colleges are now test optional. It's equally significant to maintain a Grade Point Average (GPA) that aligns with the college's expectations for incoming students. The creation of this list is rooted in a comprehensive analysis of SAT scores from students admitted to all U.S. colleges
You can probably do better than a score of 980. It situates you in the bottom 36th percentile on the national scale, underperforming the majority of the 1.7 million SAT test takers. This score signifies your below average performance in answering questions in the Math and Evidence-Based Reading & Writing sections of the exam. The SAT is scored out of a maximum of 1600 and a minimum of 400, meaning your 980 score represents 61% of the total possible points. If a 980 does not meet the requirements of your preferred college, you might want to consider enrolling in a test prep course to potentially enhance your score.
Let's examine how a 980 SAT score stacks up to the national averages across various demographic groups
A 980 on the SAT translates to a 18 on the ACT according to the concordance provided by the College Board and ACT. It's important to note that not all colleges disclose admission data for both the SAT and ACT. As such, we recommend checking our listings for each test to identify schools with similar academic profiles.
Scoring a 980 on the SAT places you in the 36th percentile nationwide. This implies that your performance surpassed 36% of all test takers. To put this in perspective, about 1.7 million students sit for the SAT each year. Thus, with your score, you've outperformed about 612,000 students with only 1,088,000 test takers achieving a higher score.
Here are some of the top ranked colleges which have historically accepted students in this test score range. Scroll down further to explore, search, sort and filter the full list.
College | Average SAT |
---|---|
Azusa Pacific University | 1120 |
Dominican University | 1040 |
Albion College | 1050 |
St Catherine University | 1050 |
Saint Vincent College | 1080 |
Millikin University | 1080 |
Southern Illinois University Carbondale | 1050 |
Simpson College | 1090 |
William Carey University | 1150 |
Northern Illinois University | 1060 |
University of Northern Iowa | 1090 |
Central Connecticut State University | 1070 |
Marietta College | 1070 |
Roosevelt University | 990 |
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | 1040 |
421 results nationwide
Displaying 421 colleges where your 980 SAT score is within the typical range of past accepted students. You have a chance at being accepted but admission may be challenging at more selective colleges. Hint: Filter by admission chance for 1,218 target schools (good chance), 1,395 reach (harder) schools and 1,179 safety (easier) schools you can consider.
Public 4 Year
0 reviews
1030 Average SAT Composite
Test Optional
#18 Best Public Universities in California
Applications Due Nov 30
Public 4 Year
0 reviews
970 Average SAT Composite
Test Optional
#26 Best Public Universities in California
Applications Due Jan 19
Public 4 Year
0 reviews
1030 Average SAT Composite
Test Optional
#21 Best Public Universities in California
Applications Due Nov 30
Private 4 Year
0 reviews
960 Average SAT Composite
Test Optional
#15 Best Private Colleges in Georgia
Applications Due Apr 1
Public 4 Year
5 reviews
970 Average SAT Composite
Test Optional
#9 Best Public Universities in Maryland
Applications Due Apr 15
Public 4 Year
2 reviews
940 Average SAT Composite
Test Optional
#12 Best Public Universities in Alabama
Applications Due Jul 31
Public 4 Year
2 reviews
1040 Average SAT Composite
Test Optional
#15 Best Public Universities in Texas
Applications Due Aug 1
Public 4 Year
3 reviews
910 Average SAT Composite
Test Optional
#25 Best Public Universities in Texas
Applications Due Jul 15
Public 4 Year
0 reviews
1070 Average SAT Composite
Test Optional
#15 Best Public Universities in California
Applications Due Dec 15
Public 4 Year
1 reviews
1040 Average SAT Composite
#5 Best Public Universities in Georgia
Applications Due Jun 1
Public 4 Year
6 reviews
1020 Average SAT Composite
Test Optional
#10 Best Public Universities in New Jersey
Applications Due Aug 15
Public 4 Year
0 reviews
940 Average SAT Composite
Test Optional
#14 Best Public Universities in Virginia
Applications Due May 1
Public 4 Year
2 reviews
1000 Average SAT Composite
Test Optional
#24 Best Public Universities in California
Applications Due Dec 15
Private 4 Year
1 reviews
1120 Average SAT Composite
Test Optional
#18 Best Private Colleges in California
Applications Due Jun 1
Public 4 Year
3 reviews
910 Average SAT Composite
#12 Best Public Universities in Georgia
Applications Due Jul 15
Public 4 Year
0 reviews
1090 Average SAT Composite
#5 Best Public Universities in Colorado
Applications Due Aug 1
Public 4 Year
1 reviews
1050 Average SAT Composite
Test Optional
#11 Best Public Universities in Virginia
Public 4 Year
0 reviews
1050 Average SAT Composite
Test Optional
#17 Best Public Universities in California
You can probably do better than a score of 980. The score puts you in the bottom 36th percentile of those who take the test. Explore colleges you can get into with a 980 SAT score.
San Francisco State University, California State University Los Angeles and California State University Sacramento are some of the best colleges that you have a competitive chance of getting into. Explore the full list: Colleges for a 980 SAT score.
A 980 ranks in the bottom 36th percentile of all students who take the SAT exam.
A 980 converts to a 18 on the ACT using College Board / ACT concordance tables. Explore the colleges: Colleges for a 18 ACT score.