If you've achieved a score of 850 on your SATs, this places you squarely within the average range for accepted students at 92 U.S. colleges. This list features popular colleges where your application will likely be competitive, given their historical acceptance of students with a 850 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
A score of 850 isn't very competitive. It situates you in the bottom 15th percentile on the national scale, underperforming the majority of the 1.7 million SAT test takers. This score signifies your very poor 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 850 score represents 53% of the total possible points. If a 850 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 850 SAT score stacks up to the national averages across various demographic groups
A 850 on the SAT translates to a 15 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 850 on the SAT places you in the 15th percentile nationwide. This implies that your performance surpassed 15% 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 255,000 students with only 1,445,000 test takers achieving a higher score.
92 results nationwide
Displaying 92 colleges where your 850 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 258 target schools (good chance), 1,458 reach (harder) schools and 1,332 safety (easier) schools you can consider.
Public 4 Year
0 reviews
Test Optional
#11 Best Public Universities in Illinois
Public 4 Year
0 reviews
Test Optional
#7 Best Public Universities in Kentucky
Private 4 Year
1 reviews
Test Optional
Applications Due May 1
Public 4 Year
1 reviews
Test Optional
#9 Best Public Universities in Illinois
Applications Due Jul 15
Private 4 Year
0 reviews
Test Optional
#14 Best Private Colleges in New Jersey
Applications Due Aug 1
Private 4 Year
1 reviews
Test Optional
#14 Best Private Colleges in South Carolina
Applications Due Feb 15
Public 4 Year
0 reviews
Test Optional
#19 Best Public Universities in Pennsylvania
Applications Due May 1
Public 4 Year
0 reviews
#12 Best Public Universities in Louisiana
Applications Due Aug 1
Public 4 Year
0 reviews
Test Optional
#8 Best Public Universities in Maryland
Applications Due Jun 1
Public 4 Year
0 reviews
Test Optional
#13 Best Public Universities in North Carolina
Applications Due Jun 30
Private 4 Year
2 reviews
Test Optional
#18 Best Private Colleges in North Carolina
Public 4 Year
1 reviews
Test Optional
#13 Best Public Universities in Louisiana
Private 4 Year
0 reviews
Test Optional
#17 Best Private Colleges in Virginia
Private 4 Year
0 reviews
Public 4 Year
1 reviews
Test Optional
#11 Best Public Universities in Ohio
Applications Due Aug 1
Private 4 Year
0 reviews
Test Optional
#9 Best Private Colleges in Georgia
Public 4 Year
0 reviews
Test Optional
#20 Best Public Universities in Texas
Applications Due Jul 1
Private 4 Year
0 reviews
Test Optional
#15 Best Private Colleges in Georgia
A score of 850 isn't very competitive. The score puts you in the bottom 15th percentile of those who take the test. Explore colleges you can get into with a 850 SAT score.
Alabama State University, Texas Southern University and Virginia State University are some of the best colleges that you have a competitive chance of getting into. Explore the full list: Colleges for a 850 SAT score.
A 850 ranks in the bottom 15th percentile of all students who take the SAT exam.
A 850 converts to a 15 on the ACT using College Board / ACT concordance tables. Explore the colleges: Colleges for a 15 ACT score.