Best colleges for 1181 SAT Score are listed here. If you have achieved a SAT score of 1181, then you must choose at least 5 of the below listed colleges, as not only your chances of admissions will be good but also these colleges will be a good match for you. The following list of best suitable colleges for 1181 SAT scores is given so that you can choose a more suitable college, and may not choose a less competitive college or loose admissions because you have applied to a more competitive college.
Is a 1181 SAT Score Good for 2026?
Yes, a 1181 SAT score is considered Average to Above Average. Nationally, this performance puts you in the 55th-72nd percentile of nearly 2 million annual test-takers.
Strategic Admissions Guidance
A 1181 is a respectable result that demonstrates college readiness. You will find many excellent options among mid-sized state schools and private liberal arts colleges. Since many schools in this range remain test-optional for 2026, evaluate each school: if your 1181 is above their reported average, submit it. If it is below, consider leaning on your high school transcript and personal achievements instead.
What does a 1181 mean for your applications?
In the 2026 admissions cycle, universities are increasingly looking for 'data-backed' proof of academic readiness. A 1181 serves as a standardized metric that complements your GPA. However, remember that admissions officers also weigh your extracurricular involvement, leadership roles, and the difficulty of your high school curriculum (AP/IB classes).
To help you build a balanced college list, we have analyzed thousands of data points from the Common Data Set (CDS) to categorize the schools below into Reach, Match, and Safety categories specifically for a 1181 applicant.
Best Colleges for 1181 SAT Score
Following is the list of colleges that accept 1181 SAT Score.
| Logo | Institute | State | Average SAT Score | SAT Reading Scores | SAT Math Scores | Acceptance Rate | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Logo | Institute | State | Average SAT Score | SAT Reading Scores | SAT Maths Scores | Acceptance Rate | Status |
|
University of Arizona | Arizona | 1261 | 580 - 700 | 580 - 720 | 85.66% | Match |
|
Michigan State University | Michigan | 1261 | 580 - 670 | 570 - 680 | 83.92% | Match |
|
Grove City College | Pennsylvania | 1261 | 566 - 684 | 562 - 690 | 73.4% | Match |
|
Le Moyne College | New York | 1260 | 580 - 670 | 580 - 670 | 75.29% | Match |
|
Thomas Jefferson University | Pennsylvania | 1259 | 590 - 680 | 560 - 670 | 86.14% | Match |
|
Long Island University | New York | 1259 | 580 - 670 | 560 - 680 | 89.77% | Match |
|
Biola University | California | 1258 | 580 - 690 | 550 - 670 | 60.08% | Match |
|
Duquesne University | Pennsylvania | 1257 | 590 - 680 | 570 - 670 | 78.85% | Match |
|
University of Oregon | Oregon | 1257 | 580 - 690 | 550 - 670 | 85.11% | Match |
|
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott | Arizona | 1256 | 580 - 680 | 580 - 680 | 75.19% | Match |
|
Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia | Pennsylvania | 1256 | 580 - 670 | 570 - 660 | 86.39% | Match |
|
Eckerd College | Florida | 1256 | 600 - 678 | 550 - 658 | 78.69% | Match |
|
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach | Florida | 1256 | 570 - 670 | 570 - 680 | 66.28% | Match |
|
Hollins University | Virginia | 1256 | 550 - 710 | 550 - 620 | 70.86% | Match |
|
Nazareth University | New York | 1256 | 610 - 680 | 560 - 650 | 79.5% | Match |
|
Covenant College | Georgia | 1254 | 590 - 710 | 540 - 680 | 81.76% | Match |
|
DePaul University | Illinois | 1254 | 570 - 680 | 560 - 660 | 73.53% | Match |
|
Manhattan University | New York | 1254 | 570 - 670 | 580 - 670 | 78.49% | Match |
|
University of Massachusetts-Lowell | Massachusetts | 1253 | 590 - 670 | 590 - 680 | 85.24% | Match |
|
University of Alabama at Birmingham | Alabama | 1251 | 570 - 700 | 560 - 700 | 88.42% | Match |
|
Concordia University Ann Arbor | Michigan | 1250 | - | - | 72.09% | Safety |
|
Conception Seminary College | Missouri | 1250 | - | - | 100% | Safety |
|
University of North Carolina School of the Arts | North Carolina | 1250 | 600 - 710 | 550 - 640 | 33.1% | Match |
|
Knox College | Illinois | 1250 | 530 - 680 | 590 - 705 | 71.13% | Match |
|
Earlham College | Indiana | 1250 | 608 - 690 | 570 - 673 | 74.22% | Match |
|
Concordia University-Wisconsin | Wisconsin | 1250 | - | - | 67.53% | Safety |
|
Salisbury University | Maryland | 1250 | 600 - 670 | 580 - 640 | 88.63% | Match |
|
Truman State University | Missouri | 1249 | 573 - 648 | 553 - 670 | 79.96% | Match |
|
Westminster University | Utah | 1249 | 598 - 718 | 550 - 660 | 68.83% | Match |
|
Lipscomb University | Tennessee | 1248 | 580 - 680 | 565 - 670 | 66.64% | Match |
|
SUNY Polytechnic Institute | New York | 1248 | 560 - 650 | 590 - 680 | 78.44% | Match |
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Berea College | Kentucky | 1248 | 588 - 680 | 568 - 655 | 32.71% | Match |
|
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College | Louisiana | 1248 | 590 - 670 | 560 - 660 | 74% | Match |
|
University of North Carolina Asheville | North Carolina | 1247 | 600 - 690 | 570 - 660 | 93.89% | Match |
|
The College of New Jersey | New Jersey | 1247 | 570 - 670 | 570 - 670 | 62.14% | Match |
|
Drew University | New Jersey | 1247 | 560 - 680 | 550 - 640 | 69.44% | Match |
|
George Mason University | Virginia | 1247 | 580 - 670 | 560 - 670 | 88.83% | Match |
|
University of Missouri-Columbia | Missouri | 1247 | 580 - 670 | 570 - 660 | 77.02% | Match |
|
James Madison University | Virginia | 1247 | 600 - 670 | 570 - 650 | 76.25% | Match |
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Cedarville University | Ohio | 1246 | 570 - 690 | 540 - 670 | 62.82% | Match |
|
Cornell College | Iowa | 1246 | 580 - 655 | 570 - 663 | 80.66% | Match |
|
New Saint Andrews College | Idaho | 1245 | 590 - 680 | 580 - 650 | 85.71% | Match |
|
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology | South Dakota | 1245 | 560 - 650 | 570 - 670 | 85.25% | Match |
|
University of Northwestern-St Paul | Minnesota | 1244 | 488 - 630 | 493 - 663 | 91.88% | Match |
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Benedictine College | Kansas | 1244 | 560 - 660 | 557 - 650 | 76.45% | Match |
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Bethel University | Minnesota | 1243 | 520 - 625 | 545 - 615 | 90.99% | Match |
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Michigan Technological University | Michigan | 1243 | 560 - 660 | 560 - 670 | 87.94% | Match |
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Union University | Tennessee | 1243 | 540 - 690 | 490 - 650 | 47.18% | Match |
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University of Illinois Chicago | Illinois | 1242 | 560 - 660 | 560 - 680 | 78.5% | Match |
|
Illinois Wesleyan University | Illinois | 1242 | 570 - 660 | 570 - 670 | 45.17% | Match |
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High Point University | North Carolina | 1242 | 560 - 650 | 550 - 650 | 76.83% | Match |
|
University of Mary Washington | Virginia | 1241 | 600 - 690 | 540 - 640 | 86.26% | Match |
|
Saint Michael's College | Vermont | 1241 | 600 - 680 | 550 - 630 | 91.85% | Match |
|
College of Our Lady of the Elms | Massachusetts | 1240 | 590 - 670 | 560 - 650 | 87.66% | Match |
|
Elmira College | New York | 1239 | 543 - 650 | 573 - 682 | 90.8% | Match |
|
University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus | Oklahoma | 1239 | 580 - 670 | 560 - 660 | 76.54% | Match |
|
Siena College | New York | 1238 | 540 - 680 | 553 - 680 | 70.57% | Match |
|
College of Charleston | South Carolina | 1238 | 580 - 660 | 550 - 640 | 72% | Match |
|
Luther College | Iowa | 1238 | 550 - 650 | 548 - 668 | 73.27% | Match |
|
University of Scranton | Pennsylvania | 1237 | 580 - 660 | 570 - 660 | 84.35% | Match |
|
Bradley University | Illinois | 1237 | 550 - 650 | 540 - 650 | 76.66% | Match |
|
Hope College | Michigan | 1237 | 550 - 660 | 540 - 650 | 75.85% | Match |
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Fisk University | Tennessee | 1236 | 590 - 700 | 570 - 780 | 57.91% | Match |
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Salve Regina University | Rhode Island | 1236 | 600 - 660 | 560 - 635 | 69.91% | Match |
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University of South Florida | Florida | 1235 | 580 - 670 | 560 - 660 | 40.96% | Match |
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Western Washington University | Washington | 1235 | 570 - 690 | 540 - 660 | 91.31% | Match |
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Wagner College | New York | 1234 | 580 - 670 | 570 - 650 | 83.46% | Match |
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Saint Norbert College | Wisconsin | 1233 | 533 - 610 | 533 - 610 | 92.15% | Match |
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Saint Mary's College | Indiana | 1233 | 560 - 650 | 540 - 660 | 81.11% | Match |
|
St. Mary's College of Maryland | Maryland | 1232 | 570 - 690 | 540 - 640 | 75.39% | Match |
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Pace University | New York | 1232 | 580 - 668 | 550 - 660 | 77.14% | Match |
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Taylor University | Indiana | 1232 | 540 - 670 | 530 - 670 | 76.11% | Match |
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University of Redlands | California | 1231 | 548 - 670 | 530 - 653 | 80.92% | Match |
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Western New England University | Massachusetts | 1231 | 570 - 650 | 560 - 660 | 83.26% | Match |
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University of Utah | Utah | 1231 | 590 - 698 | 590 - 700 | 87.17% | Match |
|
University of Missouri-Kansas City | Missouri | 1230 | 570 - 750 | 580 - 790 | 74.99% | Match |
|
Oglethorpe University | Georgia | 1230 | 573 - 670 | 533 - 650 | 60.06% | Match |
|
University of New Hampshire-Main Campus | New Hampshire | 1229 | 570 - 670 | 550 - 650 | 86.87% | Match |
|
University of Houston | Texas | 1229 | 580 - 660 | 570 - 670 | 69.53% | Match |
|
Holy Cross College | Indiana | 1229 | 490 - 660 | 490 - 640 | 73.71% | Match |
|
Roger Williams University | Rhode Island | 1228 | 580 - 660 | 550 - 640 | 87.78% | Match |
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Sweet Briar College | Virginia | 1227 | 560 - 670 | 540 - 640 | 71.74% | Match |
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University of Mount Union | Ohio | 1227 | 560 - 620 | 510 - 670 | 80.1% | Match |
|
Marymount Manhattan College | New York | 1226 | 580 - 670 | 520 - 630 | 78.88% | Match |
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United States Merchant Marine Academy | New York | 1226 | 570 - 650 | 570 - 650 | 32.47% | Match |
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Valparaiso University | Indiana | 1226 | 540 - 660 | 540 - 650 | 92.22% | Match |
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Wentworth Institute of Technology | Massachusetts | 1226 | 570 - 660 | 570 - 660 | 85.37% | Match |
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Bridgewater College | Virginia | 1225 | 530 - 660 | 540 - 715 | 90.81% | Match |
|
Goucher College | Maryland | 1225 | 560 - 683 | 520 - 683 | 72.9% | Match |
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California Lutheran University | California | 1224 | 577 - 660 | 557 - 660 | 88.88% | Match |
|
Xavier University | Ohio | 1224 | 530 - 658 | 530 - 640 | 87.73% | Match |
|
Adelphi University | New York | 1224 | 580 - 650 | 560 - 660 | 77.51% | Match |
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Meredith College | North Carolina | 1224 | 590 - 650 | 520 - 610 | 74.66% | Match |
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Berry College | Georgia | 1223 | 570 - 658 | 530 - 620 | 61.85% | Match |
|
Queens University of Charlotte | North Carolina | 1223 | 560 - 650 | 550 - 650 | 67.68% | Match |
|
John Brown University | Arkansas | 1222 | 590 - 675 | 540 - 670 | 67.64% | Match |
|
Elon University | North Carolina | 1222 | 580 - 675 | 563 - 630 | 67.31% | Match |
|
University of Minnesota-Duluth | Minnesota | 1221 | 578 - 670 | 550 - 665 | 81.75% | Match |
|
University of Mobile | Alabama | 1220 | - | - | 72.51% | Safety |
|
University of Minnesota-Rochester | Minnesota | 1220 | - | - | 71.83% | Safety |
|
Mississippi State University | Mississippi | 1220 | 570 - 690 | 540 - 720 | 76.32% | Match |
|
Saint Johns University | Minnesota | 1220 | 575 - 635 | 570 - 645 | 90.48% | Match |
|
University of Iowa | Iowa | 1220 | 570 - 660 | 560 - 660 | 84.67% | Match |
|
Otterbein University | Ohio | 1220 | - | - | 83.3% | Safety |
|
Kettering University | Michigan | 1219 | 520 - 640 | 540 - 670 | 79.09% | Match |
|
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks | Pennsylvania | 1219 | 540 - 650 | 550 - 660 | 97.13% | Match |
|
Rider University | New Jersey | 1219 | 560 - 660 | 540 - 650 | 79.4% | Match |
|
University of Louisiana at Lafayette | Louisiana | 1219 | 560 - 645 | 560 - 610 | 88.83% | Match |
|
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg | Pennsylvania | 1218 | 560 - 650 | 550 - 670 | 96.39% | Match |
|
Rockhurst University | Missouri | 1218 | 553 - 638 | 563 - 608 | 69.05% | Match |
|
Franciscan University of Steubenville | Ohio | 1218 | 570 - 660 | 530 - 630 | 72.23% | Match |
|
MCPHS University | Massachusetts | 1216 | 540 - 640 | 540 - 700 | 85.21% | Match |
|
Rowan University | New Jersey | 1216 | 560 - 660 | 540 - 650 | 77.82% | Match |
|
St. John's University-New York | New York | 1215 | 560 - 660 | 550 - 660 | 79.67% | Match |
|
Wisconsin Lutheran College | Wisconsin | 1214 | 540 - 660 | 520 - 640 | 79.05% | Match |
|
Presbyterian College | South Carolina | 1214 | 550 - 650 | 530 - 630 | 72.34% | Match |
|
Messiah University | Pennsylvania | 1214 | 560 - 670 | 540 - 670 | 78.48% | Match |
|
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College | Pennsylvania | 1213 | 560 - 660 | 550 - 660 | 95.71% | Match |
|
SUNY at Fredonia | New York | 1213 | 520 - 650 | 540 - 640 | 79.2% | Match |
|
University of Kentucky | Kentucky | 1213 | 550 - 640 | 530 - 650 | 92.38% | Match |
FAQ for SAT Score: 1181
How does a 1181 SAT score compare to the ACT?
A 1181 SAT score is roughly equivalent to a 23-24 on the ACT. It is considered slightly below average for highly selective schools but competitive for many public universities and less competitive private schools. You might consider applying to a range of schools with varying selectivity to maximize your chances.
What scholarships are available for a 1181 SAT score?
With a 1181 SAT, you may qualify for partial merit-based scholarships at many state schools. However, competitive private schools will likely offer fewer scholarship opportunities at this level. You may still be eligible for financial aid based on other aspects of your application.
Can I get into Ivy League schools with a 1181 SAT score?
A 1181 SAT score is significantly below the average for Ivy League schools, which generally expect scores closer to 1500. While your score may not make you competitive for these institutions, there are still other top schools where a 1181 will be sufficient.
Should I retake the SAT to improve my score?
If you’re targeting highly selective schools, retaking the SAT could be beneficial to improve your chances of admission. If your main goal is to attend a state school or mid-tier private college, your current score may already position you well, and retaking the test might not be necessary.
What is the national average SAT score?
The national average SAT score is around 1050, so your 1181 is above average. It’s a good score for many colleges, though you may want to consider improving it if you're aiming for more competitive schools.
Do test-optional colleges consider a 1181 SAT score if submitted?
Yes, many test-optional colleges will consider a 1181 SAT score if submitted. While not at the highest end, it still gives them a sense of your academic ability. Be sure to complement your score with strong essays, extracurriculars, and GPA.
What GPA is a 1181 SAT?
A 1181 SAT score typically corresponds with a GPA of around 3.0 to 3.4. This shows that you have the potential to succeed in college, though you may need to bolster your application with strong recommendation letters or compelling personal essays.
Can I get into NYU with a 1181 SAT?
NYU’s average SAT score is much higher than 1181, so your chances of getting in with a 1181 are slim. However, if you have exceptional extracurriculars, unique talents, or strong essays, it may still be worth applying.
Is 1181 a good SAT score for Harvard?
Harvard’s average SAT score is in the 1500-1600 range, so a 1181 is below their typical score. It’s unlikely to be competitive for Harvard, but you may still have strong options at other schools with slightly lower average SAT scores.
Can I get into MIT with a 1181 SAT?
MIT’s average SAT score is significantly higher than a 1181, making it an unlikely choice for admission with this score. However, you can still consider other top-tier schools with a lower average score if you excel in other areas like STEM or extracurriculars.
Can I get into Princeton with a 1181 SAT score?
Princeton’s SAT average is closer to 1500, so a 1181 SAT is below their typical range. However, you may still be competitive at other top-tier schools with slightly lower average scores, depending on your academic and extracurricular achievements.
Is a 1181 SAT score good?
A 1181 SAT score is above average, but it may limit your options at highly selective colleges. However, many good public universities and private colleges will see your score as competitive, so don’t be discouraged. Keep up your efforts and focus on applying strategically.
Which colleges can I get into with a 1181 SAT score?
With a 1181 SAT score, you’re competitive at many state universities and some private schools with moderate selectivity. Consider schools like University of Arizona, University of Oregon, or Marquette University where your score will make you a strong applicant.
