Best colleges for 1185 SAT Score are listed here. If you have achieved a SAT score of 1185, 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 1185 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 1185 SAT Score Good for 2026?
Yes, a 1185 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 1185 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 1185 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 1185 mean for your applications?
In the 2026 admissions cycle, universities are increasingly looking for 'data-backed' proof of academic readiness. A 1185 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 1185 applicant.
Best Colleges for 1185 SAT Score
Following is the list of colleges that accept 1185 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 |
|
Endicott College | Massachusetts | 1263 | 590 - 680 | 570 - 660 | 72.29% | Match |
|
Florida Southern College | Florida | 1263 | 590 - 660 | 580 - 650 | 59.07% | Match |
|
Emmanuel College | Massachusetts | 1263 | 590 - 680 | 580 - 650 | 80.6% | Match |
|
Bryant University | Rhode Island | 1263 | 580 - 670 | 580 - 670 | 65.65% | Match |
|
LeTourneau University | Texas | 1262 | 570 - 690 | 570 - 680 | 40.68% | Match |
|
Champlain College | Vermont | 1262 | 605 - 680 | 560 - 660 | 66.72% | Match |
|
University of North Carolina Wilmington | North Carolina | 1262 | 620 - 690 | 600 - 670 | 74.01% | Reach |
|
University of Arizona | Arizona | 1261 | 580 - 700 | 580 - 720 | 85.66% | Match |
|
Grove City College | Pennsylvania | 1261 | 566 - 684 | 562 - 690 | 73.4% | Match |
|
Michigan State University | Michigan | 1261 | 580 - 670 | 570 - 680 | 83.92% | 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 |
|
Hollins University | Virginia | 1256 | 550 - 710 | 550 - 620 | 70.86% | 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 |
|
Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia | Pennsylvania | 1256 | 580 - 670 | 570 - 660 | 86.39% | 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 |
|
University of North Carolina School of the Arts | North Carolina | 1250 | 600 - 710 | 550 - 640 | 33.1% | Match |
|
Conception Seminary College | Missouri | 1250 | - | - | 100% | Safety |
|
Knox College | Illinois | 1250 | 530 - 680 | 590 - 705 | 71.13% | Match |
|
Earlham College | Indiana | 1250 | 608 - 690 | 570 - 673 | 74.22% | Match |
|
Concordia University Ann Arbor | Michigan | 1250 | - | - | 72.09% | Safety |
|
Concordia University-Wisconsin | Wisconsin | 1250 | - | - | 67.53% | Safety |
|
Salisbury University | Maryland | 1250 | 600 - 670 | 580 - 640 | 88.63% | Match |
|
Westminster University | Utah | 1249 | 598 - 718 | 550 - 660 | 68.83% | Match |
|
Truman State University | Missouri | 1249 | 573 - 648 | 553 - 670 | 79.96% | 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 |
|
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 |
|
George Mason University | Virginia | 1247 | 580 - 670 | 560 - 670 | 88.83% | Match |
|
James Madison University | Virginia | 1247 | 600 - 670 | 570 - 650 | 76.25% | Match |
|
The College of New Jersey | New Jersey | 1247 | 570 - 670 | 570 - 670 | 62.14% | Match |
|
University of North Carolina Asheville | North Carolina | 1247 | 600 - 690 | 570 - 660 | 93.89% | Match |
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Drew University | New Jersey | 1247 | 560 - 680 | 550 - 640 | 69.44% | Match |
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University of Missouri-Columbia | Missouri | 1247 | 580 - 670 | 570 - 660 | 77.02% | Match |
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Cedarville University | Ohio | 1246 | 570 - 690 | 540 - 670 | 62.82% | Match |
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Cornell College | Iowa | 1246 | 580 - 655 | 570 - 663 | 80.66% | Match |
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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 |
|
Union University | Tennessee | 1243 | 540 - 690 | 490 - 650 | 47.18% | Match |
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Bethel University | Minnesota | 1243 | 520 - 625 | 545 - 615 | 90.99% | Match |
|
Michigan Technological University | Michigan | 1243 | 560 - 660 | 560 - 670 | 87.94% | Match |
|
High Point University | North Carolina | 1242 | 560 - 650 | 550 - 650 | 76.83% | Match |
|
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 |
|
Saint Michael's College | Vermont | 1241 | 600 - 680 | 550 - 630 | 91.85% | Match |
|
University of Mary Washington | Virginia | 1241 | 600 - 690 | 540 - 640 | 86.26% | Match |
|
College of Our Lady of the Elms | Massachusetts | 1240 | 590 - 670 | 560 - 650 | 87.66% | Match |
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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 |
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Siena College | New York | 1238 | 540 - 680 | 553 - 680 | 70.57% | Match |
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Luther College | Iowa | 1238 | 550 - 650 | 548 - 668 | 73.27% | Match |
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College of Charleston | South Carolina | 1238 | 580 - 660 | 550 - 640 | 72% | Match |
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Hope College | Michigan | 1237 | 550 - 660 | 540 - 650 | 75.85% | Match |
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Bradley University | Illinois | 1237 | 550 - 650 | 540 - 650 | 76.66% | Match |
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University of Scranton | Pennsylvania | 1237 | 580 - 660 | 570 - 660 | 84.35% | Match |
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Salve Regina University | Rhode Island | 1236 | 600 - 660 | 560 - 635 | 69.91% | Match |
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Fisk University | Tennessee | 1236 | 590 - 700 | 570 - 780 | 57.91% | 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 |
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Taylor University | Indiana | 1232 | 540 - 670 | 530 - 670 | 76.11% | 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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University of Redlands | California | 1231 | 548 - 670 | 530 - 653 | 80.92% | Match |
|
University of Utah | Utah | 1231 | 590 - 698 | 590 - 700 | 87.17% | Match |
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Western New England University | Massachusetts | 1231 | 570 - 650 | 560 - 660 | 83.26% | Match |
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Oglethorpe University | Georgia | 1230 | 573 - 670 | 533 - 650 | 60.06% | Match |
|
University of Missouri-Kansas City | Missouri | 1230 | 570 - 750 | 580 - 790 | 74.99% | Match |
|
University of Houston | Texas | 1229 | 580 - 660 | 570 - 670 | 69.53% | Match |
|
University of New Hampshire-Main Campus | New Hampshire | 1229 | 570 - 670 | 550 - 650 | 86.87% | 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 |
|
Wentworth Institute of Technology | Massachusetts | 1226 | 570 - 660 | 570 - 660 | 85.37% | Match |
|
Marymount Manhattan College | New York | 1226 | 580 - 670 | 520 - 630 | 78.88% | Match |
|
Valparaiso University | Indiana | 1226 | 540 - 660 | 540 - 650 | 92.22% | Match |
|
United States Merchant Marine Academy | New York | 1226 | 570 - 650 | 570 - 650 | 32.47% | Match |
|
Bridgewater College | Virginia | 1225 | 530 - 660 | 540 - 715 | 90.81% | Match |
|
Goucher College | Maryland | 1225 | 560 - 683 | 520 - 683 | 72.9% | Match |
|
California Lutheran University | California | 1224 | 577 - 660 | 557 - 660 | 88.88% | Match |
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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 |
|
Xavier University | Ohio | 1224 | 530 - 658 | 530 - 640 | 87.73% | Match |
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Berry College | Georgia | 1223 | 570 - 658 | 530 - 620 | 61.85% | Match |
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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 |
|
Otterbein University | Ohio | 1220 | - | - | 83.3% | Safety |
|
Saint Johns University | Minnesota | 1220 | 575 - 635 | 570 - 645 | 90.48% | Match |
|
University of Minnesota-Rochester | Minnesota | 1220 | - | - | 71.83% | Safety |
|
University of Iowa | Iowa | 1220 | 570 - 660 | 560 - 660 | 84.67% | Match |
|
Mississippi State University | Mississippi | 1220 | 570 - 690 | 540 - 720 | 76.32% | 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 |
|
Kettering University | Michigan | 1219 | 520 - 640 | 540 - 670 | 79.09% | Match |
|
University of Louisiana at Lafayette | Louisiana | 1219 | 560 - 645 | 560 - 610 | 88.83% | Match |
|
Rockhurst University | Missouri | 1218 | 553 - 638 | 563 - 608 | 69.05% | Match |
|
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg | Pennsylvania | 1218 | 560 - 650 | 550 - 670 | 96.39% | 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 |
FAQ for SAT Score: 1185
How does a 1185 SAT score compare to the ACT?
A 1185 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 1185 SAT score?
With a 1185 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 1185 SAT score?
A 1185 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 1185 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 1185 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 1185 SAT score if submitted?
Yes, many test-optional colleges will consider a 1185 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 1185 SAT?
A 1185 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 1185 SAT?
NYU’s average SAT score is much higher than 1185, so your chances of getting in with a 1185 are slim. However, if you have exceptional extracurriculars, unique talents, or strong essays, it may still be worth applying.
Is 1185 a good SAT score for Harvard?
Harvard’s average SAT score is in the 1500-1600 range, so a 1185 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 1185 SAT?
MIT’s average SAT score is significantly higher than a 1185, 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 1185 SAT score?
Princeton’s SAT average is closer to 1500, so a 1185 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 1185 SAT score good?
A 1185 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 1185 SAT score?
With a 1185 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.
