Best colleges for 1300 SAT Score are listed here. If you have achieved a SAT score of 1300, 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 1300 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 1300 SAT Score Good for 2026?
Yes, a 1300 SAT score is considered Solid / Competitive. Nationally, this performance puts you in the 75th-88th percentile of nearly 2 million annual test-takers.
Strategic Admissions Guidance
Scoring a 1300 puts you well above the national average. You are a competitive applicant for the majority of four-year universities in the US and Canada. For the 2026 cycle, we recommend identifying 'Target' schools where your score is at or above their 75th percentile; this strategy maximizes your chances for automatic merit scholarships. If your GPA is also strong, you have a very high probability of admission at your listed Match schools.
What does a 1300 mean for your applications?
In the 2026 admissions cycle, universities are increasingly looking for 'data-backed' proof of academic readiness. A 1300 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 1300 applicant.
Best Colleges for 1300 SAT Score
Following is the list of colleges that accept 1300 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 |
|
Westmont College | California | 1380 | 640 - 728 | 640 - 730 | 81.99% | Match |
|
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus | Pennsylvania | 1380 | 640 - 720 | 640 - 750 | 49.14% | Match |
|
Santa Clara University | California | 1379 | 640 - 720 | 650 - 760 | 52.11% | Match |
|
Loyola Marymount University | California | 1378 | 650 - 720 | 650 - 740 | 41.31% | Match |
|
St. John's College | Maryland | 1378 | 660 - 740 | 590 - 720 | 49.9% | Match |
|
St Olaf College | Minnesota | 1377 | 660 - 730 | 640 - 750 | 56.41% | Match |
|
Brigham Young University | Utah | 1376 | 640 - 728 | 640 - 740 | 66.67% | Match |
|
University of Massachusetts-Amherst | Massachusetts | 1376 | 630 - 720 | 630 - 760 | 63.52% | Match |
|
University of Wisconsin-Madison | Wisconsin | 1374 | 650 - 730 | 690 - 780 | 49.06% | Reach |
|
Rutgers University-New Brunswick | New Jersey | 1374 | 630 - 720 | 640 - 760 | 66.29% | Match |
|
The University of Texas at Austin | Texas | 1373 | 620 - 730 | 610 - 770 | 31.35% | Match |
|
Clark University | Massachusetts | 1373 | 640 - 720 | 610 - 710 | 50.32% | Match |
|
Emerson College | Massachusetts | 1373 | 650 - 730 | 600 - 700 | 42.75% | Match |
|
Gettysburg College | Pennsylvania | 1372 | 680 - 720 | 670 - 720 | 56.31% | Reach |
|
Rochester Institute of Technology | New York | 1370 | 630 - 710 | 640 - 740 | 67.17% | Match |
|
North Carolina State University at Raleigh | North Carolina | 1370 | 630 - 710 | 650 - 750 | 47.17% | Match |
|
Wheaton College | Illinois | 1367 | 640 - 720 | 610 - 710 | 88.43% | Match |
|
Lewis & Clark College | Oregon | 1366 | 650 - 720 | 610 - 680 | 68.59% | Match |
|
Centre College | Kentucky | 1366 | 595 - 710 | 600 - 760 | 62.85% | Match |
|
The College of Wooster | Ohio | 1364 | 640 - 720 | 610 - 730 | 56.27% | Match |
|
Furman University | South Carolina | 1361 | 640 - 730 | 620 - 725 | 67.02% | Match |
|
College of the Holy Cross | Massachusetts | 1361 | 640 - 720 | 620 - 710 | 36.36% | Match |
|
Syracuse University | New York | 1359 | 630 - 710 | 630 - 720 | 51.75% | Match |
|
Lawrence University | Wisconsin | 1358 | 610 - 740 | 600 - 720 | 72.27% | Match |
|
University of Vermont | Vermont | 1358 | 640 - 720 | 620 - 710 | 59.79% | Match |
|
Sarah Lawrence College | New York | 1358 | 660 - 740 | 600 - 710 | 49.88% | Match |
|
The University of the South | Tennessee | 1357 | 643 - 710 | 590 - 670 | 52.32% | Match |
|
Patrick Henry College | Virginia | 1356 | 653 - 730 | 580 - 710 | 75.85% | Match |
|
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities | Minnesota | 1355 | 640 - 730 | 650 - 770 | 74.91% | Match |
|
United States Military Academy | New York | 1355 | 610 - 710 | 610 - 740 | 11.95% | Reach |
|
Purdue University-Main Campus | Indiana | 1354 | 600 - 710 | 600 - 760 | 52.7% | Match |
|
Soka University of America | California | 1350 | 550 - 660 | 690 - 780 | 56.63% | Match |
|
University of Denver | Colorado | 1348 | 620 - 710 | 600 - 690 | 77.68% | Match |
|
Baylor University | Texas | 1347 | 620 - 700 | 610 - 710 | 45.88% | Match |
|
Bentley University | Massachusetts | 1346 | 618 - 690 | 640 - 730 | 57.88% | Match |
|
Wheaton College (Massachusetts) | Massachusetts | 1346 | 630 - 700 | 630 - 690 | 79.48% | Match |
|
Creighton University | Nebraska | 1344 | 608 - 700 | 598 - 720 | 75.69% | Match |
|
Touro University | New York | 1343 | 620 - 730 | 600 - 698 | 71.31% | Match |
|
Clemson University | South Carolina | 1341 | 610 - 700 | 610 - 710 | 42.98% | Match |
|
University of Connecticut | Connecticut | 1340 | 610 - 710 | 610 - 730 | 54.51% | Match |
|
Saint Louis University | Missouri | 1340 | 610 - 690 | 600 - 710 | 84.71% | Match |
|
Hobart William Smith Colleges | New York | 1339 | 610 - 700 | 600 - 700 | 68.38% | Match |
|
Pacific Lutheran University | Washington | 1338 | 640 - 718 | 613 - 705 | 88.9% | Match |
|
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | Virginia | 1337 | 620 - 700 | 620 - 730 | 56.98% | Match |
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Bennington College | Vermont | 1337 | 660 - 700 | 600 - 670 | 45.31% | Match |
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University of Georgia | Georgia | 1335 | 620 - 710 | 600 - 710 | 42.55% | Match |
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Providence College | Rhode Island | 1334 | 640 - 710 | 620 - 710 | 52.78% | Match |
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Drexel University | Pennsylvania | 1333 | 610 - 700 | 620 - 730 | 79.61% | Match |
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St Lawrence University | New York | 1333 | 630 - 700 | 610 - 710 | 63.5% | Match |
|
Muhlenberg College | Pennsylvania | 1332 | 600 - 700 | 600 - 700 | 65.51% | Match |
|
University of Florida-Online | Florida | 1331 | 640 - 700 | 610 - 690 | 64.64% | Match |
|
Gonzaga University | Washington | 1329 | 610 - 700 | 600 - 710 | 69.74% | Match |
|
Thomas Aquinas College | California | 1328 | 640 - 730 | 580 - 680 | 84.73% | Match |
|
Illinois Institute of Technology | Illinois | 1328 | 610 - 680 | 610 - 730 | 61.44% | Match |
|
United States Naval Academy | Maryland | 1326 | 600 - 720 | 600 - 720 | 10.75% | Reach |
|
University of Portland | Oregon | 1326 | 610 - 720 | 618 - 690 | 92.51% | Match |
|
Fairfield University | Connecticut | 1325 | 620 - 680 | 620 - 690 | 52.18% | Match |
|
New Jersey Institute of Technology | New Jersey | 1325 | 580 - 700 | 610 - 750 | 65.99% | Match |
|
University of San Francisco | California | 1323 | 610 - 700 | 600 - 710 | 71.18% | Match |
|
University of Washington-Bothell Campus | Washington | 1322 | 570 - 680 | 640 - 770 | 88.08% | Match |
|
Indiana University-Bloomington | Indiana | 1322 | 590 - 690 | 590 - 710 | 82.41% | Match |
|
Warren Wilson College | North Carolina | 1320 | 0 - 0 | 0 - 0 | 83.98% | Safety |
|
Holy Cross College | Indiana | 1320 | 610 - 703 | 593 - 670 | 76.17% | Match |
|
Gustavus Adolphus College | Minnesota | 1320 | 0 - 0 | 0 - 0 | 73.9% | Safety |
|
Missouri University of Science and Technology | Missouri | 1320 | 570 - 660 | 603 - 710 | 81.49% | Match |
|
Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences | New York | 1320 | 600 - 710 | 620 - 760 | 66.29% | Match |
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Seton Hall University | New Jersey | 1317 | 620 - 700 | 610 - 690 | 75.07% | Match |
|
Pratt Institute-Main | New York | 1317 | 590 - 710 | 570 - 720 | 50.45% | Match |
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Chapman University | California | 1316 | 600 - 700 | 600 - 700 | 72.52% | Match |
|
Covenant College | Georgia | 1315 | 590 - 710 | 550 - 670 | 84.13% | Match |
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Miami University-Oxford | Ohio | 1312 | 600 - 690 | 600 - 700 | 87.92% | Match |
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Knox College | Illinois | 1311 | 580 - 720 | 580 - 700 | 73.32% | Match |
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Florida State University | Florida | 1309 | 620 - 690 | 590 - 680 | 25.04% | Reach |
|
Loyola University Chicago | Illinois | 1308 | 600 - 690 | 580 - 680 | 79.15% | Match |
|
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | Pennsylvania | 1308 | 600 - 680 | 610 - 710 | 55.21% | Match |
|
Ithaca College | New York | 1308 | 613 - 700 | 590 - 680 | 75.2% | Match |
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Texas Christian University | Texas | 1307 | 580 - 680 | 560 - 680 | 56.1% | Match |
|
Beloit College | Wisconsin | 1306 | 610 - 690 | 580 - 670 | 65.86% | Match |
|
The University of Texas at Dallas | Texas | 1304 | 580 - 700 | 590 - 730 | 84.74% | Match |
|
The University of Alabama | Alabama | 1304 | 570 - 690 | 560 - 720 | 80.06% | Match |
|
Drake University | Iowa | 1304 | 560 - 670 | 550 - 670 | 67.23% | Match |
|
University of South Carolina-Columbia | South Carolina | 1304 | 600 - 690 | 580 - 690 | 64.05% | Match |
|
The King's College | New York | 1302 | 620 - 700 | 570 - 640 | 45.27% | Match |
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Marquette University | Wisconsin | 1302 | 590 - 670 | 580 - 690 | 87.21% | Match |
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University of Colorado Boulder | Colorado | 1301 | 590 - 690 | 570 - 700 | 80.73% | Match |
|
DigiPen Institute of Technology | Washington | 1301 | 590 - 700 | 580 - 703 | 66.37% | Match |
|
University of Puget Sound | Washington | 1301 | 600 - 700 | 570 - 690 | 82.66% | Match |
|
Wofford College | South Carolina | 1300 | 610 - 680 | 590 - 673 | 60.18% | Match |
|
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | Tennessee | 1299 | 590 - 660 | 580 - 670 | 68.41% | Match |
|
School of Visual Arts | New York | 1298 | 600 - 700 | 610 - 720 | 87.41% | Match |
|
Simmons University | Massachusetts | 1297 | 610 - 700 | 590 - 690 | 76.46% | Match |
|
University of Maryland-Baltimore County | Maryland | 1295 | 610 - 690 | 600 - 700 | 80.55% | Match |
|
United States Coast Guard Academy | Connecticut | 1294 | 580 - 680 | 580 - 685 | 23.86% | Match |
|
Roberts Wesleyan University | New York | 1294 | 580 - 650 | 570 - 690 | 99.5% | Match |
|
Ursinus College | Pennsylvania | 1293 | 600 - 690 | 580 - 690 | 82.21% | Match |
|
Auburn University | Alabama | 1292 | 610 - 680 | 610 - 700 | 43.74% | Match |
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Florida Polytechnic University | Florida | 1292 | 590 - 680 | 600 - 690 | 56.03% | Match |
|
University of Alabama at Birmingham | Alabama | 1291 | 610 - 690 | 590 - 720 | 86.68% | Match |
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University of Delaware | Delaware | 1290 | 600 - 680 | 590 - 680 | 73.81% | Match |
|
University of St Thomas | Minnesota | 1290 | 590 - 680 | 610 - 710 | 77% | Match |
|
Mercer University | Georgia | 1288 | 600 - 680 | 590 - 680 | 74.68% | Match |
|
University at Buffalo | New York | 1288 | 590 - 680 | 600 - 700 | 67.71% | Match |
|
Marist College | New York | 1288 | 610 - 698 | 590 - 680 | 62.85% | Match |
|
Loyola University Maryland | Maryland | 1285 | 600 - 690 | 580 - 670 | 83.48% | Match |
|
Hofstra University | New York | 1285 | 600 - 680 | 590 - 690 | 69.33% | Match |
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University of Dayton | Ohio | 1284 | 588 - 673 | 570 - 690 | 74.05% | Match |
|
New Saint Andrews College | Idaho | 1283 | 600 - 680 | 540 - 640 | 82.96% | Match |
|
The College of New Jersey | New Jersey | 1283 | 570 - 670 | 570 - 680 | 64.43% | Match |
|
Ohio Northern University | Ohio | 1282 | 570 - 660 | 590 - 680 | 54.37% | Match |
|
Clarkson University | New York | 1282 | 580 - 680 | 610 - 690 | 78.42% | Match |
|
University of Central Florida | Florida | 1281 | 610 - 680 | 590 - 680 | 41.04% | Match |
|
Lake Forest College | Illinois | 1281 | 590 - 670 | 563 - 670 | 59.72% | Match |
|
Texas A & M University-College Station | Texas | 1281 | 570 - 680 | 580 - 710 | 62.65% | Match |
|
Union University | Tennessee | 1281 | 570 - 700 | 530 - 670 | 52.55% | Match |
|
SUNY at Purchase College | New York | 1281 | 620 - 700 | 570 - 650 | 74.68% | Match |
|
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott | Arizona | 1278 | 580 - 680 | 590 - 700 | 68% | Match |
|
Virginia Wesleyan University | Virginia | 1278 | 605 - 695 | 585 - 670 | 81.43% | Match |
|
Elon University | North Carolina | 1278 | 590 - 680 | 580 - 680 | 74.46% | Match |
|
University of Dallas | Texas | 1277 | 590 - 720 | 580 - 680 | 58.7% | Match |
|
Grove City College | Pennsylvania | 1277 | 580 - 690 | 550 - 670 | 70.98% | Match |
FAQ for SAT Score: 1300
How does a 1300 SAT score compare to the ACT?
A 1300 SAT score is roughly equivalent to a 28-29 on the ACT. While this score is above average, it might not be competitive enough for highly selective colleges. However, many reputable state universities and private schools will still find your score to be strong, especially when paired with strong application essays and extracurriculars.
What scholarships are available for a 1300 SAT score?
With a 1300 SAT score, you may qualify for merit-based scholarships at many public universities, though highly competitive private schools may offer fewer full-tuition awards. Many schools provide substantial financial aid, and you could receive partial-tuition scholarships that reduce the overall cost of your education.
Can I get into Ivy League schools with a 1300 SAT score?
A 1300 SAT score is below the typical range for Ivy League schools, which generally expect scores closer to 1500 or higher. While this score might not be enough to secure admission to these elite schools, it’s still worth applying to other selective universities where this score will be more competitive.
Should I retake the SAT to improve my score?
If you’re aiming for top-tier schools, retaking the SAT to improve your score may increase your chances of admission. However, if you're targeting mid-range or state schools, your 1300 may already place you in a competitive position. Weigh the costs of retaking the test against the potential benefits for your applications.
What is the national average SAT score?
The national average SAT score is around 1050, meaning your 1300 is well above average. This places you in a competitive position for many colleges across the country, particularly for state schools and a variety of private universities.
Do test-optional colleges consider a 1300 SAT score if submitted?
Yes, many test-optional colleges will consider a 1300 SAT score if submitted. While your score might not be the highest, it can still enhance your application, especially when coupled with other strong materials like your GPA, essays, and extracurricular achievements.
What GPA is a 1300 SAT?
A 1300 SAT score generally corresponds with a GPA of around 3.5 to 3.7. This suggests solid academic performance and makes you competitive at many mid-tier universities. It's important to ensure that your overall application demonstrates consistency across all areas of your academic record.
Can I get into NYU with a 1300 SAT?
A 1300 SAT puts you on the edge of being competitive for NYU, though it’s slightly below their average score of around 1500. However, if you have strong extracurricular activities, unique talents, or standout essays, your application could still be compelling enough to gain admission.
Is 1300 a good SAT score for Harvard?
A 1300 SAT score is below Harvard’s typical range, which is closer to 1500-1600. While Harvard is an incredibly selective school, submitting a 1300 score could still make your application competitive if you have other extraordinary accomplishments, leadership experiences, or academic achievements to highlight.
Can I get into MIT with a 1300 SAT?
MIT generally admits students with scores closer to 1500 or higher. A 1300 SAT is below their typical threshold, but if your application showcases exceptional skills, particularly in STEM fields, it’s still possible to be considered for admission. Make sure to highlight your strengths in other areas of the application.
Can I get into Princeton with a 1300 SAT score?
Princeton is highly selective, and a 1300 SAT score is below their average range, which tends to be closer to 1500 or higher. However, a well-rounded application with strong essays, extracurriculars, and recommendations could help bolster your chances, even with a slightly lower SAT score.
Is a 1300 SAT score good?
Yes, a 1300 SAT score is a solid score that is well above the national average. It demonstrates that you are a capable student, although for the most selective colleges, you may need to improve your score to increase your chances of admission.
Which colleges can I get into with a 1300 SAT score?
A 1300 SAT score makes you a competitive applicant at many public universities and mid-tier private colleges. Schools such as the University of Miami, University of Connecticut, and University of Wisconsin would consider you a strong candidate. Applying to a mix of schools with varying levels of selectivity will increase your chances of admission.
