ACT to SAT Score Conversion — Official Concordance Table
Convert your ACT composite score to an SAT equivalent or your SAT total score to an ACT equivalent using the official College Board and ACT concordance table.
All accredited US colleges accept both the SAT and ACT equally, but students frequently need to translate scores between formats — when a college lists requirements in the other test's format, when comparing scores with peers, or when deciding which test to take.
A concordance table is a statistical comparison based on students who took both tests within a short period. It is not a perfect one-to-one conversion — it reflects group averages, meaning a student who scores ACT 28 is statistically similar to students who score SAT 1360–1380, but individual results may differ. This is the most accurate conversion method available, published jointly by the College Board and ACT organizations. This page works in both directions.
ACT to SAT Score Converter
Complete ACT to SAT Score Conversion Table
The full bidirectional concordance table below shows every ACT composite score with its SAT equivalent range, percentile rankings for both tests, and college admissions context.
| ACT Composite | SAT Equivalent Range | Percentile (ACT) | Percentile (SAT) | College Admissions Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | 1590–1600 | 99+ | 99+ | Ivy League / top 10 competitive |
| 35 | 1560–1590 | 99th | 99+ | Ivy League / top 10 competitive |
| 34 | 1530–1560 | 99th | 99th | Ivy League / top 10 competitive |
| 33 | 1500–1520 | 98th | 98th | Ivy League / top 10 competitive |
| 32 | 1470–1490 | 97th | 97th | Top 25 universities competitive |
| 31 | 1440–1460 | 96th | 97th | Top 25 universities competitive |
| 30 | 1410–1430 | 95th | 95th | Top 25 universities competitive |
| 29 | 1390–1400 | 93th | 94th | Top 50 universities competitive |
| 28 | 1360–1380 | 91th | 92th | Top 50 universities competitive |
| 27 | 1330–1350 | 88th | 90th | Top 50 universities competitive |
| 26 | 1300–1320 | 85th | 87th | Selective universities competitive |
| 25 | 1260–1290 | 81th | 83th | Selective universities competitive |
| 24 | 1230–1250 | 77th | 79th | Selective universities competitive |
| 23 | 1200–1220 | 72th | 74th | Many 4-year universities |
| 22 | 1160–1190 | 67th | 68th | Many 4-year universities |
| 21 | 1130–1150 | 61th | 61th | Many 4-year universities |
| 20 | 1090–1120 | 54th | 54th | Many 4-year universities |
| 19 | 1060–1080 | 47th | 47th | Many 4-year universities |
| 18 | 1020–1050 | 40th | 40th | Many 4-year universities |
| 17 | 980–1010 | 33th | 33th | Less selective institutions |
| 16 | 940–970 | 26th | 26th | Less selective institutions |
| 15 | 900–930 | 20th | 20th | Less selective institutions |
| 14 | 860–890 | 14th | 14th | Less selective institutions |
| 13 | 820–850 | 9th | 9th | Less selective institutions |
| 12 | 780–810 | 5th | 5th | Less selective institutions |
| 11 | 750–770 | 3th | 4th | Less selective institutions |
| 10 | 700–740 | 2th | 2th | Less selective institutions |
ACT vs SAT Section Score Comparison
ACT English + Reading vs SAT EBRW
ACT English (grammar, rhetoric) and ACT Reading (comprehension) combined roughly correspond to SAT EBRW. However SAT EBRW is a single integrated 200–800 score while ACT English and Reading are separate 1–36 scores, making direct comparison approximate.
| ACT Eng+Reading | SAT EBRW (~) |
|---|---|
| 70–72 | 760–800 |
| 64–69 | 680–750 |
| 56–63 | 590–670 |
| 48–55 | 500–580 |
| 40–47 | 420–490 |
ACT Math vs SAT Math
Both test algebra, geometry, and data analysis. Key difference — ACT Math covers more geometry and trigonometry (~35–45% of questions). SAT Math has a stronger focus on linear equations and data analysis. Students strong in geometry may perform relatively better on ACT Math.
| ACT Math | SAT Math (~) |
|---|---|
| 34–36 | 750–800 |
| 30–33 | 680–740 |
| 26–29 | 600–670 |
| 22–25 | 510–590 |
| 18–21 | 430–500 |
| 14–17 | 340–420 |
ACT Science vs SAT — No Direct Equivalent
The ACT Science section tests data interpretation and reasoning using scientific contexts — it does not test science knowledge. The SAT has no equivalent section. SAT cross-section scores (Analysis in Science, 10–40) are reported but are not equivalent to ACT Science. Students who excel at data interpretation under time pressure may find the ACT Science section a relative strength that boosts their composite — this has no analogue on the SAT.
ACT vs SAT at Top Colleges — Admissions Equivalence
All accredited 4-year colleges in the United States accept both the ACT and SAT equally. Admissions officers are trained to evaluate both tests on equal footing. Submitting an ACT score where a college lists SAT requirements (or vice versa) is fully acceptable.
| College | SAT Middle 50% | ACT Middle 50% |
|---|---|---|
| Harvard | 1500–1580 | 34–36 |
| MIT | 1510–1580 | 35–36 |
| Princeton | 1500–1570 | 34–36 |
| Yale | 1500–1570 | 34–36 |
| Stanford | 1500–1570 | 34–36 |
| Columbia | 1500–1560 | 34–36 |
| University of Pennsylvania | 1500–1560 | 34–36 |
| Duke | 1480–1570 | 34–36 |
| Northwestern | 1480–1560 | 34–36 |
| Cornell | 1470–1540 | 33–35 |
| Brown | 1470–1550 | 34–36 |
| Dartmouth | 1470–1560 | 34–36 |
| UCLA | 1290–1510 | 29–35 |
| UC Berkeley | 1310–1530 | 29–35 |
| University of Michigan | 1360–1530 | 32–35 |
| Georgetown | 1380–1540 | 32–35 |
| University of Virginia | 1340–1510 | 31–35 |
| Boston College | 1390–1510 | 33–35 |
| NYU | 1350–1530 | 31–34 |
| Purdue | 1170–1390 | 25–32 |
Middle 50% ranges mean 25% of admitted students scored below and 25% scored above. These are not minimum requirements.
Should You Take the SAT or ACT? Using Your Conversion Score to Decide
If your ACT-to-SAT conversion suggests your ACT score is significantly higher than your practice SAT score, the ACT format likely suits you better — and vice versa. Take one official practice test for each and compare converted scores.
You may prefer the ACT if...
- +Strong in geometry and trigonometry
- +Comfortable with data interpretation in scientific contexts
- +Located in the Midwest or South (ACT dominant)
- +State administers ACT to all 11th graders (e.g. Kentucky)
- +Prefer a broader content scope across 4 sections
You may prefer the SAT if...
- +Strong in linear algebra and data analysis
- +Located in the Northeast or West Coast (SAT dominant)
- +State administers SAT to all 11th graders (e.g. Michigan)
- +Prefer 2-section format with more time per question
- +Digital adaptive testing suits your strengths
Time pressure comparison
ACT English
75 questions / 45 minutes = 1 question per 36 seconds
SAT Reading and Writing (digital)
54 questions / 64 minutes = 1 question per 71 seconds
Students who find time pressure difficult should note the ACT has significantly more questions per minute than the SAT.
Practical decision framework
- 1.Take official practice tests for both (free from College Board and ACT websites).
- 2.Convert scores using this concordance table to compare on the same scale.
- 3.Choose the test where your practice performance is stronger.
- 4.Commit to preparation for that test rather than splitting effort between both.
How Accurate Is ACT to SAT Conversion?
The concordance table is based on a joint research study by College Board and ACT analyzing students who took both tests within a short period. Statistical concordance means that students at a given ACT score level perform similarly to students at the concordance SAT score level — not that any individual will necessarily score at the concordance level on both tests.
Group averages, not individual predictions
Concordance reflects group averages. Individual scores may differ significantly from the concorded equivalent.
Test-format optimization
A student optimized for one test through preparation may perform disproportionately better on that test than the concordance would predict.
Preparation intensity matters
A student who intensively prepared for the SAT may convert to a higher ACT equivalent than they would actually achieve on the ACT without equivalent preparation.
Digital SAT data still accumulating
Concordance tables may shift as widespread digital SAT data is incorporated into future joint research. The table on this page reflects current published concordance data.