What are your chances of acceptance?
Your chance of acceptance
Duke University
Loading…
UCLA
Loading…
+ add school
Your chancing factors
Unweighted GPA: 3.7
1.0
4.0
SAT: 720 math
200
800
| 800 verbal
200
800

Extracurriculars

Low accuracy (4 of 18 factors)

Perfect ACT scores vs SAT scores

Hey all, does anyone know how many perfect ACT scores there are compared to perfect SAT scores? I'm just curious about how frequently students achieve these top scores.

4 months ago

While it's difficult to provide exact numbers for each testing cycle, we can look at general data to give you an idea of how many students achieve perfect scores on the SAT and ACT.

For the ACT, in a typical year, around 0.1% to 0.2% of test-takers achieve a perfect composite score of 36. With approximately 2 million students taking the ACT each year (although this number can vary), it can be estimated that around 2,000 to 4,000 students get a perfect score.

In contrast, for the SAT, fewer students typically achieve a perfect score of 1600. Historical data suggests that roughly 0.03% to 0.05% of test-takers get a perfect SAT score. Considering around 2.2 million students take the SAT each year (again, this number can fluctuate), this means that approximately 660 to 1,100 students achieve a perfect score.

Keep in mind that these numbers are approximate and can vary based on the testing cohort and other factors. But generally, perfect SAT scores are less common than perfect ACT scores.

4 months ago

About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ

CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.