SAT to IQ Conversion Chart
Estimated IQ (SD15) based on Modern SAT (1600 Scale) scores.
| SAT Score | Estimated IQ (SD 15) | Percentile | Rarity (1 in X) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1600Perfect Score | 152+ | 99.97% | 1 in 3,500 |
| 1590 | 151 | 99.96% | 1 in 2,900 |
| 1580 | 150 | 99.95% | 1 in 2,330 |
| 1570 | 149 | 99.94% | 1 in 1,838 |
| 1560 | 148 | 99.93% | 1 in 1,455 |
| 1550 | 147 | 99.91% | 1 in 1,157 |
| 1540 | 146 | 99.89% | 1 in 924 |
| 1530 | 145 | 99.86% | 1 in 741 |
| 1520 | 144 | 99.83% | 1 in 596 |
| 1500Ivy League Avg | 142 | 99.74% | 1 in 391 |
| 1480 | 141 | 99.68% | 1 in 319 |
| 1460 | 139 | 99.53% | 1 in 215 |
| 1450 | 138 | 99.43% | 1 in 177 |
| 1440 | 137 | 99.31% | 1 in 147 |
| 1420 | 136 | 99.18% | 1 in 122 |
| 1400 | 134 | 98.82% | 1 in 85 |
| 1380 | 133 | 98.60% | 1 in 72 |
| 1360 | 131 | 98.06% | 1 in 52 |
| 1350Mensa Potential | 130 | 97.72% | 1 in 44 |
| 1340 | 129 | 97.34% | 1 in 38 |
| 1320 | 128 | 96.90% | 1 in 32 |
| 1300 | 126 | 95.84% | 1 in 24 |
| 1280 | 125 | 95.22% | 1 in 21 |
| 1260 | 123 | 93.74% | 1 in 16 |
| 1250 | 122 | 92.87% | 1 in 14 |
| 1240 | 121 | 91.92% | 1 in 12 |
| 1220 | 120 | 90.87% | 1 in 11 |
| 1200 | 118 | 88.49% | 1 in 8.7 |
| 1180 | 117 | 87.14% | 1 in 7.8 |
| 1160 | 115 | 84.13% | 1 in 6.3 |
| 1150Above Average | 114 | 82.46% | 1 in 5.7 |
| 1140 | 113 | 80.69% | 1 in 5.2 |
| 1120 | 112 | 78.81% | 1 in 4.7 |
| 1100 | 110 | 74.75% | 1 in 4.0 |
| 1080 | 109 | 72.57% | 1 in 3.6 |
| 1060 | 107 | 67.96% | 1 in 3.1 |
| 1050National Average | 106 | 65.54% | 1 in 2.9 |
| 1040 | 105 | 63.05% | 1 in 2.7 |
| 1020 | 104 | 60.51% | 1 in 2.5 |
| 1000 | 102 | 55.30% | 1 in 2.2 |
| 980 | 100 | 50.00% | 1 in 2.0 |
| 960 | 99 | 47.34% | 1 in 2.1 |
| 940 | 97 | 42.07% | 1 in 2.4 |
| 920 | 96 | 39.48% | 1 in 2.5 |
| 900 | 94 | 34.45% | 1 in 2.9 |
| 850 | 90 | 25.24% | 1 in 4.0 |
| 800 | 87 | 19.30% | 1 in 5.2 |
| 750 | 83 | 12.85% | 1 in 7.8 |
| 700 | 79 | 8.07% | 1 in 12 |
| 650 | 75 | 4.77% | 1 in 21 |
| 600 | 71 | 2.65% | 1 in 38 |
Analyzing the SAT to IQ Correlation
While the SAT is designed to measure academic readiness for college, psychometricians have long established a strong correlation between SAT scores and general intelligence (g-factor). The chart above estimates your IQ based on Modern SAT scores (post-2016 format).
Important: Which version of the SAT did you take?
The SAT has undergone major revisions that significantly alter the scoring curve. It is critical to use the chart or calculator that matches your test year:
- 2016 to Present: Use the chart above or our New SAT to IQ Calculator. This test has a correlation of roughly 0.5 to 0.6 with standardized IQ tests.
- 1995 to 2016: This era used "recentered" scoring. If you tested during this time, please use the 1995-2016 SAT to IQ Calculator.
- Pre-1995: The older SAT was significantly harder and had a very high correlation (~0.8) with IQ. Many high-IQ societies (like Mensa) still accept these scores. For these results, check the Pre-1995 SAT to IQ Calculator.
- SAT Percentiles: See exactly how your score ranks nationally and check your statistical rarity with our complete guide to SAT score percentiles for 2026.
The "Ceiling Effect"
You may notice that a perfect 1600 maps to an IQ of ~152. This is due to the "ceiling effect." Standard IQ tests can measure up to 160+ (SD 15), but the SAT is not difficult enough to distinguish between an IQ of 155 and an IQ of 170; both individuals would likely score a perfect 1600.
The values presented in this table utilize the Frey & Detterman (2004) conversion model adjusted for the re-centered SAT distribution.
Assumption: The calculations assume a Test-Taker Mean of ~1060 and a Standard Deviation of ~210 against a General Population Mean IQ of 100 (SD 15).
