By the Classic Test Prep Team · Last updated: August 6, 2026
A good CLT score depends on your goal. On the 120-point scale, a 72+ beats the typical college-bound test taker, a 90+ (≈1270 SAT) is competitive at selective CLT partner colleges, and a 100+ (≈1390 SAT) is a top-3% score. Specific cutoffs matter most: Florida’s Bright Futures requires a 95 (FAS) or 82 (FMS), and several colleges tie scholarships to exact scores.
The “Comparable SAT scores” and percentiles below are all based on CLT’s official concordance and CLT’s 2026 Technical Report.
CLT Score | Comparable SAT Score | National Percentile | What It Means |
|---|---|---|---|
120 | 1600 | 99+ | Perfect score; full-tuition Premier Scholarship consideration at Benedictine |
110 | 1520 | 99+ | Top 1%: competitive anywhere the CLT is accepted |
105 | 1460 | 99 | Hillsdale’s estimated upper quartile |
100 | 1390 | 97 | Top 3%: strong at every partner college |
95 | 1330 | 93 | Bright Futures FAS cutoff (100% tuition, 2026–27 grads) |
90 | 1270 | 88 | Competitive at selective partner colleges |
85 | 1220 | 83 | Above Benedictine’s Presidential Scholars threshold (84) |
82 | 1190 | 80 | Bright Futures FMS cutoff (75% tuition) |
65 | 1040 | 56 | Slightly above the national median |
Few colleges publish official CLT middle-50% ranges yet, so where necessary we convert each school’s published SAT range through the CLT’s own concordance. Note where we have clearly labeled estimates.
Hillsdale College – one popular CLT destination, and if you’re interested, see our conversation with Hillsdale admissions to see what they are looking for in an application. Hillsdale’s published mid-range profile (Fall 2024 entering class) is SAT 1340–1470 / ACT 30–33, which converts to roughly CLT 96–106. Target 100+ to be solidly in range.
Florida’s flagship publics – among the most selective CLT-accepting publics; UF’s admitted SAT ranges convert to roughly CLT 102–110. Meanwhile, FSU’s range is around 96–105. Other Florida publics (UCF, USF, FAU, UNF and the rest) tend to span lower ranges, roughly CLT 75–95.
Selective classical and Christian colleges (Grove City, Benedictine, Cedarville, Wheaton): converted ranges generally fall around CLT 85–100.
Broad-access partner colleges (many other Christian colleges, some state university systems): scores in the 60s–70s may be sufficient for admission.
For scholarships, exact numbers can matter even more: over $100 million in annual scholarships is tied to CLT scores with specific thresholds.
A practical implication: at scholarship cutoffs, a point or two can be worth thousands of dollars. For example, if you’re sitting at 93 and the FAS line is 95, retesting is one of the highest-ROI things a Florida student can do.
Historically, the average CLT score was about 76 among students taking it for college admissions. But since September 2023, the overall average has fallen to about 43 — not because the college-bound test-takers suddenly got worse, but because Florida students using the CLT to satisfy high-school graduation requirements became the largest test-taker group–perhaps by a significant margin (see the 2026 CLT Technical Report).
Two takeaways from that: don’t benchmark against “the average CLT taker” anymore, and treat percentile claims carefully. For college admissions, compare against the admissions-bound pool (the benchmarks above), not the whole testing population. Better still, triangulate what your target college will consider a competitive CLT (if they don’t publish this, ask the admissions office.)
As a shorthand, you should retest if any of these apply, assuming you have testing dates remaining before submitting your application:
Retesting is low-risk, and one of the CLT’s strengths is that it offers a test date every month, which means you have plenty of shots at your target.
Colleges only see the scores you choose to send, and for most test dates the fee is waived if you apply to the sponsoring college. If you’re at or above your target range and cutoffs, spend the time on your application essays instead.
