Is 80 a good TEAS score? How 70, 75, 80 and 85 compare with real school minimums

Where 70, 75, 80 and 85 sit on ATI's scale

ATI places every adjusted total score in one of five academic preparedness levels. The ranges below are printed on ATI's 2026 sample score report, which California State University, Los Angeles publishes for its applicants. ATI also says each school sets its own cut score, so these levels describe readiness, not a pass or fail.

ATI describes Proficient as a moderate level of preparedness where some objectives can need more work, and Advanced as a high level where more preparation is not likely to be needed. That is the honest difference between a 75 and an 80: one step on ATI's scale, not a pass versus a fail.

The same scores against named schools

Here is how the four scores compare with requirements published by four schools, checked in November 2026. A total that meets a minimum only makes you eligible; programs that rank applicants may still admit higher scores first.

Why a total of 80 can still fall short

Section cutoffs ignore your total. At North Shore, a nursing applicant with an 80 total built on strong reading and science but a 70% in math misses the 73% math minimum. At Cal State LA, the same applicant would pass on math but fail if science came in at 65%, because every content area must reach 70%.

So check your content area scores on the score report, not only the big number at the top. ATI notes that total and content area scores are adjusted for form difficulty, which makes them the right figures to hold against a school's published cutoffs. Sub-content scores are a plain percent correct and are not used this way.

Is 70 enough for nursing school?

A 70 meets the published minimums at Golden West College and Waukesha County Technical College, and Golden West calls 70% or higher typically competitive for its program. It sits in ATI's Proficient band, and ATI's help center says your school will most likely want you at the proficient level or above.

Whether 70 is enough everywhere is a different question. ATI says many schools weigh the TEAS alongside GPA and other factors, so a 70 with a strong science GPA can outrank an 80 elsewhere in the file. If your target school lists a minimum per section, a 70 total can also mean one or two areas sit below it.

Sources

ATI TEAS sample Individual Performance Profile, hosted by Cal State LA (2026). Score ranges and definitions for the five academic preparedness levels; Cal State LA's note that all four areas must be 70% or higher to apply.

ATI Help: Will schools lower their cut score for the ATI TEAS Version 7?. Each school sets its own TEAS cut score; schools typically expect proficient or higher.

Golden West College: ATI TEAS test. 62% minimum and 70% or higher typically competitive for the nursing program.

Waukesha County Technical College: ATI TEAS. Minimum total score of 65% for nursing.

North Shore Community College: TEAS score requirements. Nursing section minimums: Reading 69%, Math 73%, Science 50%, English 66.7%.