United States Private Colleges Ranked by Highest SAT Score
Below is a list of the 783 private colleges in the United States with the highest SAT Score for incoming freshmen. California Institute of Technology leads the list with an average SAT Score of 1555. Alternatively, check out the ACT version of these rankings.
The SAT is a standardized test used by colleges to evaluate applicants. It is not a guarantee of success in college, but it is a strong indicator of academic potential.
| College | Average SAT Score |
|---|---|
|
Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Prescott
Prescott, Arizona |
1255 |
|
Dominican University of California
San Rafael, California |
1255 |
|
Mercer University
Macon, Georgia |
1255 |
|
Butler University
Indianapolis, Indiana |
1255 |
|
Emmanuel College
Boston, Massachusetts |
1255 |
|
John Carroll University
University Heights, Ohio |
1255 |
|
Belmont University
Nashville, Tennessee |
1255 |
|
Transylvania University
Lexington, Kentucky |
1250 |
|
Caldwell University
Caldwell, New Jersey |
1250 |
|
The New School
New York, New York |
1250 |
|
Eckerd College
Saint Petersburg, Florida |
1245 |
|
Agnes Scott College
Decatur, Georgia |
1245 |
|
Berea College
Berea, Kentucky |
1245 |
|
Kettering University
Flint, Michigan |
1245 |
|
Bethel University
Saint Paul, Minnesota |
1245 |
|
Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Albany, New York |
1245 |
|
Le Moyne College
Syracuse, New York |
1245 |
|
St. John's University New York
Queens, New York |
1245 |
This list is updated annually based on the latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics.
Last updated: March 15, 2026
Data source: IPEDS 2025 survey for academic year 2024/2025 - National Center for Education Statistics.