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.

List of United States Private Colleges Ranked by Highest SAT Score
College Average SAT Score

Cedarville, Ohio

1245

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

1245

Newport, Rhode Island

1245

Irving, Texas

1245

Fort Worth, Texas

1245

Roanoke, Virginia

1245

Virginia Beach, Virginia

1245

Decorah, Iowa

1242

Wenham, Massachusetts

1242

Thousand Oaks, California

1240

Whittier, California

1240

Lakeland, Florida

1240

Staten Island, New York

1240

Charlotte, North Carolina

1240

Immaculata, Pennsylvania

1239

Scranton, Pennsylvania

1239

Elmira, New York

1237

Conway, Arkansas

1235

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.