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 |
|---|---|
|
Cedarville University
Cedarville, Ohio |
1245 |
|
Thomas Jefferson University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
1245 |
|
Salve Regina University
Newport, Rhode Island |
1245 |
|
University of Dallas
Irving, Texas |
1245 |
|
Texas Christian University
Fort Worth, Texas |
1245 |
|
Hollins University
Roanoke, Virginia |
1245 |
|
Virginia Wesleyan University
Virginia Beach, Virginia |
1245 |
|
Luther College
Decorah, Iowa |
1242 |
|
Gordon College
Wenham, Massachusetts |
1242 |
|
California Lutheran University
Thousand Oaks, California |
1240 |
|
Whittier College
Whittier, California |
1240 |
|
Florida Southern College
Lakeland, Florida |
1240 |
|
Wagner College
Staten Island, New York |
1240 |
|
Queens University of Charlotte
Charlotte, North Carolina |
1240 |
|
Immaculata University
Immaculata, Pennsylvania |
1239 |
|
University of Scranton
Scranton, Pennsylvania |
1239 |
|
Elmira College
Elmira, New York |
1237 |
|
Hendrix College
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.