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
Northwest University Kirkland, Washington	1195
Saint Anselm College Manchester, New Hampshire	1194
Prescott College Prescott, Arizona	1192
Maryland Institute College of Art Baltimore, Maryland	1191
Hannibal LaGrange University Hannibal, Missouri	1191
Jacksonville University Jacksonville, Florida	1190
St. Joseph's University New York Brooklyn, New York	1190
Guilford College Greensboro, North Carolina	1190
Lycoming College Williamsport, Pennsylvania	1190
Anderson University Anderson, South Carolina	1190
Westminster University Salt Lake City, Utah	1190
Norwich University Northfield, Vermont	1190
Bridgewater College Bridgewater, Virginia	1190
Molloy University Rockville Centre, New York	1189
Alvernia University Reading, Pennsylvania	1189
Trinity Christian College Palos Heights, Illinois	1185
Canisius University Buffalo, New York	1185
Widener University Chester, Pennsylvania	1185

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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.