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 |
|---|---|
|
Dakota Wesleyan University
Mitchell, South Dakota |
1185 |
|
Seattle Pacific University
Seattle, Washington |
1185 |
|
North Central College
Naperville, Illinois |
1182 |
|
Chatham University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
1182 |
|
Rockhurst University
Kansas City, Missouri |
1181 |
|
Coe College
Cedar Rapids, Iowa |
1180 |
|
Hartwick College
Oneonta, New York |
1180 |
|
Mount Vernon Nazarene University
Mount Vernon, Ohio |
1180 |
|
Bryn Athyn College of the New Church
Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania |
1179 |
|
St Bonaventure University
Saint Bonaventure, New York |
1177 |
|
Moravian University
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania |
1177 |
|
Ouachita Baptist University
Arkadelphia, Arkansas |
1175 |
|
The College of Idaho
Caldwell, Idaho |
1175 |
|
William Jewell College
Liberty, Missouri |
1175 |
|
Carroll College
Helena, Montana |
1175 |
|
Fairleigh Dickinson University Florham Campus
Madison, New Jersey |
1175 |
|
Baldwin Wallace University
Berea, Ohio |
1175 |
|
DeSales University
Center Valley, Pennsylvania |
1175 |
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.