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

Appleton, Wisconsin

1310

Greencastle, Indiana

1305

Danville, Kentucky

1305

Boston, Massachusetts

1305

Norton, Massachusetts

1305

Saint Louis, Missouri

1305

South Orange, New Jersey

1305

Old Westbury, New York

1305

Portland, Oregon

1300

Waco, Texas

1300

Burlington, Vermont

1300

Potsdam, New York

1295

Collegeville, Pennsylvania

1292

Lake Forest, Illinois

1291

San Francisco, California

1290

Moorhead, Minnesota

1290

Dayton, Ohio

1290

Boston, Massachusetts

1288

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.