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 |
|---|---|
|
Lawrence University
Appleton, Wisconsin |
1310 |
|
DePauw University
Greencastle, Indiana |
1305 |
|
Centre College
Danville, Kentucky |
1305 |
|
Simmons University
Boston, Massachusetts |
1305 |
|
Wheaton College (Massachusetts)
Norton, Massachusetts |
1305 |
|
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis, Missouri |
1305 |
|
Seton Hall University
South Orange, New Jersey |
1305 |
|
New York Institute of Technology
Old Westbury, New York |
1305 |
|
Lewis & Clark College
Portland, Oregon |
1300 |
|
Baylor University
Waco, Texas |
1300 |
|
Champlain College
Burlington, Vermont |
1300 |
|
Clarkson University
Potsdam, New York |
1295 |
|
Ursinus College
Collegeville, Pennsylvania |
1292 |
|
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, Illinois |
1291 |
|
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, California |
1290 |
|
Concordia College at Moorhead
Moorhead, Minnesota |
1290 |
|
University of Dayton
Dayton, Ohio |
1290 |
|
MCPHS University
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.