North Carolina Colleges Ranked by Highest SAT Score

Below is a list of the 49 colleges in North Carolina with the highest SAT Score for incoming freshmen. Duke University leads the list with an average SAT Score of 1535. 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 North Carolina Colleges Ranked by Highest SAT Score
College	Average SAT Score
Duke University Durham, North Carolina	1535
Davidson College Davidson, North Carolina	1465
Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, North Carolina	1465
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, North Carolina	1460
North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, North Carolina	1385
University of North Carolina Wilmington Wilmington, North Carolina	1285
University of North Carolina Asheville Asheville, North Carolina	1265
University of North Carolina School of the Arts Winston Salem, North Carolina	1255
University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, North Carolina	1252
Queens University of Charlotte Charlotte, North Carolina	1240
University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, North Carolina	1235
Meredith College Raleigh, North Carolina	1223
High Point University High Point, North Carolina	1215
Elon University Elon, North Carolina	1205
Appalachian State University Boone, North Carolina	1200
Guilford College Greensboro, North Carolina	1190
Western Carolina University Cullowhee, North Carolina	1175
Catawba College Salisbury, North Carolina	1165

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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.