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
Emory & Henry University Emory, Virginia	1137
Trine University Angola, Indiana	1135
Midway University Midway, Kentucky	1135
Centenary College of Louisiana Shreveport, Louisiana	1135
College of the Ozarks Point Lookout, Missouri	1135
Robert Morris University Moon Township, Pennsylvania	1135
Wilkes University Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania	1135
Lee University Cleveland, Tennessee	1135
Saint Joseph's University Lancaster Lancaster, Pennsylvania	1135
William Jessup University Rocklin, California	1134
Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Service Houston, Texas	1133
Nichols College Dudley, Massachusetts	1132
Thomas More University Crestview Hills, Kentucky	1130
Campbell University Buies Creek, North Carolina	1130
Cleveland Institute of Art Cleveland, Ohio	1130
Linfield University McMinnville, Oregon	1130
Seton Hill University Greensburg, Pennsylvania	1130
Washington & Jefferson College Washington, Pennsylvania	1130

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This list is updated annually based on the latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics.
Last updated: August 2026

Data source: IPEDS 2025 survey for academic year 2024/2025 - National Center for Education Statistics.