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
Lyon College Batesville, Arkansas	1122
Northwest Nazarene University Nampa, Idaho	1122
John Paul the Great Catholic University Escondido, California	1122
Ashland University Ashland, Ohio	1121
Regis University Denver, Colorado	1120
Lynn University Boca Raton, Florida	1120
Shorter University Rome, Georgia	1120
Toccoa Falls College Toccoa Falls, Georgia	1120
The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Louisville, Kentucky	1120
Westminster College Fulton, Missouri	1120
Utica University Utica, New York	1120
Marietta College Marietta, Ohio	1120
Gannon University Erie, Pennsylvania	1120
Regent University Virginia Beach, Virginia	1120
Shenandoah University Winchester, Virginia	1120
Maryville University of Saint Louis Saint Louis, Missouri	1115
Rivier University Nashua, New Hampshire	1115
St. Francis College Brooklyn, New York	1115

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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.