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
St. Mary's University San Antonio, Texas	1105
University of Lynchburg Lynchburg, Virginia	1105
Point University West Point, Georgia	1104
Gwynedd Mercy University Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania	1104
Maryville College Maryville, Tennessee	1103
Carthage College Kenosha, Wisconsin	1102
Quincy University Quincy, Illinois	1100
Grace College and Theological Seminary Winona Lake, Indiana	1100
University of Dubuque Dubuque, Iowa	1100
Eastern University Saint Davids, Pennsylvania	1100
Hardin Simmons University Abilene, Texas	1100
Randolph Macon College Ashland, Virginia	1100
Maranatha Baptist University Watertown, Wisconsin	1100
Wisconsin Lutheran College Milwaukee, Wisconsin	1100
Hawaii Pacific University Honolulu, Hawaii	1099
Southern Virginia University Buena Vista, Virginia	1098
Heidelberg University Tiffin, Ohio	1096
Truett McConnell University Cleveland, Georgia	1095

Search and filter all 783 colleges

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.