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 |
|---|---|
|
Clarke University
Dubuque, Iowa |
1030 |
|
Sterling College
Sterling, Kansas |
1030 |
|
Maria College of Albany
Albany, New York |
1030 |
|
Trinity Bible College and Graduate School
Ellendale, North Dakota |
1030 |
|
Lake Erie College
Painesville, Ohio |
1030 |
|
Holy Family University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
1030 |
|
New England Institute of Technology
East Greenwich, Rhode Island |
1030 |
|
Tennessee Wesleyan University
Athens, Tennessee |
1030 |
|
Mary Baldwin University
Staunton, Virginia |
1030 |
|
Pfeiffer University
Misenheimer, North Carolina |
1028 |
|
North Park University
Chicago, Illinois |
1026 |
|
West Virginia Wesleyan College
Buckhannon, West Virginia |
1026 |
|
Life University
Marietta, Georgia |
1025 |
|
Aurora University
Aurora, Illinois |
1025 |
|
VanderCook College of Music
Chicago, Illinois |
1025 |
|
Anderson University
Anderson, Indiana |
1025 |
|
Bethel University
Mishawaka, Indiana |
1025 |
|
Friends University
Wichita, Kansas |
1025 |
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.