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
Union Commonwealth University Barbourville, Kentucky	1012
Chowan University Murfreesboro, North Carolina	1012
Faulkner University Montgomery, Alabama	1010
La Sierra University Riverside, California	1010
University of Saint Joseph West Hartford, Connecticut	1010
Kentucky Wesleyan College Owensboro, Kentucky	1010
Blue Mountain Christian University Blue Mountain, Mississippi	1010
Southwest Baptist University Bolivar, Missouri	1010
Tiffin University Tiffin, Ohio	1010
Tusculum University Greeneville, Tennessee	1010
Life Pacific University San Dimas, California	1007
Muskingum University New Concord, Ohio	1007
The University of Tennessee Southern Pulaski, Tennessee	1007
Blackburn College Carlinville, Illinois	1006
Adrian College Adrian, Michigan	1006
Mount Saint Mary's University Los Angeles, California	1005
Missouri Valley College Marshall, Missouri	1005
Johnson & Wales University Charlotte Charlotte, North Carolina	1005

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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.