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

Conway, Arkansas

1002
1002

Elkins, West Virginia

1002

Atlanta, Georgia

1000

Greenville, Illinois

1000

Oakland City, Indiana

1000
1000

Des Moines, Iowa

1000

Greensboro, North Carolina

1000

Southlake, California

1000

Surprise, Arizona

1000

Santee, California

999

Bridgeport, Connecticut

997

Decatur, Illinois

995

Goshen, Indiana

995

Oskaloosa, Iowa

995

Takoma Park, Maryland

995

Saint Paul, Minnesota

995

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.