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

York, Nebraska

995

Bluffton, Ohio

995

Hiram, Ohio

995

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

995

Aston, Pennsylvania

995

Columbia, South Carolina

995

Memphis, Tennessee

995

Plainview, Texas

995

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

994

Mount Hope, West Virginia

992

River Forest, Illinois

990

Great Falls, Montana

990

Rocky Mount, North Carolina

990

Waxahachie, Texas

990

Ferrum, Virginia

990

Bethany, West Virginia

990

Walnut Ridge, Arkansas

989

Defiance, Ohio

985

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.