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 |
|---|---|
|
York University
York, Nebraska |
995 |
|
Bluffton University
Bluffton, Ohio |
995 |
|
Hiram College
Hiram, Ohio |
995 |
|
Chestnut Hill College
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
995 |
|
Neumann University
Aston, Pennsylvania |
995 |
|
Columbia College
Columbia, South Carolina |
995 |
|
Le Moyne Owen College
Memphis, Tennessee |
995 |
|
Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, Texas |
995 |
|
Mount Mary University
Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
994 |
|
Appalachian Bible College
Mount Hope, West Virginia |
992 |
|
Dominican University
River Forest, Illinois |
990 |
|
University of Providence
Great Falls, Montana |
990 |
|
North Carolina Wesleyan University
Rocky Mount, North Carolina |
990 |
|
Nelson University
Waxahachie, Texas |
990 |
|
Ferrum College
Ferrum, Virginia |
990 |
|
Bethany College
Bethany, West Virginia |
990 |
|
Williams Baptist University
Walnut Ridge, Arkansas |
989 |
|
Defiance College
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.