California Private Colleges Ranked by Highest SAT Score

Below is a list of the 43 private colleges in California 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 California Private Colleges Ranked by Highest SAT Score
College	Average SAT Score
California Institute of Technology Pasadena, California	1555
Stanford University Stanford, California	1545
Harvey Mudd College Claremont, California	1535
Pomona College Claremont, California	1525
Claremont McKenna College Claremont, California	1515
University of Southern California Los Angeles, California	1500
Scripps College Claremont, California	1490
Northeastern University Oakland Oakland, California	1470
Occidental College Los Angeles, California	1450
Soka University of America Aliso Viejo, California	1421
Santa Clara University Santa Clara, California	1420
Pepperdine University Malibu, California	1370
Chapman University Orange, California	1350
Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, California	1345
Westmont College Santa Barbara, California	1345
University of the Pacific Stockton, California	1331
Otis College of Art and Design Los Angeles, California	1330
Thomas Aquinas College Santa Paula, California	1310

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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.