Whether you’re a high school junior preparing for the March 9th Digital SAT or a curious parent eager to understand the competitive landscape of higher education, we want to shed light on the numbers that (still) carry significant weight in the world of college admissions.
Average SAT scores serve as a benchmark to gauge a student’s performance relative to their peers on a national scale. Even in this test-optional landscape (Though schools like Dartmouth and MIT say, “Not for long!”), data is king. What may be considered a competitive score at one school may not be at another, depending on the school’s selectivity.
When researching potential schools, understanding the SAT score range of past admitted students will help you better assess your own odds of admission. This information can be found in the Common Data Set or in a college’s official first-year profile (see, for example, the UPenn incoming class profile).
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We curated the below lists based on the U.S. News & World Report rankings for the top 25 national universities in the U.S. along with the top 25 Liberal Arts Colleges. Keep in mind, the scores below represent the “middle 50% of scores,” meaning 25% of students scored lower and 25% of students scored higher.
As always, our goal at Top Tier Admissions is to demystify the college admissions process and empower you to navigate your journey with confidence.
NATIONAL UNIVERSITIES: AVERAGE SAT SCORES
| Rank | Schools | SAT Comp | EBRW | Math |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Princeton University (NJ) | 1540-1580 | 760-780 | 780-800 |
| 2 | MIT (MA) | 1520-1580 | 740-780 | 780-800 |
| 3 | Harvard University (MA) | 1460-1570 | 720-780 | 740-800 |
| 3 | Stanford University (CA) | 1500-1570 | 730-780 | 770-800 |
| 5 | Yale University (CT) | 1470-1560 | 740-780 | 760-800 |
| 6 | University of Pennsylvania | 1500-1570 | 730-770 | 770-800 |
| 7 | California Institute of Technology* | NA | NA | NA |
| 7 | Duke University (NC) | 1490-1560 | 730-770 | 750-800 |
| 9 | Brown University (RI) | 1500-1560 | 730-780 | 760-800 |
| 9 | Johns Hopkins University (MD) | 1520-1560 | 740-770 | 780-800 |
| 9 | Northwestern University (IL) | 1500-1560 | 730-770 | 760-800 |
| 12 | Columbia University (NY) | 1500-1560 | 730-780 | 770-800 |
| 12 | Cornell University (NY) | 1470-1550 | 710-770 | 750-800 |
| 12 | University of Chicago | 1510-1560 | 740-780 | 770-800 |
| 15 | University of California, Berkeley** | NA | NA | NA |
| 15 | University of California, Los Angeles* | NA | NA | NA |
| 17 | Rice University (TX) | 1510-1560 | 730-770 | 760-800 |
| 18 | Dartmouth College (NH)** | NA | NA | NA |
| 18 | Vanderbilt University (TN) | 1490-1570 | 730-770 | 760-800 |
| 20 | University of Notre Dame (IN) | 1450-1550 | 710-760 | 740-790 |
| 21 | University of Michigan—Ann Arbor | 1350-1530 | 670-750 | 680-780 |
| 22 | Georgetown University (DC) | 1410-1540 | 700-770 | 690-790 |
| 22 | University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill | 1330-1500 | 660-740 | 660-770 |
| 24 | Carnegie Mellon University (PA) | 1500-1560 | 720-770 | 770-800 |
| 24 | Emory University (GA) | 1450-1530 | 700-760 | 730-790 |
| 24 | University of Virginia | 1400-1540 | 690-750 | 710-790 |
| 24 | Washington University in St. Louis | 1500-1570 | 730-770 | 770-800 |
**Not reporting due to test optional policy
2022 Data
LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGES: AVERAGE SAT SCORES
| Rank | Schools | SAT Comp | EBRW | Math |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Williams College (MA) | 1490-1550 | 730-780 | 750-790 |
| 2 | Amherst College (MA) | 1480-1550 | 690-770 | 670-780 |
| 3 | United States Naval Academy (MD)* | NA | NA | NA |
| 4 | Pomona College (CA) | 1480-1540 | 730-770 | 750-790 |
| 4 | Swarthmore College (PA) | 1455-1540 | 710-770 | 730-790 |
| 4 | Wellesley College (MA) | 1440-1540 | 720-770 | 710-780 |
| 7 | United States Air Force Academy | 1320-1470 | 650-730 | 660-750 |
| 8 | United States Military Academy | 1230-1430 | 610-710 | 610-740 |
| 9 | Bowdoin College (ME) | 1340-1520 | 670-760 | 670-780 |
| 9 | Carleton College (MN) | 1430-1540 | 710-770 | 720-780 |
| 11 | Barnard College (NY) | 1430-1530 | 720-770 | 720-780 |
| 11 | Claremont McKenna College (CA) | 1450-1540 | 710-760 | 730-790 |
| 11 | Grinnell College (IA) | 1410-1520 | 680-750 | 700-780 |
| 11 | Middlebury College (VT) | 1420-1520 | 700-760 | 710-780 |
| 11 | Wesleyan University (CT) | 1310-1505 | 660-750 | 660-760 |
| 16 | Davidson College (NC) | 1360-1490 | 670-740 | 680-760 |
| 16 | Hamilton College (NY) | 1440-1520 | 700-760 | 720-780 |
| 16 | Harvey Mudd College (CA) | 1480-1560 | 720-770 | 760-790 |
| 16 | Smith College (MA) | 1390-1500 | 700-760 | 670-760 |
| 16 | Vassar College (NY) | 1440-1510 | 720-760 | 710-775 |
| 21 | Colgate University (NY) | 1418-1510 | 690-750 | 700-780 |
| 21 | Haverford College (PA) | 1410-1530 | 700-760 | 730-780 |
| 21 | Washington and Lee University (VA) | 1410-1533 | 700-753 | 710-780 |
| 24 | Bates College (ME) | 1340-1500 | 660-745 | 650-760 |
| 25 | Colby College (ME)* | NA | NA | NA |
| 25 | University of Richmond (VA) | 1425-1510 | 690-750 | 710-780 |
One reply on “Average SAT Scores at Top Colleges”
These are concise and pertinent notes for taking/retaking the SAT. Thank you.