Test scores
These colleges report the highest SAT middle 50% ranges. 277 of the 354 colleges in our dataset qualify for this list, and colleges with a missing value for the fields used here are left out rather than guessed. The table below shows the top 20, led by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Massachusetts).
Across all 277 qualifying colleges the acceptance rate runs from 3.6% (Harvard University) to 99.9% (The University of Texas at El Paso), with a median of 44.5%. For comparison, the median across the 354 colleges in the full dataset that report it is 44.6%.
| # | College | State | SAT middle 50% | Acceptance rate | Graduation rate | Net price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | MA | 1520–1580 | 4.5% | 96.4% | $20,111 |
| 2 | Brown University | RI | 1510–1580 | 5.4% | 95.7% | $25,184 |
| 3 | Columbia University in the City of New York | NY | 1510–1580 | 4.0% | 96.1% | $21,590 |
| 4 | Harvard University | MA | 1510–1580 | 3.6% | 97.6% | $19,066 |
| 5 | Johns Hopkins University | MD | 1520–1570 | 6.4% | 93.8% | $18,809 |
| 6 | Princeton University | NJ | 1510–1580 | 4.6% | 97.6% | $6,128 |
| 7 | Stanford University | CA | 1510–1580 | 3.6% | 91.9% | $13,807 |
| 8 | University of Chicago | IL | 1510–1580 | 4.5% | 95.9% | $14,860 |
| 9 | Northwestern University | IL | 1510–1570 | 7.7% | 95.1% | $29,167 |
| 10 | Rice University | TX | 1510–1570 | 8.0% | 94.6% | $13,370 |
| 11 | University of Pennsylvania | PA | 1510–1570 | 5.4% | 96.5% | $28,699 |
| 12 | Amherst College | MA | 1490–1580 | 9.0% | 93.9% | $23,367 |
| 13 | Carnegie Mellon University | PA | 1500–1570 | 11.7% | 94.1% | $31,944 |
| 14 | Cornell University | NY | 1500–1570 | 8.8% | 95.4% | $28,690 |
| 15 | Dartmouth College | NH | 1500–1570 | 5.4% | 95.5% | $29,519 |
| 16 | Duke University | NC | 1500–1570 | 5.7% | 96.8% | $29,612 |
| 17 | Harvey Mudd College | CA | 1500–1570 | 12.7% | 91.9% | $35,924 |
| 18 | Vanderbilt University | TN | 1500–1570 | 5.9% | 93.5% | $15,846 |
| 19 | Washington University in St Louis | MO | 1500–1570 | 12.1% | 94.3% | $21,786 |
| 20 | Williams College | MA | 1490–1570 | 8.2% | 93.6% | $17,716 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most-Recent-Cohorts-Institution, May 2026 release (file published 2026-05-26). Data fetched 2026-10-14. Open any row for the full college profile.
Of the 277 qualifying colleges, 133 are public and 144 are private nonprofit. Within the table, Massachusetts appears 4 times, New York appears 2 times, California appears 2 times. The median graduation rate among the 20 listed colleges that report it is 95.2%, against 73.1% for the whole dataset. The median net price among the 20 listed colleges that report it is $21,688, against $19,857 for the whole dataset. 20 of the 20 listed colleges report an SAT range, and the midpoints of those ranges have a median near 1540.
The middle 50% range runs from the 25th to the 75th percentile of enrolled students who submitted scores. Colleges are ordered by the sum of the two ends.
Each column in the table means the following.
At colleges where many students do not submit scores, the range can sit above the real student body.
To see how your own score compares, read what a 1540 SAT or a 34 ACT means for a college list, then check college costs by state for price context.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology is first on this list. It leads 277 qualifying colleges in the dataset, so check what the number measures before treating it as a recommendation.
277 of the 354 colleges in our dataset qualify, and the table shows the top 20. Colleges with a missing value are excluded.
No. The list sorts on one number. It does not measure teaching, fit, program strength or what you would pay, so use it to find colleges to look at and then check each profile and the college's own website.
Colleges are drawn from the 354-college dataset built from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (May 2026 release (file published 2026-05-26); fetched 2026-10-14). Selection: Four-year public and private nonprofit colleges with at least 500 undergraduates: every college admitting 55% or fewer applicants, plus the 150 largest by undergraduate enrollment. Colleges that do not report test ranges are included with ranges shown as not reported. Reporting periods for the fields on this page: AcadYr 2021-22; Fall 2016 or AcadYr 2016-17 entry cohort, as applicable; Fall 2022. Full definitions are on the methodology page, and the numbers are available as an open download.
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