Median SAT scores at top U.S. universities

When it comes to standardized testing, it is helpful to analyze your child’s scores relative to the schools he or she is interested in applying to. Here is a sampling of median SAT scores from 2016 at some of the most highly selective colleges and universities in the U.S. (scores are listed in a 25th – 75th percentile format).

Universities with a 25th percentile score > 1450:
California Institute of Technology (Caltech): 1530 – 1600
University of Chicago: 1500 – 1590
Harvard University: 1480 – 1600
Northwestern University: 1450 – 1570
Princeton University: 1470 – 1600

Universities with a 25th percentile score > 1400:
Carnegie Mellon University: 1410 – 1530
Tufts University: 1440 – 1550
University of Notre Dame: 1410 – 1550
Rice University: 1440 – 1570
Duke University: 1440 – 1590

Universities with a 25th percentile score > 1350:
Boston College: 1350 – 1510
Emory University: 1370 – 1510
Georgia Tech: 1370 – 1520
Cornell University: 1390 – 1550
Colorado School of Mines: 1390 – 1440

Universities with a 25th percentile score > 1300:
University of California – Berkeley: 1320 – 1540
Georgetown University: 1320 – 1520
New York University (NYU): 1320 – 1500
Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI): 1310 – 1480
University of Illinois – Urbana-Champaign: 1340 – 1500

When putting together a school list, SAT and ACT scores should be used to help organize a school list into “safety”, “match” and “reach” categories.