act scores needed for top colleges

SAT Scores Needed for Top Colleges

While the top 10 universities in the United States don’t have an SAT score cutoff for admittance, it’s helpful to know where your score falls in relation to the scores of accepted students. Read on for information about the top 10 US universities (as ranked by U.S. News and World Report) and the SAT scores of recently accepted students. 

Keep in mind that when the middle 50% of SAT scores is listed, a full 25% of accepted students scored above and another 25% scored below the given range. If your score isn’t quite within the 50% range, take heart– there’s still a chance your score will be enough to get you accepted. 

 RELATED:  SAT Scores Needed for Top Liberal Arts Colleges & How to Interpret Your SAT Score  ]


Johns Hopkins University, located in downtown Baltimore, is a research-based university with an emphasis on academic freedom. That means that undergraduates aren’t required to take any set core classes; instead, Johns Hopkins encourages students to take interdisciplinary courses and explore a wide range of topics. Additionally, many internships and study abroad opportunities are available to undergraduates—a third of students complete some sort of international experience and 85% complete at least one internship before they graduate.

The middle 50% of SAT composite scores for the Class of 2023 was 1480-1550. 

The University of Pennsylvania is an Ivy League university in Philadelphia with four undergraduate schools: the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Nursing, Penn Engineering, and the Wharton School. There are over 4,200 courses available for students to take, and each undergraduate student is assigned a faculty mentor to help them succeed in college. UPenn also emphasizes community engagement, and there are even classes students can take to receive credit while working in the community (in hospitals, classrooms, churches, etc.).

The middle 50% of SAT scores for the Class of 2022 was 690-760 for English, 730-790 for Math, and 1460-1550 composite.

Duke University is the 5th largest research university in the United States based on research funding, and over half of Duke undergraduates complete faculty-mentored research projects. This Durham, NC school encourages students to take a variety of courses, and students can choose from a long list of majors and minors or even, in some circumstances, design their own degree program that fits their interests. The middle 50% of composite SAT scores of admitted applicants is 1500-1560.

Stanford is a university in Palo Alto, CA that is influenced by the innovative environment provided by neighboring Silicon Valley. Stanford has slightly over 7,000 undergraduate students and a 5:1 student to faculty ratio, giving it a small, liberal-arts college feel. The middle 50% of the Class of 2022’s SAT scores was 700-770 for English and 720-800 for Math. 

Undergraduates at Yale University, an Ivy League school in New Haven, Connecticut, have access to a liberal arts education through Yale College, an educational experience designed specifically for undergrads. Students are required to take courses in humanities/arts, sciences, social sciences, quantitative reasoning, and foreign languages.

Yale has a 6.3% acceptance rate, and the middle 50% of SAT scores for the class of 2022 was 720-770 for English and 740-790 for Math. 

Undergraduates at the University of Chicago begin their education with a core curriculum akin to what you’d find at a liberal arts university. The University of Chicago aims to teach students how—not what—to think, so students take a set of core classes designed to prepare them to explore complex ideas and debate with other students and faculty members.

The total spread of SAT scores for accepted students in the Class of 2023 was 1020-1600, but the middle 50% of admitted applicants scored 1500-1560.

MIT, a science and technology-based university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, was founded in 1861 for the purpose of advancing the Industrial Revolution. Today, the school is known for its strength in science and engineering. Over 60% of MIT students enroll in the School of Engineering, and nearly 30% complete a major in the School of Science. 85% of undergraduate students participate in faculty-led research. The middle 50% of SAT scores for the Class of 2023 was 730-780 for Math and 790-800 for English. 

Columbia is an Ivy League university located in New York City. Because of its metropolitan location, Columbia greatly emphasizes arts and culture and civic engagement, and runs outreach programs in health, education, and engineering, as well as supporting small businesses. Columbia boasts 350 new inventions every year and 84 Columbians have won Nobel Prizes. The middle 50% of SAT scores for the Class of 2022 is 1460-1550.

Harvard University, located in Cambridge, MA, is the oldest university in the United States. There are just under 7,000 undergraduate students, which makes up a student body size fairly typical of Ivy League schools. Harvard boasts the largest academic library in the world and many other widely acclaimed museums. There are 12 degree-granting schools at Harvard, and in order to make sure that all accepted students have the opportunity to attend Harvard, students in need are provided with generous financial aid packages. The average SAT score for the Class of 2022 was 1512.

Princeton University in Princeton, NJ, is an Ivy League University that emphasizes independent research and student-faculty relationships. Students interested in the humanities can participate in the Humanities Sequence, a year-long program team-taught by different professors that gives an overview of the humanities through the ages. Students interested in science can sign up for the Integrated Science curriculum, a year-long program that prepares students to major in any of the sciences. Princeton strives to provide a liberal arts education, encouraging students to explore many different fields and to take an interdisciplinary approach to their education. The middle 50% of SAT scores for the Class of 2023 was 710-770 for English and 750-800 for Math. 

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