Most Competitive Schools:

Colleges and universities in this category admit fewer than one-third of their applicants—many as few as 15 percent. Applicants to these schools generally rank at the top of their high school class (top 5 to 10 percent), but neither test scores nor class rank can guarantee admission to these notoriously selective schools. But if students can get in, the rewards are plentiful—these schools are top-notch in every way. Many of these world-renowned institutions boast award-winning faculty, superior facilities, and unmatched academic programs.

			Average SAT score*				Average ACT score
Columbia University			1415				27-33
Harvard University			1490				31-34
MIT			1490				30-34
Stanford University			1445				28-33
Middlebury College			1420				29-32
Duke University			1415				29-33
Rice University			1420				28-33
University of Chicago			1405				28-32
Brown University			1395				26-32
University of Pennsylvania			1415				28-32
Dartmouth College			1425				27-33
Princeton University			1465				N/A
Washington University   in St. Louis			1395				28-32
Pomona College			1440				30-33
Northwestern University			1390				28-33
Amherst College			1425				28-33
Yale University			1465				28-33

* SAT scores only represent 2 of the 3 sections (Critical Reading and Math).