SAT Scores, 1985-2016

These tables accompany “Yes, It Really Is Harder To Get Into Highly Selective Colleges Today: Comparison of SAT scores over time tells a story,” by Michael J. Petrilli and Pedro Enamorado.


Increase in Median SAT Scores, 1985-2016

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Colleges Fall 1985 Fall 2016 Increase in Median Scores
Elon University 952 1192 240
University of Chicago 1331 1520 189
Ohio State University–Columbus 1100 1280 180
Pitzer College 1116 1293 177
University of California–Los Angeles 1143 1320 177
University of California–San Diego 1160 1337 177
Boston College 1190 1360 170
SUNY at Stony Brook University- 1120 1290 170
University of Pittsburgh 1112 1280 168
Georgia Institute of Technology 1243 1410 167
Case Western Reserve University 1247 1410 163
Brown University 1324 1490 166
Brown University 1110 1263 153
University of Notre Dame 1290 1440 150
Denison University 1140 1286 146
New York University 1205 1350 145
Purdue University–West Lafayette 1107 1250 143
Macalester College 1238 1380 142
University of California–Berkeley 1234 1375 141
Clemson University 1112 1252 140
Emory University 1220 1360 140
Hamilton College 1250 1390 140
University of Miami 1170 1300 130
Vassar College 1273 1410 137
Loyola Marymount University 1085 1220 135
Southern Methodist University 1188 1320 132
University of California–Santa Barbara 1118 1250 132
Florida State University 1110 1241 131
University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill 1160 1290 130
Villanova University 1193 1320 127
University of Massachusetts–Amherst 1105 1230 125
Grinnell College 1271 1395 124
Binghamton University–SUNY 1200 1320 120
Fordham University 1160 1280 120
Middlebury College 1290 1405 115
Tulane University 1225 1340 115
Tufts University 1277 1390 113
Dickinson College 1182 1293 111
Princeton University 1389 1500 111
University of Richmond 1210 1320 110
University of San Diego 1100 1210 110
Pomona College 1330 1440 110
Wellesley College 1290 1397 107
Yale University 1410 1515 105
Gonzaga University 1087 1190 103
Stevens Institute of Technology 1230 1333 103
Rice University 1374 1475 101
Washington and Lee University 1280 1380 100
University of Florida 1183 1275 92
Swarthmore College 1360 1450 90
Wake Forest University 1215 1305 90
American University 1165 1250 85
Pepperdine University 1143 1227 84
Boston University 1227 1310 83
Kenyon College 1250 1332 82
University of Delaware 1128 1210 82
Williams College 1368 1450 82
Harvey Mudd College 1410 1490 80
Indiana University–Bloomington 1091 1171 80
Texas A&M University–College Station 1120 1200 80
Smith College 1280 1355 75
New Jersey Institute of Technology 1137 1210 73
Oberlin College 1290 1361 71
Brandeis University 1300 1370 70
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 1310 1380 70
Colorado School of Mines 1250 1315 65
Davidson College 1297 1360 63
Marquette University 1127 1190 63
University of Virginia 1287 1350 63
Massachusetts Institute of Technology 1450 1510 60
Skidmore College 1170 1230 60
Thomas Aquinas College 1200 1260 60
Worcester Polytechnic Institute 1250 1310 60
University of California–Irvine 1092 1150 58
Miami University–Oxford 1184 1240 56
Lehigh University 1265 1320 55
College of the Holy Cross 1240 1294 54
Bucknell University 1252 1300 48
United States Naval Academy 1299 1341 42
Johns Hopkins University 1350 1390 40
Furman University 1184 1220 36
Virginia Tech 1179 1215 36
Berea College 1055 1090 35
Clark University 1195 1230 35
Lafayette College 1260 1288 28
DePauw University 1160 1180 20
The University of the South 1230 1250 20
Pennsylvania State University–University Park 1174 1190 16
Wesleyan University 1360 1370 10
United States Military Academy 1280 1283 3
University of California–Riverside 1109 1080 -29
Bryn Mawr College 1350 1310 -40
Drexel University 1150 1200 50
Duke University 1339 1289 -50
University of California–Santa Cruz 1172 1110 -62
Avg Median Score 1216 1309
Increase in Avg Median Score 93

Median SAT Scores, 1985-2016 (“Twin” results)

Note: Liberal Arts Colleges listed in red.

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Median SAT Score of Incoming Freshmen Then (Fall of 1985) Now (Fall of 2016)
1520 University of Chicago
1519
1518
1517
1516
1515 Yale University
1514
1513
1512
1511
1510 Massachusetts Institute of Technology
1509
1508
1507
1506
1505
1504
1503
1502
1501
1500 Princeton University
1499
1498
1497
1496
1495
1494
1493
1492
1491
1490 Brown University
Harvey Mudd College
1489
1488
1487
1486
1485
1484
1483
1482
1481
1480
1479
1478
1477
1476
1475 Rice University
1474
1473
1472
1471
1470 California Institute of Technology
1469
1468
1467
1466
1465
1464
1463
1462
1461
1460
1459
1458
1457
1456
1455
1454
1453
1452
1451
1450 Massachusetts Institute of Technology Claremont McKenna College
Swarthmore College
Williams College
1449
1448
1447
1446
1445
1444
1443
1442
1441
1440 University of Notre Dame
Pomona College
1439
1438
1437
1436
1435
1434
1433
1432
1431
1430
1429
1428
1427
1426
1425
1424
1423
1422
1421
1420 Bowdoin College
Haverford College
1419
1418
1417
1416
1415
1414
1413
1412
1411
1410 Yale University
Harvey Mudd College
Case Western Reserve University
Georgia Institute of Technology
Vassar College
1409
1408
1407
1406
1405 Middlebury College
1404
1403
1402
1401
1400
1399
1398
1397 Wellesley College
1396
1395 Grinnell College
1394
1393
1392
1391
1390 Johns Hopkins University
Tufts University
Hamilton College
1389 Princeton University
1388
1387
1386
1385
1384
1383
1382
1381
1380 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Macalester College
Washington and Lee University
1379
1378
1377
1376
1375
1374 Rice University University of California–Berkeley
1373
1372
1371
1370 Brandeis University
Wesleyan University
1369
1368 Williams College
1367
1366
1365 Colby College
Scripps College
1364
1363
1362
1361 Oberlin College
1360 Swarthmore College
Wesleyan University
Emory University
Boston College
Colgate University
Davidson College
1359
1358
1357
1356
1355 Smith College
1354
1353
1352
1351
1350 Columbia University
Dartmouth College
Johns Hopkins University
Bryn Mawr College
University of Virginia
New York University
1349
1348
1347
1346
1345
1344
1343
1342
1341 United States Naval Academy
1340 Tulane University
1339 Duke University
1338
1337 Georgetown University University of California–San Diego
1336
1335 Brown University
1334
1333 Stevens Institute of Technology
1332 Kenyon College
1331 University of Chicago
1330 University of Pennsylvania
Pomona College
Colorado College
1329
1328
1327
1326
1325
1324
1323
1322
1321
1320 Carleton College Lehigh University
Binghamton University–SUNY
Villanova University
Southern Methodist University
University of California–Los Angeles
University of Richmond
1319
1318
1317
1316
1315 Colorado School of Mines
1314
1313 Cornell University
1312
1311
1310 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Boston University
Bryn Mawr College
1309
1308
1307
1306
1305 Wake Forest University
1304
1303
1302
1301
1300 Brandeis University
Northwestern University
University of Miami
Bucknell College
1299 United States Naval Academy
1298
1297 Davidson College
1296
1295 United States Air Force Academy
1294 College of the Holy Cross
1293 Dickinson College
Pitzer College
1292
1291
1290 University of Notre Dame
Middlebury College
Oberlin College
Wellesley College
University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill
SUNY at Stony Brook University
Occidental College
1289 Duke University
1288 Lafayette College
1287 University of Virginia
1286 Denison University
1285
1284
1283 United States Military Academy
1282
1281
1280 College of William and Mary
Smith College
United States Military Academy
Washington and Lee University
Fordham University
University of Pittsburgh
Ohio State University–Columbus
1279
1278
1277 Tufts University
1276
1275 University of Florida
1274 Washington University in St. Louis
1273 Vassar College
1272
1271 Grinnell College
1270 Barnard College Bates College
1269
1268
1267
1266
1265 Lehigh University
1264
1263 North Carolina State University–Raleigh
1262
1261
1260 University of Michigan–Ann Arbor
Lafayette College
Mount Holyoke College
Thomas Aquinas College
1259
1258
1257
1256
1255
1254
1253
1252 Bucknell College Clemson University
1251
1250 Colorado School of Mines
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Hamilton College
Kenyon College
American University
University of California–Santa Barbara
Purdue University–West Lafayette
The University of the South
1249
1248
1247 Case Western Reserve University
1246
1245
1244 Franklin and Marshall College
1243 Georgia Institute of Technology
1242
1241 Florida State University
1240 Union College
College of the Holy Cross
Miami University–Oxford
1239
1238 Macalester College
1237
1236
1235
1234 University of California–Berkeley
1233
1232
1231
1230 Stevens Institute of Technology
University of Rochester
The University of the South
Skidmore College
Clark University
University of Massachusetts–Amherst
1229
1228
1227 Boston University Pepperdine University
1226
1225 Tulane University
1224
1223
1222
1221
1220 Emory University Loyola Marymount University
Furman University
1219
1218
1217
1216
1215 Wake Forest University Virginia Tech
1214
1213
1212
1211
1210 University of Richmond New Jersey Institute of Technology
University of Delaware
University of San Diego
1209
1208
1207
1206
1205 New York University
1204
1203
1202
1201 University of Illinois–Urbana-Champaign
1200 Binghamton University–SUNY
Connecticut College
Thomas Aquinas College
Drexel University
Texas A&M University–College Station
1199
1198
1197
1196
1195 Clark University
1194
1193 Villanova University
1192 Elon University
1191
1190 Boston College Pennsylvania State University–University Park
Marquette University
Gonzaga University
1189
1188 Southern Methodist University
1187
1186
1185
1184 Miami University–Oxford
Furman University
1183 University of Florida
1182 Dickinson College
1181
1180 George Washington University University of Iowa
DePauw University
1179 Virginia Tech
1178
1177
1176
1175
1174 Pennsylvania State University–University Park
1173
1172 University of California–Santa Cruz
University of Texas–Austin
1171 Indiana University–Bloomington
1170 Skidmore College
University of Miami
1169 Syracuse University
1168
1167
1166 University of Wisconsin–Madison
1165 American University
1164 Santa Clara University
1163
1162
1161
1160 Fordham University
University of California–San Diego
University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill
DePauw University
1159
1158
1157
1156
1155
1154 SUNY at University at Buffalo
1153
1152 University of Connecticut
1151
1150 Texas Christian University
Drexel University
University of California–Irvine
1149
1148
1147
1146
1145
1144
1143 Pepperdine University
University of California–Los Angeles
University of Washington
1142
1141
1140 Denison University
1139
1138
1137 New Jersey Institute of Technology
1136 University of California–Davis
1135
1134
1133 University of Southern California
1132
1131
1130 University of Minnesota–Twin Cities
1129
1128 University of Delaware
1127 Marquette University
1126
1125
1124
1123
1122
1121
1120 SUNY at Stony Brook University
Texas A&M University–College Station
1119
1118 University of California–Santa Barbara
1117
1116 Pitzer College
1115
1114
1113
1112 Clemson University
University of Pittsburgh
1111 University of Georgia
1110 Florida State University
North Carolina State University–Raleigh
University of Maryland–College Park
University of California–Santa Cruz
1109 University of California–Riverside
1108
1107 Purdue University–West Lafayette
1106
1105 Saint Louis University
University of Massachusetts–Amherst
1104
1103
1102 Baylor University
1101
1100 Ohio State University–Columbus
University of San Diego
1099
1098
1097
1096
1095
1094
1093
1092 University of California–Irvine
1091 Indiana University–Bloomington
1090 Michigan State University Berea College
1089
1088
1087 Gonzaga University
1086
1085 Loyola Marymount University
1084
1083
1082
1081
1080 University of California–Riverside
1079
1078
1077
1076
1075
1074
1073
1072
1071
1070
1069
1068
1067
1066
1065
1064
1063
1062
1061
1060
1059
1058
1057
1056
1055 Berea College
1054
1053
1052
1051
1050 Northeastern University
1049
1048
1047
1046
1045
1044
1043
1042
1041
1040
1039
1038
1037
1036
1035
1034
1033
1032
1031
1030
1029
1028
1027
1026
1025
1024
1023
1022
1021
1020
1019
1018
1017
1016
1015
1014
1013
1012
1011
1010
1009
1008
1007
1006
1005
1004
1003
1002
1001
1000
999
998
997
996
995
994
993
992
991
990
989
988
987
986
985
984
983
982
981
980
979
978
977
976
975
974
973
972
971
970
969
968
967
966
965
964
963
962
961
960
959
958
957
956
955
954
953
952 Elon University
951
950

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