Top Public Universities and Colleges (2010-2011)
The SAT college placement exam is a standardized test that comprises three sections: Critical Reading, Mathematics, and Writing. Each section of the SAT is worth a total of 800 points; therefore, a perfect score is 2400.
Ranking universities and colleges by average SAT scores is a sound methodology for several reasons. First, the SAT is an objective measure of each student body's readiness for college. Second, year after year there is an especially strong inverse correlation between average SAT scores and institutional acceptance rates; that is, universities and colleges whose enrollees have the highest average SAT scores are far and away the most selective institutions. Finally, it is implicitly recognized that SAT scores are the gold standard when applying to elite universities and colleges. By way of example, 95% of enrollees at the University of California-Berkeley submitted SAT scores with their applications while just 36% proffered results from the ACT, a competing exam. Similarly, 94% of enrollees at the University of Virginia proffered SAT results with their applications while only 30% submitted ACT scores.
The following are the top public universities and colleges in the United States along with their locations, average SAT scores, acceptance rates, and enrollment rates. Schools with limited courses of study or "open admissions" policies are not included in these rankings.
1. Top Public Universities and Colleges: University of California-Berkeley
Location: Berkeley, California
Average SAT Score: 2035
Acceptance Rate: 21%
Enrollment Rate: 41%*
2. Top Public Universities and Colleges: College of William and Mary
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
Average SAT Score: 2020
Acceptance Rate: 32%
Enrollment Rate: 35%
3. Top Public Universities and Colleges: University of Virginia
Location: Charlottesville, Virginia
Average SAT Score: 2000
Acceptance Rate: 33%
Enrollment Rate: 45%
4. Top Public Universities and Colleges: University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Average SAT Score: 1995
Acceptance Rate: 51%
Enrollment Rate: 40%
5. Top Public Universities and Colleges: Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech)
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Average SAT Score: 1975
Acceptance Rate: 59%
Enrollment Rate: 40%
6. Top Public Universities and Colleges: New College of Florida
Location: Sarasota, Florida
Average SAT Score: 1960
Acceptance Rate: 53%
Enrollment Rate: 24%
7. Top Public Universities and Colleges: SUNY at Geneseo
Location: Geneseo, New York
Average SAT Score: 1950
Acceptance Rate: 38%
Enrollment Rate: 27%
8. (tie) Top Public Universities and Colleges: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Location: Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Average SAT Score: 1945
Acceptance Rate: 34%
Enrollment Rate: 53%
Top Public Universities and Colleges: United States Air Force Academy
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado
Average SAT Score: 1945
Acceptance Rate: 11%
Enrollment Rate: 100%
9. (tie) Top Public Universities and Colleges: University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA)
Location: Los Angeles, California
Average SAT Score: 1940
Acceptance Rate: 33%
Enrollment Rate: 37%*
Top Public Universities and Colleges: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Location: Champaign, Illinois
Average SAT Score: 1940
Acceptance Rate: 67%
Enrollment Rate: 38%
10. Top Public Universities and Colleges: University of Maryland-College Park
Location: College Park, Maryland
Average SAT Score: 1920
Acceptance Rate: 45%
Enrollment Rate: 34%
11. Top Public Universities and Colleges: University of Wisconsin-Madison
Location: Madison, Wisconsin
Average SAT Score: 1915
Acceptance Rate: 57%
Enrollment Rate: 40%*
12. (tie) Top Public Universities and Colleges: SUNY-Binghamton
Location: Binghamton, New York
Average SAT Score: 1900
Acceptance Rate: 40%
Enrollment Rate: 22%*
Top Public Universities and Colleges: Truman State University
Location: Kirksville, Missouri
Average SAT Score: 1900
Acceptance Rate: 74%
Enrollment Rate: 41%
13. (tie) Top Public Universities and Colleges: University of Florida
Location: Gainesville, FL
Average SAT Score: 1885
Acceptance Rate: 43%
Enrollment Rate: 56%
Top Public Universities and Colleges: Missouri University of Science and Technology
Location: Rolla, Missouri
Average SAT Score: 1885
Acceptance Rate: 91%
Enrollment Rate: 46%
14. Top Public Universities and Colleges: University of Pittsburgh
Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Average SAT Score: 1880
Acceptance Rate: 58%
Enrollment Rate: 29%
15. (tie) Top Public Universities and Colleges: University of California-San Diego
Location: La Jolla, California
Average SAT Score: 1870
Acceptance Rate: 42%
Enrollment Rate: 22%*
Top Public Universities and Colleges: University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Average SAT Score: 1870
Acceptance Rate: 48%
Enrollment Rate: 30%
16. Top Public Universities and Colleges: The College of New Jersey (TCNJ)
Location: Ewing, New Jersey
Average SAT Score: 1865
Acceptance Rate: 47%
Enrollment Rate: 30%
17. Top Public Universities and Colleges: United States Naval Academy
Location: Annapolis, Maryland
Average SAT Score: 1860
Acceptance Rate: 8%
Enrollment Rate: 85%
18. Top Public Universities and Colleges: University of Texas at Dallas
Location: Dallas, Texas
Average SAT Score: 1855
Acceptance Rate: 50%
Enrollment Rate: 49%
19. Top Public Universities and Colleges: Clemson University
Location: Clemson, South Carolina
Average SAT Score: 1850
Acceptance Rate: 64%
Enrollment Rate: 34%
20. Top Public Universities and Colleges: United States Coast Guard Academy
Location: New London, Connecticut
Average SAT Score: 1845
Acceptance Rate: 17%
Enrollment Rate: 75%
21. Top Public Universities and Colleges: United States Military Academy
Location: West Point, New York
Average SAT Score: 1840
Acceptance Rate: 13%
Enrollment Rate: 82%
22. (tie) Top Public Universities and Colleges: University of Georgia
Location: Athens, Georgia
Average SAT Score: 1835
Acceptance Rate: 59%
Enrollment Rate: 49%
Top Public Universities and Colleges: St. Mary's College of Maryland
Location: St. Mary's City, Maryland
Average SAT Score: 1835
Acceptance Rate: 57%
Enrollment Rate: 35%
23. Top Public Universities and Colleges: Ohio State University
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Average SAT Score: 1830
Acceptance Rate: 62%
Enrollment Rate: 40%
24. (tie) Top Public Universities and Colleges: University of Texas at Austin
Location: Austin, Texas
Average SAT Score: 1825
Acceptance Rate: 47%
Enrollment Rate: 50%
Top Public Universities and Colleges: College of Charleston
Location: Charleston, South Carolina
Average SAT Score: 1825
Acceptance Rate: 70%
Enrollment Rate: 28%
25. Top Public Universities and Colleges: University of Connecticut
Location: Storrs, Connecticut
Average SAT Score: 1815
Acceptance Rate: 54%
Enrollment Rate: 28%
NOTE: Some public colleges and universities do not report SAT Writing scores. In such cases, scores were statistically imputed from Critical Reading scores.
*Extrapolated from 2009-2010 data.
Source(s):
"COLLEGE Navigator," ies NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS
"College Search," College Board
Published by J.C. Grant
A writer interested in education, finance, health, history, law, music, polemics, politics, satire, sports, statistics, travel, and trivia. View profile
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5 Comments
Post a CommentThanks for this interesting info..... :o)
Interesting and lots of research.
Navy beat Army?!?! Good list, cheers:)
Interesting statistics.
Great list.