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 |
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| 1439 | ||
| 1438 | ||
| 1437 | ||
| 1436 | ||
| 1435 | ||
| 1434 | ||
| 1433 | ||
| 1432 | ||
| 1431 | ||
| 1430 | ||
| 1429 | ||
| 1428 | ||
| 1427 | ||
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| 1425 | ||
| 1424 | ||
| 1423 | ||
| 1422 | ||
| 1421 | ||
| 1420 | Bowdoin College Haverford College |
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| 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 |
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| 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 | ||
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| 1060 | ||
| 1059 | ||
| 1058 | ||
| 1057 | ||
| 1056 | ||
| 1055 | Berea College | |
| 1054 | ||
| 1053 | ||
| 1052 | ||
| 1051 | ||
| 1050 | Northeastern University | |
| 1049 | ||
| 1048 | ||
| 1047 | ||
| 1046 | ||
| 1045 | ||
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| 1023 | ||
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| 1019 | ||
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| 1009 | ||
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| 1001 | ||
| 1000 | ||
| 999 | ||
| 998 | ||
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| 960 | ||
| 959 | ||
| 958 | ||
| 957 | ||
| 956 | ||
| 955 | ||
| 954 | ||
| 953 | ||
| 952 | Elon University | |
| 951 | ||
| 950 |
