Colleges for 1500 SAT Scores: Where You Fall in the Middle 50%
Of the 866 main-campus colleges that report SAT percentiles to College Scorecard, 85 have a score of 1500 inside the middle 50% of their enrolled students. At 11 colleges, 1500 is below the 25th percentile (a reach), and at 770 it is above the 75th percentile (above typical).
Those 85 typical colleges have a median net price of $28,800 and a median acceptance rate of 19%. By sector, 14 public and 71 private nonprofit; 83 report a test-optional policy.
Acceptance rates in this group run from 4% at Yale University to 80% at University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, so a score inside the middle 50% says little about an admission decision. The lowest net price among them is $11,655 at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The states with the most of them are New York (14), Massachusetts (13) and California (7). Test-optional colleges among them: 83. Because test-optional colleges often publish ranges that skew high, treat the middle 50% as a guide, not a cutoff.
-
Typical
85
Your score is within the school's middle 50%, from the 25th to the 75th percentile.
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Reach
11
Your score is below the school's 25th percentile.
-
Above typical
770
Your score is above the school's 75th percentile.
How the groups are defined
One rule sorts every college, using the 25th and 75th percentile scores in the College Scorecard data. We never say a college will admit a score; we only show where it falls.
- Who is counted
- College Scorecard describes these percentiles as the middle 50% of first-time students who enrolled in the fall of 2024; admitted students who did not enroll are not included. Colleges can only report scores for students who submitted them, and colleges that do not require tests often report mostly higher scorers, so their ranges tend to skew high.
- Reach. Your score is below the school's 25th percentile.
- Typical. Your score is within the school's middle 50%, from the 25th to the 75th percentile.
- Above typical. Your score is above the school's 75th percentile.
- SAT totals are approximate. Scorecard publishes 25th and 75th percentiles for the Reading and Writing and Math sections but not for the total, so we add the two 25th percentiles and the two 75th percentiles. Across the 866 colleges that also report Scorecard's average SAT score, the midpoint of that range differs from the average by a median of 15 points (90% are within 45).
- We do not convert between the SAT and the ACT. This page uses SAT scores only; the other test has its own pages.
- Test policy
- The test policy comes from the admissions field Scorecard calls ADMCON7. We tag a college as test-optional when it reports that tests are neither required nor recommended, or are considered only if submitted. Test-optional colleges among the 85 typical ones: 83.
- Left out: 1,471 of 2,356 main-campus colleges with missing or suppressed SAT percentiles, and 19 dropped because their figures contradict themselves: Scorecard's own average SAT score falls outside the summed section range, so the percentiles and the average describe different groups of students. None had a 25th percentile above the 75th or a value outside the valid range. 866 colleges are counted.
- Data periodTest score percentiles: fall 2024 entering class. Acceptance rate: fall 2024 applicants. Net price: average for students receiving aid, academic year 2023-24 (in-state price at public colleges).
- Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, June 2026 release.
Read the full methodology Test-optional colleges and how to read SAT/ACT ranges
Typical: the middle 50% includes 1500 (85)
Your score is within the school's middle 50%, from the 25th to the 75th percentile. Sorted by net price, lowest first; colleges with no reported net price come last. Showing 50 of 85.
| College | Middle 50% | Net price | Acceptance rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC Public · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $11,655 · Acceptance rate: 15% | 1390–1530 | ||
| Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus Atlanta, GA Public · 4-year Net price: $12,116 · Acceptance rate: 14% | 1370–1540 | ||
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI Public · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $13,138 · Acceptance rate: 16% | 1360–1530 | ||
| The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art New York, NY Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $13,269 · Acceptance rate: 21% | 1295–1501 | ||
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL Public · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $14,355 · Acceptance rate: 42% | 1310–1520 | ||
| Bowdoin College Brunswick, ME Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $14,398 · Acceptance rate: 7% | 1470–1550 | ||
| University of Tulsa Tulsa, OK Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $15,000 · Acceptance rate: 62% | 1223–1530 | ||
| University of Maryland-College Park College Park, MD Public · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $15,678 · Acceptance rate: 45% | 1400–1530 | ||
| Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $15,846 · Acceptance rate: 6% | 1500–1570 | ||
| University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN Public · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $16,778 · Acceptance rate: 80% | 1300–1500 | ||
| Colby College Waterville, ME Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $17,180 · Acceptance rate: 7% | 1460–1550 | ||
| University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI Public · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $17,354 · Acceptance rate: 45% | 1380–1520 | ||
| Davidson College Davidson, NC Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $17,379 · Acceptance rate: 13% | 1400–1530 | ||
| Grinnell College Grinnell, IA Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $17,648 · Acceptance rate: 15% | 1410–1540 | ||
| Williams College Williamstown, MA Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $17,716 · Acceptance rate: 8% | 1490–1570 | ||
| Soka University of America Aliso Viejo, CA Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $18,260 · Acceptance rate: 43% | 1333–1510 | ||
| Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY Public · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $18,784 · Acceptance rate: 49% | 1330–1500 | ||
| William & Mary Williamsburg, VA Public · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $19,096 · Acceptance rate: 34% | 1400–1530 | ||
| Pomona College Claremont, CA Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $19,285 · Acceptance rate: 7% | 1490–1560 | ||
| The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX Public · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $19,857 · Acceptance rate: 27% | 1250–1510 | ||
| University of Virginia-Main Campus Charlottesville, VA Public · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $21,565 · Acceptance rate: 17% | 1410–1540 | ||
| Binghamton University Vestal, NY Public · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $21,620 · Acceptance rate: 39% | 1340–1500 | ||
| Washington University in St Louis St. Louis, MO Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $21,786 · Acceptance rate: 12% | 1500–1570 | ||
| University of Massachusetts-Amherst Amherst, MA Public · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $22,383 · Acceptance rate: 60% | 1310–1500 | ||
| Emory University Atlanta, GA Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $22,585 · Acceptance rate: 11% | 1470–1550 | ||
| Swarthmore College Swarthmore, PA Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $23,149 · Acceptance rate: 7% | 1490–1560 | ||
| Amherst College Amherst, MA Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $23,367 · Acceptance rate: 9% | 1490–1580 | ||
| Trinity University San Antonio, TX Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $23,464 · Acceptance rate: 26% | 1340–1500 | ||
| Yale University New Haven, CT Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $23,777 · Acceptance rate: 4% | 1470–1570 | ||
| Washington and Lee University Lexington, VA Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $23,781 · Acceptance rate: 14% | 1430–1540 | ||
| Boston University Boston, MA Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $24,402 · Acceptance rate: 11% | 1420–1530 | ||
| Rutgers University-New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ Public · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $24,406 · Acceptance rate: 58% | 1310–1500 | ||
| Franklin W Olin College of Engineering Needham, MA Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $25,171 · Acceptance rate: 25% | 1493–1558 | ||
| Haverford College Haverford, PA Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $25,314 · Acceptance rate: 12% | 1460–1550 | ||
| Carleton College Northfield, MN Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $25,407 · Acceptance rate: 20% | 1450–1560 | ||
| Wellesley College Wellesley, MA Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $25,496 · Acceptance rate: 14% | 1460–1560 | ||
| Mount Holyoke College South Hadley, MA Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $26,441 · Acceptance rate: 36% | 1380–1530 | ||
| University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $26,780 · Acceptance rate: 11% | 1455–1560 | ||
| Smith College Northampton, MA Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $27,579 · Acceptance rate: 21% | 1420–1540 | ||
| Cornell University Ithaca, NY Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $28,690 · Acceptance rate: 9% | 1500–1570 | ||
| Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $28,719 · Acceptance rate: 22% | 1410–1520 | ||
| Colgate University Hamilton, NY Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $28,786 · Acceptance rate: 14% | 1430–1540 | ||
| Barnard College New York, NY Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $28,800 · Acceptance rate: 9% | 1470–1560 | ||
| Claremont McKenna College Claremont, CA Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $28,849 · Acceptance rate: 10% | 1470–1560 | ||
| Hamilton College Clinton, NY Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $28,985 · Acceptance rate: 14% | 1450–1550 | ||
| University of Rochester Rochester, NY Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $29,278 · Acceptance rate: 40% | 1410–1540 | ||
| Bates College Lewiston, ME Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $29,351 · Acceptance rate: 13% | 1420–1530 | ||
| Dartmouth College Hanover, NH Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $29,519 · Acceptance rate: 5% | 1500–1570 | ||
| Duke University Durham, NC Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $29,612 · Acceptance rate: 6% | 1500–1570 | ||
| Wesleyan University Middletown, CT Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $30,177 · Acceptance rate: 16% | 1415–1540 |
Reach: 1500 is below the 25th percentile (11)
Your score is below the school's 25th percentile. Closest first: the colleges whose 25th percentile is nearest above 1500. Showing all 11.
| College | Middle 50% | Net price | Acceptance rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Princeton University Princeton, NJ Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $6,128 · Acceptance rate: 5% | 1510–1580 | ||
| Rice University Houston, TX Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $13,370 · Acceptance rate: 8% | 1510–1570 | ||
| Stanford University Stanford, CA Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $13,807 · Acceptance rate: 4% | 1510–1580 | ||
| University of Chicago Chicago, IL Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $14,860 · Acceptance rate: 4% | 1510–1580 | ||
| Harvard University Cambridge, MA Private nonprofit · 4-year Net price: $19,066 · Acceptance rate: 4% | 1510–1580 | ||
| Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $21,590 · Acceptance rate: 4% | 1510–1580 | ||
| Brown University Providence, RI Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $25,184 · Acceptance rate: 5% | 1510–1580 | ||
| University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $28,699 · Acceptance rate: 5% | 1510–1570 | ||
| Northwestern University Evanston, IL Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $29,167 · Acceptance rate: 8% | 1510–1570 | ||
| Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $18,809 · Acceptance rate: 6% | 1520–1570 | ||
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA Private nonprofit · 4-year Net price: $20,111 · Acceptance rate: 5% | 1520–1580 |
Above typical: 1500 is above the 75th percentile (770)
Your score is above the school's 75th percentile. Closest first: the colleges whose 75th percentile is nearest below 1500. Showing 20 of 770.
| College | Middle 50% | Net price | Acceptance rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denison University Granville, OH Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $40,007 · Acceptance rate: 17% | 1320–1490 | ||
| Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $40,892 · Acceptance rate: 63% | 1340–1490 | ||
| Santa Clara University Santa Clara, CA Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $50,062 · Acceptance rate: 48% | 1350–1490 | ||
| School of Visual Arts New York, NY For-profit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $57,914 · Acceptance rate: 93% | 1188–1490 | ||
| Rhodes College Memphis, TN Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $28,585 · Acceptance rate: 50% | 1300–1486 | ||
| University of Florida Gainesville, FL Public · 4-year Net price: $6,541 · Acceptance rate: 24% | 1320–1480 | ||
| University of Georgia Athens, GA Public · 4-year Net price: $13,936 · Acceptance rate: 38% | 1270–1480 | ||
| Purdue University-Main Campus West Lafayette, IN Public · 4-year Net price: $14,600 · Acceptance rate: 50% | 1200–1480 | ||
| Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH Public · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $17,339 · Acceptance rate: 61% | 1310–1480 | ||
| University of the Pacific Stockton, CA Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $25,447 · Acceptance rate: 71% | 1183–1480 | ||
| Colorado School of Mines Golden, CO Public · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $28,690 · Acceptance rate: 61% | 1320–1480 | ||
| Skidmore College Saratoga Springs, NY Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $32,297 · Acceptance rate: 21% | 1340–1480 | ||
| Whitman College Walla Walla, WA Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $33,313 · Acceptance rate: 38% | 1310–1480 | ||
| Union College Schenectady, NY Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $34,561 · Acceptance rate: 44% | 1310–1480 | ||
| University of Miami Coral Gables, FL Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $37,244 · Acceptance rate: 19% | 1320–1480 | ||
| Fordham University Bronx, NY Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $44,338 · Acceptance rate: 59% | 1320–1480 | ||
| North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NC Public · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $17,303 · Acceptance rate: 42% | 1300–1470 | ||
| St Olaf College Northfield, MN Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $23,874 · Acceptance rate: 48% | 1300–1470 | ||
| Wheaton College Wheaton, IL Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $26,975 · Acceptance rate: 87% | 1260–1470 | ||
| Trinity College Hartford, CT Private nonprofit · 4-year · Test-optional Net price: $34,832 · Acceptance rate: 29% | 1298–1470 |
Narrow it down by state
States with at least 10 typical colleges for this score and a page of their own: