2026 College Rankings

Top Colleges Ranked by Est. Median SAT – University Athletic Association

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The median SAT ranking is a measure of the overall academic performance of students on campus. It's important to note that students often feel most comfortable on campuses where their own academic performance is close to the average performance of other students. Students who fall either far above or below the median can sometimes feel out of place amongst their peers.

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Rank	Institution	Est. Median SAT	Acceptance Rate	SAT Score	Your Est. Net Price Avg. Net Price	Median Starting Salary	Save
1	Carnegie Mellon University	1528	11.66	1,500 – 1,570	32964	105360	#1 2026 Top Colleges Ranked by Est. Median SAT – University Athletic Association Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA Some popular majors at Carnegie Mellon University include Information Technology, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering. A merger in 1900 between Carnegie Institute of Technology and the Mellon Institute of Industrial Research created the school we know today....Read more Est. Median SAT 1,528 Acceptance Rate 11.7% SAT Score 1,500 – 1,570 Avg. Net Price $32,964 Sign in to see your Estimated Net Price Median Starting Salary $105,360
2	New York University	1520	9.23	1,490 – 1,560	30730	64543	#2 2026 Top Colleges Ranked by Est. Median SAT – University Athletic Association New York University New York, NY Often called NYU, you can find New York University in the heart of Manhattan. Computer and Information Sciences, General is the most selected major among students. The school has produced a number of famous alumni including Martin Scorsese, Jack Dorsey, Robert Muller III, and Alec Baldwin. Est. Median SAT 1,520 0.4% Acceptance Rate 9.2% SAT Score 1,490 – 1,560 Avg. Net Price $30,730 Sign in to see your Estimated Net Price Median Starting Salary $64,543
3	Emory University	1499	10.29	1,460 – 1,550	27986	74980	#3 2026 Top Colleges Ranked by Est. Median SAT – University Athletic Association Emory University Atlanta, GA Emory University is a private, doctoral/research college. It has a 96% first year retention rate, 83% four year graduation rate, and 8 to 1 student-to-faculty ratio. There are nine academic divisions, including the Emory College of Arts and Sciences, Laney Graduate School, and Rollins School of Public Health, among others. Est. Median SAT 1,499 0.1% Acceptance Rate 10.3% SAT Score 1,460 – 1,550 Avg. Net Price $27,986 Sign in to see your Estimated Net Price Median Starting Salary $74,980
4	University of Rochester	1469	40.08	1,420 – 1,530	40900	68333	#4 2026 Top Colleges Ranked by Est. Median SAT – University Athletic Association University of Rochester Rochester, NY The University of Rochester was founded in 1850 and is tucked in the bends of the Genesee River. Alumni and faculty have won Nobel Prizes, Grammy Awards, Pulitzer Prizes, and more. The school has an 8 to 1 student-to-faculty ratio, 90% first year retention rate, and 86% six year graduation rate. Est. Median SAT 1,469 1.0% Acceptance Rate 40.1% SAT Score 1,420 – 1,530 Avg. Net Price $40,900 Sign in to see your Estimated Net Price Median Starting Salary $68,333
5	Brandeis University	1454	40.51	1,400 – 1,520	44668	52967	#5 2026 Top Colleges Ranked by Est. Median SAT – University Athletic Association Brandeis University Waltham, MA Brandeis University is named for Louis Brandeis, a former Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Students and athletes are appropriately named, going by the Judges. Their mascots are The Judge and Ollie the Owl....Read more Est. Median SAT 1,454 1.0% Acceptance Rate 40.5% SAT Score 1,400 – 1,520 Avg. Net Price $44,668 Sign in to see your Estimated Net Price Median Starting Salary $52,967

School data is from 2022–2023 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.

2026 College Rankings

Top Colleges Ranked by Est. Median SAT – University Athletic Association

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2026 Top Colleges Ranked by Est. Median SAT – University Athletic Association

Carnegie Mellon UniversityPittsburgh, PA

1,528

11.7%

1,500 – 1,570

$32,964

$105,360

2026 Top Colleges Ranked by Est. Median SAT – University Athletic Association

New York UniversityNew York, NY

1,520 0.4%

9.2%

1,490 – 1,560

$30,730

$64,543

2026 Top Colleges Ranked by Est. Median SAT – University Athletic Association

Emory UniversityAtlanta, GA

1,499 0.1%

10.3%

1,460 – 1,550

$27,986

$74,980

2026 Top Colleges Ranked by Est. Median SAT – University Athletic Association

University of RochesterRochester, NY

1,469 1.0%

40.1%

1,420 – 1,530

$40,900

$68,333

2026 Top Colleges Ranked by Est. Median SAT – University Athletic Association

Brandeis UniversityWaltham, MA

1,454 1.0%

40.5%

1,400 – 1,520

$44,668

$52,967

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Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA

New York University
New York, NY

1,520
0.4%

Emory University
Atlanta, GA

1,499
0.1%

University of Rochester
Rochester, NY

1,469
1.0%

Brandeis University
Waltham, MA

1,454
1.0%