Ivy League Colleges 

The Ivy League is a group of eight highly selective private colleges and universities in the northeastern United States. The Ivy League schools are known for their academic excellence, particular admissions processes, and distinguished faculty. The Ivy League schools are also well known for their athletic programs, especially in football. The schools compete in a conference known as the Ivy League, one of the country’s oldest athletic conferences. In addition to athletics, Ivy League schools offer a wide range of student organizations, cultural events, and other opportunities for students to get involved outside the classroom. Admission to Ivy League schools is highly competitive, and accepted students typically have vital academic records, high test scores, and outstanding extracurricular achievements. Let us learn about the average SAT score requirements for Ivy admission. 

The Eight Ivy League colleges are: 

  1. Harvard University, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts 
  2. Yale University, located in New Haven, Connecticut 
  3. Princeton University, located in Princeton, New Jersey 
  4. Columbia University, located in New York City, New York 
  5. Brown University, located in Providence, Rhode Island 
  6. Dartmouth College, located in Hanover, New Hampshire 
  7. Cornell University, located in Ithaca, New York 
  8. The University of Pennsylvania, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 

SAT Score Requirements for Ivy Leagues 

The SAT score requirements for Ivy League admissions vary by school and can change from year to year. However, to give you a general idea of the competitive SAT score range, the average SAT scores for the middle 50% of admitted students typically range from the mid-1400s to the mid-1500s. 

Harvard University 

Harvard does not have a firm SAT score requirement for admission. Instead, the admissions office considers an applicant’s complete high school academic profile and other factors. However, a certain level of SAT score is usually expected from applicants. For the class of 2024, the middle 50th percentile range for the SAT Math section was 700-790, and the capacity for the SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section was 730-800.  

While achieving a high SAT score is no guarantee of admission to Harvard, attaining one within the middle 50th percentile range of the current class increases the chances of admission. For example, in 2024, the SAT scores of admitted students ranged from 680-800 for Math and 630-770 for Evidence-Based Reading and Writing. The more challenging the task, the greater the reward, and admissions to Harvard is no exception. 

Yale University 

The average composite SAT score of students admitted to Yale University is an impressive 1550 out of 1600. This is significantly higher than the average SAT score of 1080 out of 1600 for all U.S. high school students. In the 2020 admissions cycle, the 25th percentile score of accepted Yale students was 1490, and the 93rd percentile score was a perfect 1600. The average MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) candidate scored between 1440-1520 on the SAT, but applicants whose scores fell within these ranges were not necessarily accepted. 

Princeton University 

Princeton University requires applicants to have an SAT score of at least 1500 out of 1600. The university looks at the cumulative SAT score, so if your score on one section is lower than the required amount, you must make up for it by having a higher score on another section. 

 In addition to the total score, Princeton University looks at each section’s score. For example, the SAT score requirement for the math section is around 700. For the reading section, the average score requirement is about 690, and for the writing section, the average score requirement is around 690. 

Columbia University 

To be accepted at Columbia, applicants must have a 1500 or higher on the SAT Math, Critical Reading, and Writing sections. While some applicants may be admitted while scoring below these scores, it is crucial to understand that Columbia is a highly selective university with rigid standards. Therefore, 1460 serves as the bottom threshold for admission, and 1590 is the maximum for which a student can seek admission. 

Brown University 

At Brown University, the SAT score requirement is between 1480-1560. Brown admits students who have scored anywhere from 700 to 800 on the Evidence-Based Reading & Writing section and 700 to 800 on the Math section. Brown is also test-optional, which means that while submitting SAT scores is strongly recommended, it is not required. 

Dartmouth College 

The SAT score requirements for Dartmouth College depend on a few conditions, primarily how competitively applicants score compared to their peers. Overall, the SAT score for all admitted students to Dartmouth is around 1,510-1,710, with the 25th-75th percentile range falling between 1,400-1,620. This scoring range denotes that 75% of college-bound students who earned admission to Dartmouth performed at or above the 1,400 marks. 

Cornell University 

In terms of overall composite scores, prospective Cornell students should aim for a minimum of 1550 to be competitive for admissions. This is much higher than the national average SAT of about 1000. Also, applicants are encouraged to strive for more than the absolute minimum 1550 requirement, as a higher SAT score can often give an applicant a more substantial chance at admission. 

 Each SAT subject score is also essential; Cornell expects students to have achieved a score of at least 720 on each section. 

University of Pennsylvania 

The SAT score requirement for admission to the University of Pennsylvania is 1341. This number considers all SAT areas: Critical Reading, Math, and Writing. Of course, 1341 is not a fixed cut-off number for admission but instead indicates the type of scores most students accepted to UPenn achieve. 

You need to score in the high range to get accepted into an Ivy League school. The SAT is around 1000 out of 1600, but that average is nowhere close to the median scores of Ivy League entrance exam takers. For example, at Harvard, the median score was 1480. The scores put the entering class in the stratosphere at Yale, Princeton, and Pennsylvania—1490 and above. At Cornell, the mean SAT score was in the upper 1400s. Brown and Dartmouth were not far behind.