The 50 smartest colleges in America

We recently ranked the 50 best colleges in America based on how well they prepare students for success after graduation. Next, we wanted to find out which schools enroll the smartest students.

Jonathan Wai, a Duke University Talent Identification Program research scientist, created a ranking exclusively for Business Insider of the smartest US colleges and universities based on the schools' average standardized test scores. Research shows that both the SAT and ACT are good measures of general cognitive ability, since they measure one's ability to reason.

We updated last year's ranking by including the 1,338 schools in the national university, liberal arts college, regional university, and regional college lists that reported SAT or ACT scores in the latest US News & World Report ranking. ACT scores were converted to SAT scores (math + verbal) using this concordance table so all schools could be compared on one metric. Then, an average of the 25th and 75th percentile was computed (see more detail on methods and limitations here).

Once again, the Pasadena-based California Institute of Technology takes the top spot on the list, and the University of Chicago, Harvard, Yale, and Princeton round out the top five schools. 

Keep scrolling to see the 50 smartest colleges in America.

SEE ALSO: The 50 best colleges in America

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50. Macalester College

St. Paul, Minnesota

Average SAT score: 1368

Macalester ranks sixth in the nation, according to US News, for best undergraduate teaching, and 23rd overall for best liberal-arts colleges. Macalester is proud of its "cutting-edge courses" that bring out-of-the-box perspectives to today's global issues. Previous classes include "inside the animal mind,""constructions of a female killer," and "the automobile and the American environment."

47 (TIE). Case Western Reserve University

Cleveland, Ohio

Average SAT score: 1370

Case Western is known for its top-rated engineering and science programs: Nearly 30% of students major in an engineering field, and another 13% major in biology. Students are exposed to an endless number of research opportunities at a school that's consistently ranked in the top 20 private research institutes in the country.

47 (TIE). College of William and Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia

Average SAT score: 1370

William and Mary calls itself a "public Ivy" for its high-quality research program and academic rigor at a public-school price. The school is the second-oldest college in the US — chartered in 1693 — and attracts some of the smartest students in the nation: 81% of new students this year ranked within the top 10% of their high school classes.

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