Historically, the Big Ten conference is home to some of the top-performing academic schools in the nation.
Northwestern continues to hold its own, while a university like Maryland was a huge riser on this list compared to its U.S. News academic ranking.
The SAT is a widely used standardized test used for college admissions in the United States that debuted in 1926.
This test is typically taken by high school students and is intended to measure literacy, numeracy, and writing skills that are needed for academic success in college. The better the test scores, the more prestigious and academically respected the admission options.
Here is the ranking of SAT scores in the Big Ten, thanks to Niche, which ranks many aspects of college life and academia.
NOTE: There was no SAT Range for the University of Washington and the University of California – Los Angeles, so they’re not included in this list.
No. 16: University of Nebraska – Lincoln
SAT Range: 1100-1330
U.S. News & World Report ranking 2026: No. 158 (No. 18 in Big Ten)
In-state cost: $10,434
Undergraduate enrollment: 19,701
No. 15: University of Iowa
SAT Range: 1130-1330
U.S. News & World Report ranking 2026: No. 102 (No. 16 in Big Ten)
In-state cost: $11,622
Undergraduate enrollment: 22,738
No. 14: University of Oregon
SAT Range: 1130-1360
U.S. News & World Report ranking 2026: No. 110 (No. 17 in Big Ten)
In-state cost: $15,904
Undergraduate enrollment: 20,622
No. 13: Michigan State University
SAT Range: 1180-1360
U.S. News & World Report ranking 2026: No. 64 (No. 14 in Big Ten)
In-state cost: $19,742
Undergraduate enrollment: 41,234
No. 12: Indiana University – Bloomington
SAT Range: 1170-1400
U.S. News & World Report ranking 2026: No. 73 (No. 15 in Big Ten)
In-state cost: $12,144
Undergraduate enrollment: 38,093
No. 11: Penn State University – University Park
SAT Range: 1240-1420
U.S. News & World Report ranking 2026: No. 59 (T-12 in Big Ten)
In-state cost: $21,098
Undergraduate enrollment: 42,619
No. 10: Purdue University – Main Campus
SAT Range: 1200-1480
U.S. News & World Report ranking 2026: No. 46 (No. 11 in Big Ten)
In-state cost: $9,992
Undergraduate enrollment: 44,819
No. 9: The Ohio State University
SAT Range: 1310-1480
U.S. News & World Report ranking 2026: No. 41 (No. 7 in Big Ten)
In-state cost: $13,641
Undergraduate enrollment: 46,815
No. 8: University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
SAT Range: 1300-1500
U.S. News & World Report ranking 2026: No. 59 (T-12 in Big Ten)
In-state cost: $18,482
Undergraduate enrollment: 41,303
No. 7: Rutgers University – New Brunswick
SAT Range: 1310-1500
U.S. News & World Report ranking 2026: No. 42 (T-8 in Big Ten)
In-state cost: $18,827
Undergraduate enrollment: 37,985
No. 6: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
SAT Range: 1310-1520
U.S. News & World Report ranking 2026: No. 36 (T-5 in Big Ten)
In-state cost: $18,046
Undergraduate enrollment: 37,140
No. 5: University of Wisconsin – Madison
SAT Range: 1380-1520
U.S. News & World Report ranking 2026: No. 36 (T-5 in Big Ten)
In-state cost: $16,035
Undergraduate enrollment: 23,181
No. 4: University of Michigan – Ann Arbor
SAT Range: 1360-1530
U.S. News & World Report ranking 2026: No. 20 (No. 3 in Big Ten)
In-state cost: $19,497
Undergraduate enrollment: 34,454
No. 3: University of Maryland – College Park
SAT Range: 1400-1530
U.S. News & World Report ranking 2026: No. 42 (T-8 in Big Ten)
In-state cost: $11,809
Undergraduate enrollment: 31,133
No. 2: University of Southern California
SAT Range: 1450-1550
U.S. News & World Report ranking 2026: No. 28 (No. 4 in Big Ten)
Cost: $75,162
Undergraduate enrollment: 20,630
No. 1: Northwestern University
SAT Range: 1510-1570
U.S. News & World Report ranking 2026: No. 7 (No. 1 in Big Ten)
Cost: $70,589
Undergraduate enrollment: 9,060
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This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: All 18 Big Ten schools’ SAT scores ranked from worst to first in 2026
Reporting by Jordon Lawrenz, Badgers Wire / Badgers Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Jordon Lawrenz, Badgers Wire | USA TODAY Network
