These are the smartest colleges in the Midwest

We recently ranked the 50 smartest colleges in Americabased on average standardized test scores.

Jonathan Wai, a Duke University Talent Identification Program research scientist, created the ranking exclusively for Business Insider using the schools' average SAT and ACT scores. (ACT scores were converted to the SAT scale for the purposes of this analysis).

While these tests are often criticized, research shows that both the SAT and ACT are good measures of general cognitive ability, since they rely on a person's ability to reason. Therefore, these scores give a reasonable snapshot of a school's overall smarts.

We've further broken that list down to highlight the smartest colleges and universities in the Midwest. Take a look below to see which schools made the cut.

8. Case Western Reserve University - Average SAT: 1375

7. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor - Average SAT: 1380

6. Grinnell College - Average SAT: 1398

5. Carleton College - Average SAT: 1408

4. University of Notre Dame - Average SAT: 1450

3. Northwestern University - Average SAT: 1461

2. Washington University in St Louis - Average SAT: 1478

1. University of Chicago - Average SAT: 1505