Iowa Colleges Ranked by Lowest ACT Score

Below is a list of the 25 colleges in Iowa with the lowest ACT Score for incoming freshmen. Upper Iowa University leads the list with an average ACT Score of 17. Alternatively, check out the SAT version of these rankings.

The ACT is a standardized test used by colleges to evaluate applicants. It is not a guarantee of success in college, but it is a strong indicator of academic potential.

List of Iowa Colleges Ranked by Lowest ACT Score
College	Average ACT Score
Upper Iowa University Fayette, Iowa	17
Grand View University Des Moines, Iowa	19
Waldorf University Forest City, Iowa	19
William Penn University Oskaloosa, Iowa	19
Clarke University Dubuque, Iowa	20
Graceland University Lamoni Lamoni, Iowa	20
University of Dubuque Dubuque, Iowa	21
Mercy College of Health Sciences Des Moines, Iowa	21
Buena Vista University Storm Lake, Iowa	22
Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary Ankeny, Iowa	22
University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, Iowa	22
Saint Ambrose University Davenport, Iowa	22
Central College Pella, Iowa	23
Northwestern College Orange City, Iowa	23
Simpson College Indianola, Iowa	23
Iowa State University Ames, Iowa	24
University of Iowa Iowa City, Iowa	24
Wartburg College Waverly, Iowa	24

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This list is updated annually based on the latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics.
Last updated: March 15, 2026

Data source: IPEDS 2025 survey for academic year 2024/2025 - National Center for Education Statistics.