United States Private Colleges Ranked by Highest ACT Score

Below is a list of the 708 private colleges in the United States with the highest ACT Score for incoming freshmen. California Institute of Technology leads the list with an average ACT Score of 35. 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 United States Private Colleges Ranked by Highest ACT Score
College	Average ACT Score
Nazareth University Rochester, New York	27
St Bonaventure University Saint Bonaventure, New York	27
Allegheny College Meadville, Pennsylvania	27
DeSales University Center Valley, Pennsylvania	27
Grove City College Grove City, Pennsylvania	27
University of Scranton Scranton, Pennsylvania	27
Thomas Jefferson University Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	27
Bryant University Smithfield, Rhode Island	27
Salve Regina University Newport, Rhode Island	27
Belmont University Nashville, Tennessee	27
Champlain College Burlington, Vermont	27
Roanoke College Salem, Virginia	27
Beloit College Beloit, Wisconsin	27
Lawrence University Appleton, Wisconsin	27
Milwaukee School of Engineering Milwaukee, Wisconsin	27
Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Prescott Prescott, Arizona	26
Biola University La Mirada, California	26
Eckerd College Saint Petersburg, Florida	26

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

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