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
Covenant College Lookout Mountain, Georgia	26
Oglethorpe University Atlanta, Georgia	26
Elmhurst University Elmhurst, Illinois	26
Knox College Galesburg, Illinois	26
North Central College Naperville, Illinois	26
University of St Francis Joliet, Illinois	26
Hanover College Hanover, Indiana	26
Coe College Cedar Rapids, Iowa	26
Cornell College Mount Vernon, Iowa	26
Drake University Des Moines, Iowa	26
Suffolk University Boston, Massachusetts	26
Conception Seminary College Conception, Missouri	26
Monmouth University West Long Branch, New Jersey	26
Alfred University Alfred, New York	26
Iona University New Rochelle, New York	26
Manhattanville University Purchase, New York	26
Pace University New York, New York	26
St. Joseph's University New York Brooklyn, New York	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.