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.
| College | Average ACT Score |
|---|---|
|
St. John's University New York
Queens, New York |
26 |
|
Meredith College
Raleigh, North Carolina |
26 |
|
Cleveland Institute of Art
Cleveland, Ohio |
26 |
|
Ohio Northern University
Ada, Ohio |
26 |
|
Delaware Valley University
Doylestown, Pennsylvania |
26 |
|
Juniata College
Huntingdon, Pennsylvania |
26 |
|
Moravian University
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania |
26 |
|
Robert Morris University
Moon Township, Pennsylvania |
26 |
|
Roger Williams University
Bristol, Rhode Island |
26 |
|
Lipscomb University
Nashville, Tennessee |
26 |
|
Union University
Jackson, Tennessee |
26 |
|
Austin College
Sherman, Texas |
26 |
|
Westminster University
Salt Lake City, Utah |
26 |
|
Seattle University
Seattle, Washington |
26 |
|
Wisconsin Lutheran College
Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
26 |
|
New Saint Andrews College
Moscow, Idaho |
26 |
|
Samford University
Birmingham, Alabama |
25 |
|
Ouachita Baptist University
Arkadelphia, Arkansas |
25 |
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.