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 |
|---|---|
|
Mississippi College
Clinton, Mississippi |
25 |
|
Drury University
Springfield, Missouri |
25 |
|
Canisius University
Buffalo, New York |
25 |
|
Long Island University
Brookville, New York |
25 |
|
Marymount Manhattan College
New York, New York |
25 |
|
Molloy University
Rockville Centre, New York |
25 |
|
Niagara University
Niagara University, New York |
25 |
|
St. John Fisher University
Rochester, New York |
25 |
|
Wagner College
Staten Island, New York |
25 |
|
Elon University
Elon, North Carolina |
25 |
|
Warren Wilson College
Swannanoa, North Carolina |
25 |
|
Baldwin Wallace University
Berea, Ohio |
25 |
|
Cedarville University
Cedarville, Ohio |
25 |
|
Franciscan University of Steubenville
Steubenville, Ohio |
25 |
|
Xavier University
Cincinnati, Ohio |
25 |
|
Oral Roberts University
Tulsa, Oklahoma |
25 |
|
Chatham University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
25 |
|
Susquehanna University
Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania |
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.