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 |
|---|---|
|
Evangel University
Springfield, Missouri |
24 |
|
Lindenwood University
Saint Charles, Missouri |
24 |
|
Rockhurst University
Kansas City, Missouri |
24 |
|
Carroll College
Helena, Montana |
24 |
|
Nebraska Wesleyan University
Lincoln, Nebraska |
24 |
|
Fairleigh Dickinson University Florham Campus
Madison, New Jersey |
24 |
|
St. Francis College
Brooklyn, New York |
24 |
|
Methodist University
Fayetteville, North Carolina |
24 |
|
Montreat College
Montreat, North Carolina |
24 |
|
William Peace University
Raleigh, North Carolina |
24 |
|
Mount St. Joseph University
Cincinnati, Ohio |
24 |
|
Wittenberg University
Springfield, Ohio |
24 |
|
Oklahoma City University
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
24 |
|
George Fox University
Newberg, Oregon |
24 |
|
Gannon University
Erie, Pennsylvania |
24 |
|
Marywood University
Scranton, Pennsylvania |
24 |
|
Saint Francis University
Loretto, Pennsylvania |
24 |
|
York College of Pennsylvania
York, Pennsylvania |
24 |
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.