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 |
|---|---|
|
Regis University
Denver, Colorado |
23 |
|
Lynn University
Boca Raton, Florida |
23 |
|
Nova Southeastern University
Fort Lauderdale, Florida |
23 |
|
Saint Leo University
Saint Leo, Florida |
23 |
|
Hawaii Pacific University
Honolulu, Hawaii |
23 |
|
Brigham Young University Idaho
Rexburg, Idaho |
23 |
|
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois |
23 |
|
Benedictine University
Lisle, Illinois |
23 |
|
Lewis University
Romeoville, Illinois |
23 |
|
McKendree University
Lebanon, Illinois |
23 |
|
Monmouth College
Monmouth, Illinois |
23 |
|
North Park University
Chicago, Illinois |
23 |
|
Franklin College
Franklin, Indiana |
23 |
|
Indiana Wesleyan University Marion
Marion, Indiana |
23 |
|
Central College
Pella, Iowa |
23 |
|
Northwestern College
Orange City, Iowa |
23 |
|
Simpson College
Indianola, Iowa |
23 |
|
The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Louisville, Kentucky |
23 |
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.