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 |
|---|---|
|
Pacific University
Forest Grove, Oregon |
23 |
|
Corban University
Salem, Oregon |
23 |
|
Point Park University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
23 |
|
Saint Vincent College
Latrobe, Pennsylvania |
23 |
|
Seton Hill University
Greensburg, Pennsylvania |
23 |
|
Washington & Jefferson College
Washington, Pennsylvania |
23 |
|
Westminster College
New Wilmington, Pennsylvania |
23 |
|
Presbyterian College
Clinton, South Carolina |
23 |
|
Lee University
Cleveland, Tennessee |
23 |
|
Dallas Baptist University
Dallas, Texas |
23 |
|
Lubbock Christian University
Lubbock, Texas |
23 |
|
Brigham Young University Hawaii
Laie, Hawaii |
23 |
|
Emory & Henry University
Emory, Virginia |
23 |
|
Concordia University Wisconsin
Mequon, Wisconsin |
23 |
|
Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide
Daytona Beach, Florida |
23 |
|
Huntingdon College
Montgomery, Alabama |
22 |
|
Tuskegee University
Tuskegee, Alabama |
22 |
|
University of the Ozarks
Clarksville, Arkansas |
22 |
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.