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 Union College
Angwin, California |
22 |
|
Vanguard University of Southern California
Costa Mesa, California |
22 |
|
Flagler College
Saint Augustine, Florida |
22 |
|
Florida College
Temple Terrace, Florida |
22 |
|
AdventHealth University
Orlando, Florida |
22 |
|
Palm Beach Atlantic University
West Palm Beach, Florida |
22 |
|
Southeastern University
Lakeland, Florida |
22 |
|
Thomas University
Thomasville, Georgia |
22 |
|
Wesleyan College
Macon, Georgia |
22 |
|
Concordia University Chicago
River Forest, Illinois |
22 |
|
Greenville University
Greenville, Illinois |
22 |
|
Illinois College
Jacksonville, Illinois |
22 |
|
Olivet Nazarene University
Bourbonnais, Illinois |
22 |
|
Quincy University
Quincy, Illinois |
22 |
|
Roosevelt University
Chicago, Illinois |
22 |
|
Trinity Christian College
Palos Heights, Illinois |
22 |
|
Huntington University
Huntington, Indiana |
22 |
|
Buena Vista University
Storm Lake, Iowa |
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.