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 |
|---|---|
|
William Jewell College
Liberty, Missouri |
21 |
|
Rocky Mountain College
Billings, Montana |
21 |
|
Union Adventist University
Lincoln, Nebraska |
21 |
|
Fairleigh Dickinson University Metropolitan Campus
Teaneck, New Jersey |
21 |
|
Brevard College
Brevard, North Carolina |
21 |
|
Catawba College
Salisbury, North Carolina |
21 |
|
Guilford College
Greensboro, North Carolina |
21 |
|
Pfeiffer University
Misenheimer, North Carolina |
21 |
|
Wingate University
Wingate, North Carolina |
21 |
|
Trinity Bible College and Graduate School
Ellendale, North Dakota |
21 |
|
Aultman College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Canton, Ohio |
21 |
|
Capital University
Columbus, Ohio |
21 |
|
Good Samaritan College of Nursing and Health Science
Cincinnati, Ohio |
21 |
|
Heidelberg University
Tiffin, Ohio |
21 |
|
Kettering College
Kettering, Ohio |
21 |
|
Lake Erie College
Painesville, Ohio |
21 |
|
Malone University
Canton, Ohio |
21 |
|
University of Mount Union
Alliance, Ohio |
21 |
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.