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 |
|---|---|
|
Mount Vernon Nazarene University
Mount Vernon, Ohio |
21 |
|
Waynesburg University
Waynesburg, Pennsylvania |
21 |
|
Charleston Southern University
Charleston, South Carolina |
21 |
|
Dakota Wesleyan University
Mitchell, South Dakota |
21 |
|
Mount Marty University
Yankton, South Dakota |
21 |
|
Baptist Health Sciences University
Memphis, Tennessee |
21 |
|
Christian Brothers University
Memphis, Tennessee |
21 |
|
Fisk University
Nashville, Tennessee |
21 |
|
Johnson University
Knoxville, Tennessee |
21 |
|
King University
Bristol, Tennessee |
21 |
|
Lincoln Memorial University
Harrogate, Tennessee |
21 |
|
The University of Tennessee Southern
Pulaski, Tennessee |
21 |
|
Trevecca Nazarene University
Nashville, Tennessee |
21 |
|
Howard Payne University
Brownwood, Texas |
21 |
|
McMurry University
Abilene, Texas |
21 |
|
University of St Thomas
Houston, Texas |
21 |
|
Schreiner University
Kerrville, Texas |
21 |
|
St. Mary's University
San Antonio, Texas |
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.