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.

List of United States Private Colleges Ranked by Highest ACT Score
College	Average ACT Score
Neumann University Aston, Pennsylvania	20
Rosemont College Rosemont, Pennsylvania	20
Thiel College Greenville, Pennsylvania	20
Coker University Hartsville, South Carolina	20
Columbia International University Columbia, South Carolina	20
Erskine College Due West, South Carolina	20
Newberry College Newberry, South Carolina	20
John A Gupton College Nashville, Tennessee	20
Tennessee Wesleyan University Athens, Tennessee	20
Houston Christian University Houston, Texas	20
University of the Incarnate Word San Antonio, Texas	20
Wheeling University Wheeling, West Virginia	20
Marian University Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin	20
Prescott College Prescott, Arizona	19
Arizona Christian University Glendale, Arizona	19
Williams Baptist University Walnut Ridge, Arkansas	19
Point University West Point, Georgia	19
Eureka College Eureka, Illinois	19

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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.