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 |
|---|---|
|
Grand View University
Des Moines, Iowa |
19 |
|
William Penn University
Oskaloosa, Iowa |
19 |
|
Ottawa University Ottawa
Ottawa, Kansas |
19 |
|
Southwestern College
Winfield, Kansas |
19 |
|
Alice Lloyd College
Pippa Passes, Kentucky |
19 |
|
University of the Cumberlands
Williamsburg, Kentucky |
19 |
|
Kentucky Wesleyan College
Owensboro, Kentucky |
19 |
|
Fisher College
Boston, Massachusetts |
19 |
|
Siena Heights University
Adrian, Michigan |
19 |
|
Oak Hills Christian College
Bemidji, Minnesota |
19 |
|
Stephens College
Columbia, Missouri |
19 |
|
York University
York, Nebraska |
19 |
|
Cabarrus College of Health Sciences
Concord, North Carolina |
19 |
|
Greensboro College
Greensboro, North Carolina |
19 |
|
Salem College
Winston-Salem, North Carolina |
19 |
|
Bluffton University
Bluffton, Ohio |
19 |
|
The Christ College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Cincinnati, Ohio |
19 |
|
Muskingum University
New Concord, Ohio |
19 |
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.