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 |
|---|---|
|
Wilmington College
Wilmington, Ohio |
19 |
|
Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, Oklahoma |
19 |
|
Randall University
Moore, Oklahoma |
19 |
|
Tusculum University
Greeneville, Tennessee |
19 |
|
Concordia University Texas
Austin, Texas |
19 |
|
Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, Texas |
19 |
|
Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, Texas |
19 |
|
West Virginia Wesleyan College
Buckhannon, West Virginia |
19 |
|
Johnson & Wales University Charlotte
Charlotte, North Carolina |
19 |
|
Visible Music College
Memphis, Tennessee |
19 |
|
Urshan University
Wentzville, Missouri |
19 |
|
St. Thomas University
Miami Gardens, Florida |
18 |
|
Trinity Baptist College
Jacksonville, Florida |
18 |
|
Trinity College of Florida
Trinity, Florida |
18 |
|
Clark Atlanta University
Atlanta, Georgia |
18 |
|
Life University
Marietta, Georgia |
18 |
|
Bethany College
Lindsborg, Kansas |
18 |
|
Spalding University
Louisville, Kentucky |
18 |
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.