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 |
|---|---|
|
Boston Baptist College
Boston, Massachusetts |
18 |
|
Cleary University
Howell, Michigan |
18 |
|
Tougaloo College
Tougaloo, Mississippi |
18 |
|
Avila University
Kansas City, Missouri |
18 |
|
Missouri Valley College
Marshall, Missouri |
18 |
|
Centenary University
Hackettstown, New Jersey |
18 |
|
University of Mount Olive
Mount Olive, North Carolina |
18 |
|
North Carolina Wesleyan University
Rocky Mount, North Carolina |
18 |
|
Tiffin University
Tiffin, Ohio |
18 |
|
Oklahoma Baptist University
Shawnee, Oklahoma |
18 |
|
La Roche University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
18 |
|
Bethel University
McKenzie, Tennessee |
18 |
|
Saint Martin's University
Lacey, Washington |
18 |
|
Mount Mary University
Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
18 |
|
Ottawa University Surprise
Surprise, Arizona |
18 |
|
Warner University
Lake Wales, Florida |
17 |
|
Webber International University
Babson Park, Florida |
17 |
|
Paine College
Augusta, Georgia |
17 |
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.