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
VanderCook College of Music Chicago, Illinois	17
Upper Iowa University Fayette, Iowa	17
Union Commonwealth University Barbourville, Kentucky	17
Rust College Holly Springs, Mississippi	17
Livingstone College Salisbury, North Carolina	17
Mercy College of Ohio Toledo, Ohio	17
Claflin University Orangeburg, South Carolina	17
Dallas Christian College Dallas, Texas	17
Hampton University Hampton, Virginia	17
Edward Waters University Jacksonville, Florida	16
Saint Mary of the Woods College Saint Mary of the Woods, Indiana	16
Southeastern Baptist College Laurel, Mississippi	16
Missouri Baptist University Saint Louis, Missouri	16
Wilberforce University Wilberforce, Ohio	16
Benedict College Columbia, South Carolina	16
Columbia College Columbia, South Carolina	16
Gallaudet University Washington, District Of Columbia	15
Bloomfield College of Montclair State University Bloomfield, New Jersey	15

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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.