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 |
|---|---|
|
DePauw University
Greencastle, Indiana |
30 |
|
Loyola University Maryland
Baltimore, Maryland |
30 |
|
Emerson College
Boston, Massachusetts |
30 |
|
Simmons University
Boston, Massachusetts |
30 |
|
St Olaf College
Northfield, Minnesota |
30 |
|
Bard College
Annandale-On-Hudson, New York |
30 |
|
Hobart William Smith Colleges
Geneva, New York |
30 |
|
Hofstra University
Hempstead, New York |
30 |
|
Siena College
Loudonville, New York |
30 |
|
Syracuse University
Syracuse, New York |
30 |
|
The College of Wooster
Wooster, Ohio |
30 |
|
Willamette University
Salem, Oregon |
30 |
|
Gettysburg College
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania |
30 |
|
Ursinus College
Collegeville, Pennsylvania |
30 |
|
Providence College
Providence, Rhode Island |
30 |
|
Furman University
Greenville, South Carolina |
30 |
|
Brigham Young University
Provo, Utah |
30 |
|
Patrick Henry College
Purcellville, Virginia |
30 |
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.