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
Chapman University Orange, California	29
Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, Illinois	29
Loyola University Chicago Chicago, Illinois	29
Maryland Institute College of Art Baltimore, Maryland	29
St. John's College Annapolis, Maryland	29
Washington College Chestertown, Maryland	29
Bentley University Waltham, Massachusetts	29
College of the Holy Cross Worcester, Massachusetts	29
Wentworth Institute of Technology Boston, Massachusetts	29
Rider University Lawrenceville, New Jersey	29
Seton Hall University South Orange, New Jersey	29
Sarah Lawrence College Bronxville, New York	29
University of Tulsa Tulsa, Oklahoma	29
Lewis & Clark College Portland, Oregon	29
Drexel University Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	29
Duquesne University Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	29
Moore College of Art and Design Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	29
Saint Joseph's University Philadelphia Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	29

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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.