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 |
|---|---|
|
Wofford College
Spartanburg, South Carolina |
29 |
|
Rhodes College
Memphis, Tennessee |
29 |
|
The University of the South
Sewanee, Tennessee |
29 |
|
Baylor University
Waco, Texas |
29 |
|
Eastern Mennonite University
Harrisonburg, Virginia |
29 |
|
Gonzaga University
Spokane, Washington |
29 |
|
University of Puget Sound
Tacoma, Washington |
29 |
|
Point Loma Nazarene University
San Diego, California |
28 |
|
Westmont College
Santa Barbara, California |
28 |
|
Agnes Scott College
Decatur, Georgia |
28 |
|
Mercer University
Macon, Georgia |
28 |
|
Bradley University
Peoria, Illinois |
28 |
|
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois |
28 |
|
Butler University
Indianapolis, Indiana |
28 |
|
Earlham College
Richmond, Indiana |
28 |
|
Saint Mary's College
Notre Dame, Indiana |
28 |
|
Centre College
Danville, Kentucky |
28 |
|
Goucher College
Baltimore, Maryland |
28 |
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.