California Private Colleges Ranked by Highest ACT Score

Below is a list of the 36 private colleges in California 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 California Private Colleges Ranked by Highest ACT Score
College	Average ACT Score
University of the Pacific Stockton, California	27
University of San Francisco San Francisco, California	27
Whittier College Whittier, California	27
Biola University La Mirada, California	26
Concordia University Irvine Irvine, California	25
University of Redlands Redlands, California	24
Simpson University Redding, California	24
Saint Mary's College of California Moraga, California	24
John Paul the Great Catholic University Escondido, California	24
La Sierra University Riverside, California	23
Pacific Union College Angwin, California	22
Vanguard University of Southern California Costa Mesa, California	22
California Baptist University Riverside, California	21
San Diego Christian College Santee, California	21
University of La Verne La Verne, California	21
Fresno Pacific University Fresno, California	20
Life Pacific University San Dimas, California	20
Mount Saint Mary's University Los Angeles, California	20

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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.