New York Private Colleges Ranked by Highest ACT Score

Below is a list of the 54 private colleges in New York with the highest ACT Score for incoming freshmen. Columbia University in the City of New York leads the list with an average ACT Score of 34. 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 New York Private Colleges Ranked by Highest ACT Score
College	Average ACT Score
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
Sarah Lawrence College Bronxville, New York	29
Clarkson University Potsdam, New York	28
Houghton University Houghton, New York	28
Ithaca College Ithaca, New York	28
Marist University Poughkeepsie, New York	28
The New School New York, New York	28
New York Institute of Technology Old Westbury, New York	28
Pratt Institute Main Brooklyn, New York	28
Touro University New York, New York	28
Adelphi University Garden City, New York	27
Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Albany, New York	27
Elmira College Elmira, New York	27
Le Moyne College Syracuse, New York	27
Manhattan University Riverdale, New York	27

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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.