North Carolina Private Colleges Ranked by Highest ACT Score

Below is a list of the 31 private colleges in North Carolina with the highest ACT Score for incoming freshmen. Duke University 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 North Carolina Private Colleges Ranked by Highest ACT Score
College	Average ACT Score
Guilford College Greensboro, North Carolina	21
Pfeiffer University Misenheimer, North Carolina	21
Wingate University Wingate, North Carolina	21
Barton College Wilson, North Carolina	20
Cabarrus College of Health Sciences Concord, North Carolina	19
Greensboro College Greensboro, North Carolina	19
Salem College Winston-Salem, North Carolina	19
Johnson & Wales University Charlotte Charlotte, North Carolina	19
University of Mount Olive Mount Olive, North Carolina	18
North Carolina Wesleyan University Rocky Mount, North Carolina	18
Livingstone College Salisbury, North Carolina	17
Johnson C Smith University Charlotte, North Carolina	15
Saint Augustine's University Raleigh, North Carolina	14

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This list is updated annually based on the latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics.
Last updated: March 15, 2026

Data source: IPEDS 2025 survey for academic year 2024/2025 - National Center for Education Statistics.