United States Public Colleges Ranked by Highest ACT Score

Below is a list of the 443 public colleges in the United States with the highest ACT Score for incoming freshmen. University of Maryland College Park leads the list with an average ACT Score of 33. 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 Public Colleges Ranked by Highest ACT Score
College	Average ACT Score
Northwestern State University of Louisiana Natchitoches, Louisiana	21
Southeastern Louisiana University Hammond, Louisiana	21
Frostburg State University Frostburg, Maryland	21
University of Michigan Flint Flint, Michigan	21
Bemidji State University Bemidji, Minnesota	21
Minnesota State University Mankato Mankato, Minnesota	21
Minnesota State University Moorhead Moorhead, Minnesota	21
Saint Cloud State University Saint Cloud, Minnesota	21
Mississippi University for Women Columbus, Mississippi	21
Northwest Missouri State University Maryville, Missouri	21
University of Nevada Las Vegas Las Vegas, Nevada	21
Minot State University Minot, North Dakota	21
University of Akron Main Campus Akron, Ohio	21
Cleveland State University Cleveland, Ohio	21
Kent State University at Kent Kent, Ohio	21
Wright State University Main Campus Dayton, Ohio	21
Wright State University Lake Campus Celina, Ohio	21
University of Central Oklahoma Edmond, Oklahoma	21

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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.