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
Southeastern Oklahoma State University Durant, Oklahoma	21
Southern Oregon University Ashland, Oregon	21
University of Pittsburgh Greensburg Greensburg, Pennsylvania	21
Black Hills State University Spearfish, South Dakota	21
Northern State University Aberdeen, South Dakota	21
Austin Peay State University Clarksville, Tennessee	21
University of Memphis Memphis, Tennessee	21
Angelo State University San Angelo, Texas	21
East Texas A&M University Commerce, Texas	21
Lamar University Beaumont, Texas	21
Stephen F Austin State University Nacogdoches, Texas	21
Tarleton State University Stephenville, Texas	21
Marshall University Huntington, West Virginia	21
Shepherd University Shepherdstown, West Virginia	21
West Liberty University West Liberty, West Virginia	21
West Virginia University Institute of Technology Beckley, West Virginia	21
University of Wisconsin Whitewater Whitewater, Wisconsin	21
University of Wisconsin Green Bay Green Bay, Wisconsin	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.