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
West Texas A & M University Canyon, Texas	20
University of Virginia's College at Wise Wise, Virginia	20
Central Washington University Ellensburg, Washington	20
Concord University Athens, West Virginia	20
Fairmont State University Fairmont, West Virginia	20
University of Wisconsin Parkside Kenosha, Wisconsin	20
University of Washington Tacoma Campus Tacoma, Washington	20
California State University Monterey Bay Seaside, California	20
Georgia Gwinnett College Lawrenceville, Georgia	20
Middle Georgia State University Macon, Georgia	20
Purdue University Northwest Hammond, Indiana	20
Marion Military Institute Marion, Alabama	19
California State University Northridge Northridge, California	19
San Francisco State University San Francisco, California	19
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Tifton, Georgia	19
College of Coastal Georgia Brunswick, Georgia	19
Columbus State University Columbus, Georgia	19
Georgia Southwestern State University Americus, Georgia	19

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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.