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.
| College | Average ACT Score |
|---|---|
|
United States Merchant Marine Academy
Kings Point, New York |
25 |
|
University of North Carolina School of the Arts
Winston Salem, North Carolina |
25 |
|
Ohio University Main Campus
Athens, Ohio |
25 |
|
Penn State Altoona
Altoona, Pennsylvania |
25 |
|
Penn State Beaver
Monaca, Pennsylvania |
25 |
|
Penn State Abington
Abington, Pennsylvania |
25 |
|
Penn State York
York, Pennsylvania |
25 |
|
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, Texas |
25 |
|
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah |
25 |
|
University of Minnesota Rochester
Rochester, Minnesota |
25 |
|
Arizona State University
Tempe, Arizona |
24 |
|
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas |
24 |
|
Western Colorado University
Gunnison, Colorado |
24 |
|
Florida International University
Miami, Florida |
24 |
|
Georgia College & State University
Milledgeville, Georgia |
24 |
|
Illinois State University
Normal, Illinois |
24 |
|
University of Illinois Springfield
Springfield, Illinois |
24 |
|
University of Southern Indiana
Evansville, Indiana |
24 |
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.