Minnesota Private Colleges Ranked by Highest ACT Score

Below is a list of the 19 private colleges in Minnesota with the highest ACT Score for incoming freshmen. Carleton College 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 Minnesota Private Colleges Ranked by Highest ACT Score
College	Average ACT Score
Carleton College Northfield, Minnesota	33
Macalester College Saint Paul, Minnesota	32
St Olaf College Northfield, Minnesota	30
University of St Thomas Saint Paul, Minnesota	27
Bethel University Saint Paul, Minnesota	25
Minneapolis College of Art and Design Minneapolis, Minnesota	25
Concordia College at Moorhead Moorhead, Minnesota	24
Martin Luther College New Ulm, Minnesota	24
University of Northwestern St Paul Saint Paul, Minnesota	24
Saint Johns University Collegeville, Minnesota	24
The College of Saint Scholastica Duluth, Minnesota	24
Bethany Lutheran College Mankato, Minnesota	23
Hamline University Saint Paul, Minnesota	23
College of Saint Benedict Saint Joseph, Minnesota	23
St Catherine University Saint Paul, Minnesota	23
North Central University Minneapolis, Minnesota	21
Augsburg University Minneapolis, Minnesota	20
Crown College Saint Bonifacius, Minnesota	20

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

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