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
Gordon State College Barnesville, Georgia	19
Valdosta State University Valdosta, Georgia	19
University of West Georgia Carrollton, Georgia	19
Louisiana State University Alexandria Alexandria, Louisiana	19
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts North Adams, Massachusetts	19
Westfield State University Westfield, Massachusetts	19
Elizabeth City State University Elizabeth City, North Carolina	19
University of Akron Wayne College Orrville, Ohio	19
Lander University Greenwood, South Carolina	19
University of South Carolina Beaufort Bluffton, South Carolina	19
Texas A&M University Texarkana Texarkana, Texas	19
University of Houston Downtown Houston, Texas	19
Texas A & M International University Laredo, Texas	19
Midwestern State University Wichita Falls, Texas	19
Sul Ross State University Alpine, Texas	19
The University of Texas at El Paso El Paso, Texas	19
Norfolk State University Norfolk, Virginia	19
Eastern Washington University Cheney, Washington	19

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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.