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
Prairie View A & M University Prairie View, Texas	18
Georgia State University Perimeter College Atlanta, Georgia	18
Alabama State University Montgomery, Alabama	17
California State University San Bernardino San Bernardino, California	17
California State University Los Angeles Los Angeles, California	17
Clayton State University Morrow, Georgia	17
Savannah State University Savannah, Georgia	17
Chicago State University Chicago, Illinois	17
Kentucky State University Frankfort, Kentucky	17
Grambling State University Grambling, Louisiana	17
Southern University and A & M College Baton Rouge, Louisiana	17
Southern University at New Orleans New Orleans, Louisiana	17
University of Maryland Eastern Shore Princess Anne, Maryland	17
Alcorn State University Alcorn State, Mississippi	17
Jackson State University Jackson, Mississippi	17
Mississippi Valley State University Itta Bena, Mississippi	17
Fayetteville State University Fayetteville, North Carolina	17
North Carolina Central University Durham, North Carolina	17

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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.