California Colleges With The Highest ACT Scores

The 2025 average ACT score of California colleges is 30 which is same as last year.

Harvey Mudd College and Stanford University have the highest ACT score of 35 among 21 California colleges that consider ACT score for admission. Claremont McKenna College ranked third with 34 ACT score.

Of those 21 California colleges, 6 schools' ACT scores increased compared to last year, and 5 schools' scores decreased. 9 schools' scores are same as last year.

The table below shows the 10 California colleges with the highest ACT scores along with important academic statistics.

The average undergraduate tuition & fees of the schools is $66,799 and graduate tuition & fees is $54,522 for the academic year 2024-2025.

Among these top-tier California Colleges with the Highest ACT Scores, the average acceptance rate is 30.15% and the average SAT score is 1,474, reflecting a competitive admissions environment and strong academic performance.

Table. California Colleges With The Highest ACT Scores Comparison
	School Name	ACT Score	SAT Score	Acceptance Rate	Yield	Undergraduate Tuition & Fees	Total Population	Graduation Rate	Students to Faculty Ratio
1 -	Harvey Mudd College Claremont, CAPrivate, 4-year	35 -	1,540	12.66%	35.81%	$68,613	951	92.00%	8 to 1
1 -	Stanford University Stanford, CAPrivate, 4-year	35 -	1,550	3.61%	81.91%	$65,910	18,625	92.00%	6 to 1
3 -	Claremont McKenna College Claremont, CAPrivate, 4-year	34 -	1,530	9.59%	53.83%	$67,980	1,393	91.00%	8 to 1
3 -	Pomona College Claremont, CAPrivate, 4-year	34 -	1,540	7.09%	50.23%	$65,420	1,700	93.00%	7 to 1
5 -	Occidental College Los Angeles, CAPrivate, 4-year	33 -	1,440	44.17%	17.83%	$66,274	1,881	81.00%	9 to 1
5 -	Scripps College Claremont, CAPrivate, 4-year	33 -	1,500	38.29%	25.55%	$65,950	1,137	83.00%	10 to 1
5 -	University of Southern California Los Angeles, CAPrivate, 4-year	33 -	1,500	9.81%	43.34%	$71,647	46,566	92.00%	9 to 1
8 1	Santa Clara University Santa Clara, CAPrivate, 4-year	32 1	1,420	48.00%	17.69%	$61,293	9,728	88.00%	11 to 1
9 1	Pepperdine University Malibu, CAPrivate, 4-year	31 1	1,370	62.86%	11.64%	$69,918	8,976	83.00%	12 to 1
10 -	Chapman University Orange, CAPrivate, 4-year	30 -	1,350	65.43%	15.94%	$64,984	9,760	82.00%	12 to 1
	Average	33	1,474	30.15%	35.38%	$66,799	10,072	87.70%	9 to 1

Most Searched Colleges (last 30 days)

Undergraduate

Northern Virginia Community College Public, 2-4 year | Annandale, VA
Texas State Technical College Public, 2-4 year | Waco, TX
National Park College Public, 2-4 year | Hot Springs, AR
College of Western Idaho Public, 4-year | Nampa, ID
Casper College Public, 2-4 year | Casper, WY
Cornell University Private, 4-year | Ithaca, NY
The University of Texas at Austin Public, 4-year | Austin, TX
Cochise County Community College District Public, 4-year | Sierra Vista, AZ
Harvard University Private, 4-year | Cambridge, MA
City College-Hollywood Private, 4-year | Hollywood, FL

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Graduate

Adams State University Public, 4-year | Alamosa, CO
Thomas Jefferson University Private, 4-year | Philadelphia, PA
University of Pennsylvania Private, 4-year | Philadelphia, PA
University of Florida Public, 4-year | Gainesville, FL
Johns Hopkins University Private, 4-year | Baltimore, MD
Nova Southeastern University Private, 4-year | Fort Lauderdale, FL
University of North Georgia Public, 4-year | Dahlonega, GA
Clemson University Public, 4-year | Clemson, SC
California State University-Northridge Public, 4-year | Northridge, CA
Texas A&M University-College Station Public, 4-year | College Station, TX

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Online Schools

Pennsylvania State University-World Campus Public, 4-year | University Park, PA
Southern New Hampshire University Private, 4-year | Manchester, NH
Western Governors University Private, 4-year | Salt Lake City, UT
University of Central Florida Public, 4-year | Orlando, FL
Fort Hays State University Public, 4-year | Hays, KS
Grand Canyon University Private, 4-year | Phoenix, AZ
University at Albany Public, 4-year | Albany, NY
Marist University Private, 4-year | Poughkeepsie, NY
Western New Mexico University Public, 4-year | Silver City, NM
Washburn University Public, 4-year | Topeka, KS

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Trade Schools

Holyoke Community College Public, 2-4 year | Holyoke, MA
WyoTech Private, 2-4 year | Laramie, WY
Pima Medical Institute-Tucson Private, 4-year | Tucson, AZ
Pima Medical Institute-Las Vegas Private, 2-4 year | Las Vegas, NV
Lincoln Technical Institute-Union Private, Less than 2-year | Union, NJ
Aveda Arts & Sciences Institute Minneapolis Private, Less than 2-year | Minneapolis, MN
UEI College-Sacramento Private, Less than 2-year | Sacramento, CA
Austin Community College District Public, 4-year | Austin, TX
Oklahoma Technical College Private, 2-4 year | Tulsa, OK
Pennco Tech-Blackwood Private, Less than 2-year | Blackwood, NJ

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California Colleges With The Highest ACT Scores

California Colleges Rankings

Comparison between California Colleges With The Highest ACT Scores