<p>In order to assist some in their college search process, I have prepared a series of threads that will compare colleges on a variety of measurements. In making these comparisons, I have created three broad groups (private national universities, public national universities and liberal arts colleges) and provide comparisons involving 117 colleges (national universities ranked in the USNWR Top 75 and LACs ranked in the USNWR Top 40). </p>
<p>Following is a comparison on ACT SCORES. While standardized test scores are best considered in combination with other student data that adcomms have access to (rigor of curriculum, grades in demanding courses, GPA, etc.), they are the best single source of data that outside observers have to compare the strengths of student bodies at various schools.</p>
<p>To aid in the comparisons, I have included the level of the highest-ranking public universities with each of the private groups for National Universities and LACs. This should help families appreciate the way that the very top scoring public compares with their private competition. </p>
<p>I hope that you enjoy the thread and find some helpful information. Good luck to all in your college search process!</p>
<p>ACT 25 - ACT 75 , Private National University</p>
<p>33 - 35 , Caltech</p>
<p>31 - 35 , Harvard
31 - 34 , Princeton
31 - 34 , MIT
31 - 34 , Wash U
31 - 34 , Notre Dame</p>
<p>30 - 34 , Yale
30 - 34 , Stanford
30 - 34 , Duke
30 - 34 , Rice
30 - 33 , U Penn
30 - 33 , Northwestern
30 - 33 , Emory
30 - 33 , Vanderbilt
30 - 33 , Tufts</p>
<p>29 - 34 , Columbia
29 - 34 , Dartmouth
29 - 33 , Johns Hopkins
29 - 33 , Cornell
29 - 33 , Carnegie Mellon
29 - 32 , Brandeis
29 - 32 , Tulane</p>
<p>28 - 33 , Brown
28 - 33 , USC
28 - 31 , NYU</p>
<p>27 - 32 , U Chicago
27 - 32 , TOP PUBLIC (U Virginia and W&M)
27 - 31 , Wake Forest
27 - 31 , U Rochester
27 - 31 , U Miami</p>
<p>26 - 33 , Georgetown
26 - 32 , Case Western</p>
<p>25 - 30 , George Washington
25 - 30 , Boston University
25 - 30 , Pepperdine
25 - 30 , SMU
25 - 30 , Worcester
25 - 30 , BYU
25 - 29 , Fordham</p>
<p>24 - 29 , Rensselaer
23 - 28 , Syracuse
22 - 28 , Yeshiva</p>
<p>na - na , Boston College
na - na , Lehigh</p>
<p>ACT 25 - ACT 75 , </p>
<p>27 - 32 , U VIRGINIA
27 - 32 , WILLIAM & MARY
27 - 31 , U MICHIGAN
27 - 31 , GEORGIA TECH</p>
<p>26 - 31 , U N CAROLINA
26 - 31 , U ILLINOIS
26 - 30 , U WISCONSIN</p>
<p>25 - 31 , UCLA
25 - 30 , U FLORIDA
25 - 30 , OHIO STATE
25 - 30 , U PITTSBURGH
25 - 30 , CLEMSON
25 - 28 , U DELAWARE</p>
<p>24 - 30 , UC SAN DIEGO
24 - 30 , U TEXAS
24 - 29 , U WASHINGTON
24 - 29 , U GEORGIA
24 - 29 , U MINNESOTA
24 - 28 , U CONNECTICUT</p>
<p>23 - 29 , UC S BARBARA
23 - 29 , PURDUE
23 - 29 , TEXAS A&M
23 - 29 , INDIANA U
23 - 28 , U IOWA
23 - 27 , MICHIGAN ST</p>
<p>22 - 28 , UC DAVIS
22 - 27 , UC S CRUZ</p>
<p>na - na , UC BERKELEY
na - na , UC IRVINE
na - na , PENN STATE
na - na , U MARYLAND
na - na , RUTGERS
na - na , VIRGINIA TECH</p>
<p>ACT 25 - ACT 75 , LAC</p>
<p>33 - 35 , Harvey Mudd</p>
<p>30 - 34 , Pomona
30 - 32 , Wesleyan</p>
<p>29 - 33 , Williams
29 - 33 , Amherst
29 - 33 , Middlebury
29 - 33 , Bowdoin
29 - 33 , Carleton
29 - 33 , Claremont McK
29 - 33 , Vassar
29 - 32 , Colgate</p>
<p>28 - 33 , Swarthmore
28 - 32 , Wellesley
28 - 32 , Davidson
28 - 32 , Grinnell
28 - 32 , Oberlin
28 - 32 , Colorado College
28 - 32 , Scripps
28 - 32 , Macalester
28 - 32 , Kenyon
28 - 32 , Whitman
28 - 31 , W&L
28 - 31 , Colby
28 - 31 , Bates
28 - 31 , Barnard</p>
<p>27 - 32 , TOP PUBLIC (U Virginia and W&M)
27 - 31 , Bryn Mawr
27 - 31 , Mt. Holyoke
27 - 31 , Bucknell</p>
<p>26 - 30 , U Richmond
26 - 30 , Occidental
26 - 30 , Lafayette
26 - 30 , Sewanee
26 - 30 , Trinity
26 - 30 , Furman</p>
<p>25 - 31 , Smith
25 - 30 , US Military Acad</p>
<p>na - na , Haverford
na - na , US Naval Acad
na - na , Hamilton
na - na , Holy Cross
na - na , Bard</p>