Best Test-Optional U.S. Colleges
CollegeSimply ranks 976 four-year colleges that do not require SAT or ACT scores for admission. These are the highest-ranked test-optional schools in the U.S., sorted by academic quality and student outcomes. Policies can vary by applicant and year, so confirm requirements on each school's website before applying.
Princeton University leads our 2027 test-optional rankings, ranked #1 nationally. The top rated public option is University of Michigan Ann Arbor. Also highly ranked: Duke University, University of Chicago and Rice University.
Without test scores, your GPA, activities, recommendation letters, and essays carry more weight. Compare acceptance rates, tuition, and enrollment across the full list below. Filter by state or sort by selectivity to build your list. You can also explore matches by GPA on our college search by GPA. See our ranking methodology for how schools are scored.
University of Mary Washington
- Public 4 Year
- Fredericksburg, VA
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5.0 | 1 reviews
Mary Washington is a public liberal arts university known for undergraduate historic preservation and education. The historic campus sits in Fredericksburg near the Rappahannock River.
- SAT Range 1170-1370
- Avg GPA 3.71
- Acceptance Rate 80%
- Net Price $21,800
Concordia College at Moorhead
- Private 4 Year
- Moorhead, MN
-
| 0 reviews
Concordia College is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate music and education. Most students live on the residential campus in Moorhead, across the river from Fargo.
- SAT Range 1160-1420
- Avg GPA 3.58
- Acceptance Rate 63%
- Net Price $25,190
California Lutheran University
- Private 4 Year
- Thousand Oaks, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- Jan 1 application deadline
Cal Lutheran is a private university known for undergraduate business, psychology, and communication. The suburban campus in Thousand Oaks is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
- SAT Range 1150-1330
- Avg GPA 3.73
- Acceptance Rate 76%
- Net Price $32,774
Washington & Jefferson College
- Private 4 Year
- Washington, PA
-
4.0 | 2 reviews
Washington & Jefferson is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate sciences, pre-med, and pre-law. The historic campus is in the small city of Washington near Pittsburgh.
- SAT Range 1010-1250
- Avg GPA 3.54
- Acceptance Rate 81%
- Net Price $22,702
Bryant University
- Private 4 Year
- Smithfield, RI
-
5.0 | 2 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
Bryant is a private university known for undergraduate business. The suburban campus sits northwest of Providence.
- SAT Range 1190-1330
- Avg GPA 3.43
- Acceptance Rate 65%
- Net Price $42,139
University of Detroit Mercy
- Private 4 Year
- Detroit, MI
-
| 0 reviews
- Mar 1 application deadline
Detroit Mercy is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate architecture, engineering, and nursing. The urban campus sits in northwest Detroit.
- SAT Range 1030-1260
- Avg GPA 3.67
- Acceptance Rate 75%
- Net Price $16,790
Chatham University
- Private 4 Year
- Pittsburgh, PA
-
1.0 | 2 reviews
Chatham is a private university known for undergraduate sustainability, environmental studies, and the health sciences. The historic campus is in Pittsburgh's residential Shadyside neighborhood.
- SAT Range 1070-1295
- Avg GPA 3.86
- Acceptance Rate 62%
- Net Price $31,280
Queens University of Charlotte
- Private 4 Year
- Charlotte, NC
-
| 0 reviews
- Sep 7 application deadline
Queens is a private university known for undergraduate nursing, business, and communications. The historic campus sits in Charlotte's Myers Park neighborhood.
- SAT Range 1140-1340
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.41
- Acceptance Rate 62%
- Net Price $31,839
Lipscomb University
- Private 4 Year
- Nashville, TN
-
4.0 | 2 reviews
Lipscomb is a private Christian university known for undergraduate business, education, and nursing. The residential campus sits in Nashville's Green Hills neighborhood.
- SAT Range 1160-1380
- Avg GPA 3.73
- Acceptance Rate 68%
- Net Price $27,695
Willamette University
- Private 4 Year
- Salem, OR
-
4.8 | 4 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
Willamette is a private liberal arts university known for undergraduate political science and government. The historic campus borders the Oregon State Capitol grounds in downtown Salem.
- SAT Range 1240-1440
- Avg GPA 3.97
- Acceptance Rate 77%
- Net Price $29,421
Xavier University
- Private 4 Year
- Cincinnati, OH
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
Xavier is a private Jesuit university known for undergraduate business and nursing. The urban campus sits in Cincinnati's North Avondale neighborhood.
- SAT Range 1103-1310
- Avg GPA 3.68
- Acceptance Rate 86%
- Net Price $33,623
Rowan University
- Public 4 Year
- Glassboro, NJ
-
2.7 | 6 reviews
Rowan is a public university known for undergraduate engineering and education. Glassboro is a South Jersey college town built around the campus.
- SAT Range 1110-1310
- Avg GPA 3.44
- Acceptance Rate 78%
- Net Price $23,761
Spelman College
- Private 4 Year
- Atlanta, GA
-
5.0 | 2 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
Spelman is a highly selective historically Black women's college known for undergraduate sciences and the liberal arts. Most undergrads live on the residential campus in Atlanta's West End, part of the Atlanta University Center.
- SAT Range 1108-1320
- Avg GPA 3.75
- Acceptance Rate 25%
- Net Price $40,354
Elizabethtown College
- Private 4 Year
- Elizabethtown, PA
-
| 0 reviews
Elizabethtown is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate occupational therapy, business, and education. The residential campus is in a small central Pennsylvania borough and has historic Church of the Brethren ties.
- SAT Range 1105-1310
- Avg GPA 3.66
- Acceptance Rate 78%
- Net Price $27,760
University of Missouri Columbia
- Public 4 Year
- Columbia, MO
-
4.0 | 2 reviews
Mizzou is a large public university known for undergraduate journalism and agriculture. Columbia is a Midwestern college town built around the campus.
- SAT Range 1150-1330
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.61
- Acceptance Rate 78%
- Net Price $22,169
Roberts Wesleyan University
- Private 4 Year
- Rochester, NY
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 25 application deadline
Roberts Wesleyan is a private Christian university known for undergraduate nursing and teacher education. The suburban campus sits outside Rochester in western New York.
- SAT Range 990-1305
- Avg GPA 3.6
- Acceptance Rate 71%
- Net Price $23,275
University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus
- Public 4 Year
- Denver, CO
-
3.0 | 5 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
CU Denver is a public university known for undergraduate architecture, business, and engineering. The urban campuses include downtown Denver and the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora.
- SAT Range 980-1220
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.46
- Acceptance Rate 75%
- Net Price $14,831
St. Joseph's University New York
- Private 4 Year
- Brooklyn, NY
-
| 0 reviews
St. Joseph's New York is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate nursing and education. The urban campus is in Brooklyn.
- SAT Range 1110-1270
- Avg GPA 3.2
- Acceptance Rate 72%
- Net Price $19,422