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.

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Test Optional Public Private 4 Year
Lake Forest College Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Lake Forest, IL
  • | 0 reviews
  • Feb 15 application deadline

Lake Forest is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate economics, business, and biology. The residential campus sits in a North Shore suburb of Chicago near Lake Michigan.

#9 Best Private Colleges in Illinois 7/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1190-1393
  • Avg GPA 3.62
  • Acceptance Rate 57%
  • Net Price $31,225
Details
Wagner College Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Staten Island, NY
  • | 0 reviews
  • Feb 15 application deadline

Wagner is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate nursing, theater, and business. The hilltop campus on Staten Island overlooks New York Harbor.

#35 Best Private Colleges in New York 7/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1190-1290
  • Avg GPA 3.5
  • Acceptance Rate 88%
  • Net Price $28,033
Details
Salve Regina University Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Newport, RI
  • 4.0 | 2 reviews

Salve Regina is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate nursing and historic preservation. The Newport campus overlooks the Atlantic and incorporates several Gilded Age mansions.

#5 Best Private Colleges in Rhode Island 7/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1160-1330
  • Avg GPA 3.52
  • Acceptance Rate 68%
  • Net Price $38,307
Details
Miami University Oxford Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Oxford, OH
  • 5.0 | 1 reviews
  • Feb 1 application deadline

Miami University is a public university known for undergraduate business and education. The residential red-brick campus anchors the small college town of Oxford.

#2 Best Public Universities in Ohio 7/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1220-1390
  • Avg GPA 3.85
  • Acceptance Rate 75%
  • Net Price $28,229
Details
Saint Mary's College of California Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Moraga, CA
  • | 0 reviews
  • Jan 15 application deadline

Saint Mary's is a private Catholic college known for undergraduate business and a Great Books liberal arts program. The residential campus lies in the hills of Moraga in the East Bay.

#19 Best Private Colleges in California 7/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1070-1253
  • Avg GPA 3.6
  • Acceptance Rate 87%
  • Net Price $35,332
Details
Le Moyne College Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Syracuse, NY
  • | 0 reviews
  • Feb 1 application deadline

Le Moyne is a private Jesuit college known for undergraduate nursing, business, and biology. The suburban campus sits just outside downtown Syracuse.

#36 Best Private Colleges in New York 7/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1160-1330
  • Avg GPA 3.55
  • Acceptance Rate 83%
  • Net Price $23,702
Details
Maryland Institute College of Art Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Baltimore, MD
  • | 0 reviews
  • Feb 1 application deadline

MICA is a private art and design college known for undergraduate illustration, graphic design, and fine arts. The urban campus lies in Baltimore's Station North Arts District.

#3 Best Private Colleges in Maryland 7/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1078-1305
  • Avg GPA 3.47
  • Acceptance Rate 77%
  • Net Price $47,834
Details
Augustana University Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Sioux Falls, SD
  • 5.0 | 1 reviews

Augustana is a private university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The residential campus is in Sioux Falls, South Dakota's largest city.

#1 Best Value in South Dakota 7/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1150-1370
  • Avg GPA 3.76
  • Acceptance Rate 68%
  • Net Price $24,977
Details
Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Prescott Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Prescott, AZ
  • 4.0 | 2 reviews

Embry-Riddle Prescott is a private university known for undergraduate aeronautical science, aerospace engineering, and aviation. The mountain campus sits outside downtown Prescott in Arizona high country.

#1 Best Private Colleges in Arizona 7/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1140-1370
  • Avg GPA 3.82
  • Acceptance Rate 77%
  • Net Price $41,864
Details
Northwest University Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Kirkland, WA
  • | 0 reviews
  • Aug 1 application deadline

Northwest University is a private Christian university known for undergraduate nursing, ministry, and business. The suburban campus sits in Kirkland east of Seattle.

#2 Best Value Colleges in Washington 7/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1040-1350
  • Avg GPA 3.41
  • Acceptance Rate 83%
  • Net Price $24,251
Details
Endicott College Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Beverly, MA
  • | 0 reviews
  • Feb 15 application deadline

Endicott is a private college known for undergraduate hospitality management, nursing, and business. The oceanfront campus sits along the North Shore coastline in Beverly.

#22 Best Private Colleges in Massachusetts 7/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1193-1340
  • Avg GPA 3.55
  • Acceptance Rate 71%
  • Net Price $41,394
Details
State University of New York at New Paltz Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • New Paltz, NY
  • | 0 reviews
  • Apr 1 application deadline

SUNY New Paltz is a public university known for undergraduate fine arts, graphic design, and education. The campus sits in a Hudson Valley college town near the Shawangunk Mountains.

#8 Best Public Universities in New York 7/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1170-1340
  • Avg GPA 3.6
  • Acceptance Rate 62%
  • Net Price $18,051
Details
Saint Michael's College Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Colchester, VT
  • | 0 reviews
  • Feb 1 application deadline

Saint Michael's is a private Catholic liberal arts college known for undergraduate education, biology, and business. The residential campus sits near Burlington and Lake Champlain in northwestern Vermont.

#3 Best Colleges in Vermont 7/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1120-1280
  • Avg GPA 3.27
  • Acceptance Rate 85%
  • Net Price $27,982
Details
Michigan Technological University Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Houghton, MI
  • 5.0 | 1 reviews

Michigan Tech is a public university known for undergraduate engineering, computer science, and forestry. Students attend campus in the Upper Peninsula town of Houghton near Lake Superior.

#3 Best Value Colleges in Michigan 7/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1130-1350
  • Avg GPA 3.78
  • Acceptance Rate 92%
  • Net Price $16,879
Details
Seattle Pacific University Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Seattle, WA
  • | 0 reviews
  • Jul 11 application deadline

Seattle Pacific is a private Christian university known for undergraduate nursing and education. The urban campus sits in Seattle's Queen Anne neighborhood.

#6 Best Private Colleges in Washington 7/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1050-1320
  • Avg GPA 3.53
  • Acceptance Rate 83%
  • Net Price $25,232
Details
University of Arizona Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Tucson, AZ
  • | 0 reviews

Arizona is a large public university known for undergraduate astronomy, optical sciences, and planetary science. The main campus sits in the Sonoran Desert in Tucson.

#1 Best Value in Arizona 7/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1150-1420
  • Avg GPA 3.48
  • Acceptance Rate 86%
  • Net Price $19,055
Details
University of North Carolina School of the Arts Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Winston Salem, NC
  • | 0 reviews
  • Mar 15 application deadline

UNCSA is a public arts conservatory known for undergraduate dance, drama, music, and filmmaking. Students train on a specialized campus in Winston-Salem devoted to intensive performing-arts study.

#3 Best Public Universities in North Carolina 7/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1140-1370
  • Avg GPA 3.75
  • Acceptance Rate 30%
  • Net Price $13,140
Details
Regis University Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Denver, CO
  • 5.0 | 1 reviews
  • Aug 1 application deadline

Regis is a private Jesuit university known for undergraduate nursing, health sciences, and business. The urban campus is in northwest Denver.

#2 Best Value Colleges in Colorado 7/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1020-1220
  • Avg GPA 3.68
  • Acceptance Rate 86%
  • Net Price $21,618
Details