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.
SUNY Oneonta
- Public 4 Year
- Oneonta, NY
-
3.0 | 2 reviews
SUNY Oneonta is a public university known for undergraduate education, environmental science, and music. The residential campus sits in a college town in New York's Catskill region.
- SAT Range 1120-1310
- Avg GPA 3.45
- Acceptance Rate 70%
- Net Price $18,669
CUNY Brooklyn College
- Public 4 Year
- Brooklyn, NY
-
1.0 | 1 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
Brooklyn College is a public CUNY college known for undergraduate education, the liberal arts, and performing arts. The Georgian-style campus sits on a tree-lined quadrangle in Brooklyn's Midwood neighborhood.
- SAT Range 950-1340
- Avg GPA 3.42
- Acceptance Rate 58%
- Net Price $4,512
John Brown University
- Private 4 Year
- Siloam Springs, AR
-
| 0 reviews
John Brown is a private Christian university known for undergraduate engineering, nursing, and business. The residential campus is in the small college town of Siloam Springs in northwest Arkansas.
- SAT Range 1070-1340
- Avg GPA 3.77
- Acceptance Rate 76%
- Net Price $21,537
University of Kansas
- Public 4 Year
- Lawrence, KS
-
3.5 | 6 reviews
- Aug 15 application deadline
KU is a large public university known for undergraduate journalism, pharmacy, and business. The hillside campus sits in the college town of Lawrence.
- SAT Range 1070-1300
- Avg GPA 3.66
- Acceptance Rate 93%
- Net Price $19,205
Juniata College
- Private 4 Year
- Huntingdon, PA
-
5.0 | 2 reviews
- Mar 15 application deadline
Juniata is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate natural sciences and its Program of Emphasis, which lets students design individualized majors. The residential campus sits in the small town of Huntingdon along the Juniata River.
- SAT Range 1130-1320
- Avg GPA 3.81
- Acceptance Rate 79%
- Net Price $24,580
Cedarville University
- Private 4 Year
- Cedarville, OH
-
4.0 | 4 reviews
Cedarville is a private Baptist university known for undergraduate engineering, nursing, and biblical studies. Most undergrads complete required Bible coursework and live on the residential campus in a small Ohio town.
- SAT Range 1130-1360
- Avg GPA 3.9
- Acceptance Rate 65%
- Net Price $27,150
Elmhurst University
- Private 4 Year
- Elmhurst, IL
-
3.0 | 1 reviews
Elmhurst is a private university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The campus sits in a residential suburb west of Chicago.
- SAT Range 990-1260
- Avg GPA 3.59
- Acceptance Rate 74%
- Net Price $24,629
Biola University
- Private 4 Year
- La Mirada, CA
-
5.0 | 3 reviews
Biola is a private Christian university known for undergraduate biblical studies, theology, and cinema and media arts. The suburban La Mirada campus requires Bible coursework of all undergraduates.
- SAT Range 1160-1370
- Avg GPA 3.61
- Acceptance Rate 74%
- Net Price $34,082
DeSales University
- Private 4 Year
- Center Valley, PA
-
3.0 | 2 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
DeSales is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate theatre, nursing, and business. The suburban campus is in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley.
- SAT Range 1090-1260
- Avg GPA 3.39
- Acceptance Rate 77%
- Net Price $31,732
LeTourneau University
- Private 4 Year
- Longview, TX
-
4.0 | 3 reviews
LeTourneau is a private Christian university known for undergraduate engineering and aviation. The campus is in Longview in East Texas.
- SAT Range 990-1330
- Avg GPA 3.66
- Acceptance Rate 38%
- Net Price $29,799
Rockhurst University
- Private 4 Year
- Kansas City, MO
-
| 0 reviews
- Jun 30 application deadline
Rockhurst is a private Jesuit university known for undergraduate business, nursing, and health sciences. The compact urban campus sits in Kansas City's Volker neighborhood.
- SAT Range 1116-1246
- Avg GPA 3.62
- Acceptance Rate 70%
- Net Price $25,787
Florida Southern College
- Private 4 Year
- Lakeland, FL
-
| 0 reviews
- May 1 application deadline
Florida Southern is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate business, education, and nursing. The Lakeland campus holds the world's largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture.
- SAT Range 1150-1330
- Avg GPA 3.73
- Acceptance Rate 64%
- Net Price $29,384
The College of Saint Scholastica
- Private 4 Year
- Duluth, MN
-
| 0 reviews
St. Scholastica is a private Benedictine college known for undergraduate nursing and health sciences. The wooded campus overlooks Lake Superior in Duluth.
- SAT Range 1110-1310
- Avg GPA 3.5
- Acceptance Rate 93%
- Net Price $26,083
SUNY Polytechnic Institute
- Public 4 Year
- Utica, NY
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
SUNY Poly is a public polytechnic institute known for undergraduate engineering, computer science, and cybersecurity. The Utica-area campus sits in Central New York.
- SAT Range 1025-1370
- Avg GPA 3.7
- Acceptance Rate 81%
- Net Price $14,782
Hamline University
- Private 4 Year
- Saint Paul, MN
-
2.0 | 2 reviews
Hamline is a private university known for undergraduate education, business, and the liberal arts. The residential campus sits in a neighborhood setting in Saint Paul within the Twin Cities.
- SAT Range 1133-1391
- Avg GPA 3.48
- Acceptance Rate 88%
- Net Price $22,390
Nebraska Methodist College of Nursing & Allied Health
- Private 4 Year
- Omaha, NE
-
| 0 reviews
Nebraska Methodist College is a private college known for undergraduate nursing and allied health programs. The urban Omaha campus is affiliated with Methodist Health System.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 3.55
- Acceptance Rate 73%
- Net Price $21,634
Whitworth University
- Private 4 Year
- Spokane, WA
-
| 0 reviews
- Mar 1 application deadline
Whitworth is a private Presbyterian university known for undergraduate education, business, and the sciences. The wooded residential campus sits in north Spokane.
- SAT Range 1090-1330
- Avg GPA 3.72
- Acceptance Rate 90%
- Net Price $27,605
Lebanon Valley College
- Private 4 Year
- Annville, PA
-
3.5 | 2 reviews
Lebanon Valley is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate music and physical therapy. The residential campus sits in the small town of Annville.
- SAT Range 1140-1302
- Avg GPA 3.79
- Acceptance Rate 84%
- Net Price $27,995