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.
Bethel University
- Private 4 Year
- Saint Paul, MN
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| 0 reviews
- May 1 application deadline
Bethel is a private Christian university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The suburban Arden Hills campus sits in the Twin Cities metro near St. Paul.
- SAT Range 1190-1300
- Avg GPA 3.6
- Acceptance Rate 88%
- Net Price $31,738
Albion College
- Private 4 Year
- Albion, MI
-
| 0 reviews
Albion is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate sciences, pre-medical studies, and business. The residential campus sits in a small college town in south-central Michigan.
- SAT Range 930-1160
- Avg GPA 3.48
- Acceptance Rate 81%
- Net Price $16,719
University of North Carolina Wilmington
- Public 4 Year
- Wilmington, NC
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3.4 | 5 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
UNCW is a public university known for undergraduate marine biology and coastal sciences. The campus sits in coastal Wilmington near the Atlantic beaches.
- SAT Range 1230-1340
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.56
- Acceptance Rate 64%
- Net Price $18,976
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
- Public 4 Year
- Rapid City, SD
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5.0 | 3 reviews
- Feb 15 application deadline
South Dakota Mines is a public science and engineering university known for undergraduate mining, geological, and materials engineering. The Rapid City campus lies at the edge of the Black Hills.
- SAT Range 1140-1340
- Avg GPA 3.57
- Acceptance Rate 80%
- Net Price $20,267
Fairleigh Dickinson University Florham Campus
- Private 4 Year
- Madison, NJ
-
| 0 reviews
Fairleigh Dickinson Florham is a private university known for undergraduate business, psychology, and communications. The residential campus occupies a historic estate in suburban Madison.
- SAT Range 1040-1310
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.42
- Acceptance Rate 95%
- Net Price $25,585
St. John's University New York
- Private 4 Year
- Queens, NY
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5.0 | 1 reviews
St. John's is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate pharmacy, business, and communications. The urban campus is in Queens in New York City.
- SAT Range 1150-1340
- Avg GPA 3.5
- Acceptance Rate 83%
- Net Price $29,656
Canisius University
- Private 4 Year
- Buffalo, NY
-
| 0 reviews
Canisius is a private Jesuit university known for undergraduate business and education. The urban campus is located in Buffalo.
- SAT Range 1050-1320
- Avg GPA 3.7
- Acceptance Rate 72%
- Net Price $19,666
Alfred University
- Private 4 Year
- Alfred, NY
-
3.5 | 2 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
Alfred is a private university known for undergraduate ceramics, ceramic engineering, and art. The rural campus sits in the small college village of Alfred in western New York.
- SAT Range 1095-1310
- Avg GPA 3.4
- Acceptance Rate 74%
- Net Price $26,470
Pacific Lutheran University
- Private 4 Year
- Tacoma, WA
-
3.3 | 3 reviews
- Aug 15 application deadline
Pacific Lutheran is a private university known for undergraduate nursing, music, and education. Most students live on the residential campus in suburban Tacoma with a Lutheran church affiliation.
- SAT Range 1040-1260
- Avg GPA 3.71
- Acceptance Rate 78%
- Net Price $22,299
Towson University
- Public 4 Year
- Towson, MD
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3.8 | 4 reviews
- Apr 1 application deadline
Towson is a public university known for undergraduate education, nursing, and communications. The suburban campus sits just north of Baltimore.
- SAT Range 950-1235
- Avg GPA 3.69
- Acceptance Rate 82%
- Net Price $16,653
Wisconsin Lutheran College
- Private 4 Year
- Milwaukee, WI
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5.0 | 1 reviews
Wisconsin Lutheran is a private Lutheran liberal arts college known for undergraduate nursing and education. The residential campus sits on Milwaukee's west side.
- SAT Range 970-1230
- Avg GPA 3.54
- Acceptance Rate 78%
- Net Price $24,095
Arizona State University
- Public 4 Year
- Tempe, AZ
-
3.3 | 6 reviews
ASU is a large public university known for undergraduate journalism, business, and sustainability. The Tempe campus sits in the Phoenix metro area.
- SAT Range 1100-1320
- Avg GPA 3.54
- Acceptance Rate 90%
- Net Price $17,779
Jacksonville University
- Private 4 Year
- Jacksonville, FL
-
| 0 reviews
Jacksonville University is a private university known for undergraduate nursing, aviation, and marine science. The campus sits along the St. Johns River.
- SAT Range 1100-1280
- Avg GPA 3.61
- Acceptance Rate 57%
- Net Price $24,238
Western New England University
- Private 4 Year
- Springfield, MA
-
| 0 reviews
Western New England is a private university known for undergraduate engineering, business, and pharmacy. The residential campus sits in Springfield in western Massachusetts.
- SAT Range 1090-1300
- Avg GPA 3.49
- Acceptance Rate 83%
- Net Price $27,056
Wentworth Institute of Technology
- Private 4 Year
- Boston, MA
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Feb 15 application deadline
Wentworth is a private institute of technology known for undergraduate engineering, architecture, and design. The urban campus sits in Boston's Fenway neighborhood.
- SAT Range 1110-1320
- Avg GPA 3.39
- Acceptance Rate 91%
- Net Price $35,604
Lewis University
- Private 4 Year
- Romeoville, IL
-
| 0 reviews
Lewis is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate aviation and nursing. The suburban Romeoville campus includes its own airport used for flight training.
- SAT Range 960-1210
- Avg GPA 3.6
- Acceptance Rate 71%
- Net Price $18,959
University of New Hampshire Main Campus
- Public 4 Year
- Durham, NH
-
| 0 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
UNH is a large public university known for undergraduate marine science, environmental studies, and business. Durham is a classic New England college town built around the campus near the seacoast.
- SAT Range 1090-1330
- Avg GPA 3.58
- Acceptance Rate 88%
- Net Price $24,999
Washington State University
- Public 4 Year
- Pullman, WA
-
4.3 | 3 reviews
- Jan 31 application deadline
WSU is a large public university known for undergraduate agriculture, engineering, and communications. Pullman is a classic college town set in the Palouse region of eastern Washington.
- SAT Range 1020-1210
- Avg GPA 3.5
- Acceptance Rate 87%
- Net Price $18,171