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.
Bowling Green State University Main Campus
- Public 4 Year
- Bowling Green, OH
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| 0 reviews
- Jul 15 application deadline
BGSU is a large public university known for undergraduate education, aviation, and popular culture studies. Most students live on a residential campus in the college town of Bowling Green.
- SAT Range 1000-1210
- Avg GPA 3.6
- Acceptance Rate 81%
- Net Price $24,283
Gardner Webb University
- Private 4 Year
- Boiling Springs, NC
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4.7 | 3 reviews
Gardner-Webb is a private Baptist university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The residential campus sits in the small town of Boiling Springs in western North Carolina.
- SAT Range 975-1198
- Avg GPA 3.74
- Acceptance Rate 77%
- Net Price $20,016
La Sierra University
- Private 4 Year
- Riverside, CA
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| 0 reviews
La Sierra is a private Seventh-day Adventist university known for undergraduate business, education, and biology. The suburban campus sits in Riverside east of Los Angeles.
- SAT Range 880-1140
- Avg GPA 3.54
- Acceptance Rate 91%
- Net Price $23,848
Frostburg State University
- Public 4 Year
- Frostburg, MD
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3.0 | 1 reviews
- Feb 15 application deadline
Frostburg State is a public university known for undergraduate teacher education and business. The residential campus sits in the Appalachian mountain town of Frostburg in western Maryland.
- SAT Range 980-1200
- Avg GPA 3.5
- Acceptance Rate 89%
- Net Price $17,669
Mercy College of Ohio
- Private 4 Year
- Toledo, OH
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| 0 reviews
Mercy College of Ohio is a private Catholic college known for undergraduate nursing and allied health programs. The urban Toledo campus is tied to the Mercy Health system and the Sisters of Mercy tradition.
- SAT Range 790-1010
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 93%
- Net Price $15,311
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
- Public 4 Year
- Slippery Rock, PA
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| 0 reviews
Slippery Rock is a public university known for undergraduate education, physical therapy, and exercise science. The residential campus sits in a small college town in western Pennsylvania.
- SAT Range 980-1190
- Avg GPA 3.5
- Acceptance Rate 71%
- Net Price $18,252
University of South Carolina Upstate
- Public 4 Year
- Spartanburg, SC
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| 0 reviews
USC Upstate is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The campus is in Spartanburg in South Carolina's Upstate region.
- SAT Range 1005-1175
- Avg GPA 2.53
- Acceptance Rate 67%
- Net Price $13,999
Northwest Nazarene University
- Private 4 Year
- Nampa, ID
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| 0 reviews
- Aug 15 application deadline
Northwest Nazarene is a private Christian university known for undergraduate education, nursing, and theology. The suburban campus is in Nampa, in Idaho's Treasure Valley near Boise.
- SAT Range 1005-1240
- Avg GPA 3.59
- Acceptance Rate 65%
- Net Price $30,178
Western Carolina University
- Public 4 Year
- Cullowhee, NC
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4.6 | 10 reviews
- Mar 1 application deadline
Western Carolina is a public university known for undergraduate education, nursing, and criminal justice. The campus sits in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Cullowhee.
- SAT Range 1080-1270
- Avg GPA 3.44
- Acceptance Rate 82%
- Net Price $13,767
Franklin Pierce University
- Private 4 Year
- Rindge, NH
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| 0 reviews
Franklin Pierce is a private university known for undergraduate nursing, health sciences, and sports management. The rural campus sits near Mount Monadnock and Pearly Pond in southwestern New Hampshire.
- SAT Range 1057-1282
- Avg GPA 2.97
- Acceptance Rate 93%
- Net Price $26,152
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania
- Public 4 Year
- Shippensburg, PA
-
| 0 reviews
Shippensburg is a public university known for undergraduate education, business, and criminal justice. The residential campus sits in a small college town in south-central Pennsylvania's Cumberland Valley.
- SAT Range 990-1210
- Avg GPA 3.23
- Acceptance Rate 87%
- Net Price $23,772
Methodist University
- Private 4 Year
- Fayetteville, NC
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| 0 reviews
Methodist University is a private university known for undergraduate PGA golf management and business. The campus sits in Fayetteville near Fort Liberty.
- SAT Range 1080-1250
- Avg GPA 3.58
- Acceptance Rate 75%
- Net Price $26,334
Portland State University
- Public 4 Year
- Portland, OR
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| 0 reviews
Portland State is a large public university known for undergraduate urban planning, sustainability, and business. The compact urban campus sits in downtown Portland.
- SAT Range 1000-1250
- Avg GPA 3.36
- Acceptance Rate 91%
- Net Price $10,195
Penn State Berks
- Public 4 Year
- Reading, PA
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4.0 | 1 reviews
Penn State Berks is a small public campus of Penn State known for undergraduate business, engineering, and information sciences. The suburban campus is located just outside Reading.
- SAT Range 1090-1275
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.39
- Acceptance Rate 99%
- Net Price $23,721
Saint Cloud State University
- Public 4 Year
- Saint Cloud, MN
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| 0 reviews
- Aug 15 application deadline
Saint Cloud State is a public university known for undergraduate aviation, business, and education. The campus sits along the Mississippi River in central Minnesota.
- SAT Range 1025-1260
- Avg GPA 3.4
- Acceptance Rate 95%
- Net Price $14,735
Baker University
- Private 4 Year
- Baldwin City, KS
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| 0 reviews
Baker is a private Methodist-related university known for undergraduate education, nursing, and business. The historic campus sits in the small college town of Baldwin City.
- SAT Range 970-1130
- Avg GPA 3.45
- Acceptance Rate 94%
- Net Price $26,211
Belhaven University
- Private 4 Year
- Jackson, MS
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| 0 reviews
Belhaven is a private Christian university known for undergraduate dance, music, and visual arts. The urban campus sits in Jackson's historic Belhaven neighborhood.
- SAT Range 1010-1298
- Avg GPA 3.5
- Acceptance Rate 50%
- Net Price $16,299
University of Charleston
- Private 4 Year
- Charleston, WV
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1.0 | 1 reviews
University of Charleston is a private university known for undergraduate nursing, health sciences, and business. The urban campus sits along the Kanawha River in West Virginia's capital.
- SAT Range 985-1160
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.13
- Acceptance Rate 62%
- Net Price $20,844