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.
Coker University
- Private 4 Year
- Hartsville, SC
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| 0 reviews
Coker is a private university known for undergraduate liberal arts programs and round-table classroom teaching. The historic campus sits in the small town of Hartsville.
- SAT Range 940-1160
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.1
- Acceptance Rate 94%
- Net Price $19,823
Elizabeth City State University
- Public 4 Year
- Elizabeth City, NC
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| 0 reviews
- Jun 30 application deadline
ECSU is a public HBCU known for undergraduate aviation and teacher education. The campus is in the small coastal city of Elizabeth City in northeastern North Carolina.
- SAT Range 920-1080
- Avg GPA 3.16
- Acceptance Rate 64%
- Net Price $6,483
University of South Carolina Beaufort
- Public 4 Year
- Bluffton, SC
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| 0 reviews
A public university known for undergraduate nursing, hospitality management, and biology. The Bluffton campus sits in South Carolina's Lowcountry near Hilton Head Island.
- SAT Range 940-1110
- Avg GPA 3.82
- Acceptance Rate 73%
- Net Price $15,363
Bethel University
- Private 4 Year
- McKenzie, TN
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| 0 reviews
Bethel is a private Christian university affiliated with the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, known for undergraduate business and education programs. The campus is set in the small town of McKenzie in western Tennessee.
- SAT Range 830-1120
- Avg GPA 3.6
- Acceptance Rate 60%
- Net Price $13,112
Johnson C Smith University
- Private 4 Year
- Charlotte, NC
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4.5 | 2 reviews
Johnson C. Smith is a private historically Black university known for undergraduate business, computer science, and social work. The compact urban campus sits in Charlotte's historic West End.
- SAT Range 800-980
- Avg GPA 2.48
- Acceptance Rate 45%
- Net Price $19,705
Indiana University South Bend
- Public 4 Year
- South Bend, IN
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| 0 reviews
IU South Bend is a public regional campus of Indiana University known for undergraduate nursing, business, and education. The campus lies along the St. Joseph River in South Bend.
- SAT Range 950-1190
- Avg GPA 3.24
- Acceptance Rate 84%
- Net Price $9,003
Bluefield State University
- Public 4 Year
- Bluefield, WV
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| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Bluefield State is a public HBCU known for undergraduate nursing, engineering technology, and education. The campus is in Bluefield, a small city in the Appalachian mountains of southern West Virginia.
- SAT Range 870-1080
- Avg GPA 3.41
- Acceptance Rate 97%
- Net Price $15,814
Western Kentucky University
- Public 4 Year
- Bowling Green, KY
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| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
WKU is a public university known for undergraduate journalism, photojournalism, and broadcasting. The hilltop campus overlooks Bowling Green in south-central Kentucky.
- SAT Range 840-1050
- Avg GPA 3.42
- Acceptance Rate 94%
- Net Price $12,548
Culver Stockton College
- Private 4 Year
- Canton, MO
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| 0 reviews
- Aug 15 application deadline
Culver-Stockton is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate business, education, and equestrian studies. The campus sits on bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River.
- SAT Range 970-1080
- Avg GPA 3.37
- Acceptance Rate 99%
- Net Price $21,996
Tennessee State University
- Public 4 Year
- Nashville, TN
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| 0 reviews
Tennessee State is a public HBCU known for undergraduate nursing, business, and engineering. The urban campus is in Nashville.
- SAT Range 880-1050
- Avg GPA 3.22
- Acceptance Rate 70%
- Net Price $14,586
Arizona Christian University
- Private 4 Year
- Glendale, AZ
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| 0 reviews
Arizona Christian is a private Christian university known for undergraduate biblical studies and education. The suburban campus sits in Glendale in the Phoenix metro area.
- SAT Range 960-1170
- Avg GPA 3.16
- Acceptance Rate 71%
- Net Price $32,514
Clark Atlanta University
- Private 4 Year
- Atlanta, GA
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| 0 reviews
- Apr 1 application deadline
Clark Atlanta is a private historically Black university known for undergraduate social work, business, and mass media arts. The urban Atlanta campus is part of the Atlanta University Center consortium with neighboring HBCUs.
- SAT Range 880-1120
- Avg GPA 3.28
- Acceptance Rate 64%
- Net Price $31,223
Youngstown State University
- Public 4 Year
- Youngstown, OH
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4.0 | 1 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Youngstown State is a public university known for undergraduate engineering, business, and education. The urban campus sits in Youngstown in northeastern Ohio.
- SAT Range 1010-1230
- Avg GPA 3.51
- Acceptance Rate 84%
- Net Price $12,757
Dillard University
- Private 4 Year
- New Orleans, LA
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| 0 reviews
Dillard is a private historically Black university known for undergraduate nursing, public health, and the sciences. The urban campus sits in New Orleans's Gentilly neighborhood.
- SAT Range 968-1202
- Avg GPA 3.31
- Acceptance Rate 42%
- Net Price $21,842
Southeast Missouri State University
- Public 4 Year
- Cape Girardeau, MO
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5.0 | 1 reviews
- Jul 1 application deadline
SEMO is a public university known for undergraduate education, nursing, and business. The campus overlooks the Mississippi River in Cape Girardeau.
- SAT Range 850-1030
- Avg GPA 3.53
- Acceptance Rate 74%
- Net Price $16,185
Claflin University
- Private 4 Year
- Orangeburg, SC
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| 0 reviews
Claflin is a private historically Black university known for undergraduate biology, business, and education. The residential campus is located in Orangeburg in central South Carolina.
- SAT Range 840-1040
- Avg GPA 3.28
- Acceptance Rate 65%
- Net Price $17,272
Concord University
- Public 4 Year
- Athens, WV
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| 0 reviews
Concord is a small public university known for undergraduate teacher education and business. The residential campus sits in the college town of Athens in southern West Virginia.
- SAT Range 830-1090
- Avg GPA 3.4
- Acceptance Rate 93%
- Net Price $11,379
Southeastern Louisiana University
- Public 4 Year
- Hammond, LA
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| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Southeastern Louisiana is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The residential campus is in Hammond, a smaller city between Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 3.39
- Acceptance Rate 99%
- Net Price $13,116