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.
University of Wisconsin Parkside
- Public 4 Year
- Kenosha, WI
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| 0 reviews
UW-Parkside is a public university known for undergraduate business, criminal justice, and biological sciences. The wooded Kenosha campus sits between Milwaukee and Chicago.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 3.31
- Acceptance Rate 75%
- Net Price $10,234
Lincoln University
- Public 4 Year
- Lincoln University, PA
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| 0 reviews
- May 1 application deadline
Lincoln University is a public HBCU known for undergraduate programs in education, business, and the sciences. The rural campus is set in Chester County in southern Pennsylvania.
- SAT Range 820-960
- Avg GPA 3.06
- Acceptance Rate 66%
- Net Price $14,473
Georgia Southwestern State University
- Public 4 Year
- Americus, GA
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| 0 reviews
- Jul 21 application deadline
Georgia Southwestern is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The residential campus sits in the small city of Americus in southwest Georgia.
- SAT Range 890-1110
- Avg GPA 3.17
- Acceptance Rate 75%
- Net Price $11,769
Avila University
- Private 4 Year
- Kansas City, MO
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| 0 reviews
Avila is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate nursing and education. The compact campus sits in southern Kansas City.
- SAT Range 800-960
- Avg GPA 3.24
- Acceptance Rate 88%
- Net Price $17,004
Newberry College
- Private 4 Year
- Newberry, SC
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3.0 | 2 reviews
Newberry is a private liberal arts college with undergraduate programs in education and business. The residential campus sits in the small town of Newberry and has long ties to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
- SAT Range 820-1060
- Avg GPA 3.58
- Acceptance Rate 90%
- Net Price $21,943
Norfolk State University
- Public 4 Year
- Norfolk, VA
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| 0 reviews
- May 31 application deadline
Norfolk State is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate nursing, social work, and communications. The urban campus sits in Norfolk near downtown and the Elizabeth River.
- SAT Range 823-1030
- Avg GPA 2.9
- Acceptance Rate 88%
- Net Price $9,124
Union Commonwealth University
- Private 4 Year
- Barbourville, KY
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4.5 | 2 reviews
Union Commonwealth is a small private university with undergraduate programs in education, business, and nursing. The residential campus sits in the Appalachian college town of Barbourville.
- SAT Range 920-1105
- Avg GPA 3.15
- Acceptance Rate 63%
- Net Price $17,124
University of the Cumberlands
- Private 4 Year
- Williamsburg, KY
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| 0 reviews
- Aug 31 application deadline
University of the Cumberlands is a private Christian university known for undergraduate teacher education and business. Students live on a residential campus in the small Appalachian town of Williamsburg.
- SAT Range 960-1160
- Avg GPA 3.47
- Acceptance Rate 99%
- Net Price $14,743
North Carolina Central University
- Public 4 Year
- Durham, NC
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5.0 | 1 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
NCCU is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate nursing, business, and criminal justice. The campus sits in Durham within North Carolina's Research Triangle.
- SAT Range 980-1100
- Avg GPA 3.27
- Acceptance Rate 87%
- Net Price $14,475
University of West Alabama
- Public 4 Year
- Livingston, AL
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| 0 reviews
- Aug 10 application deadline
West Alabama is a public university known for undergraduate education and business programs. The campus sits in the small town of Livingston in western Alabama.
- SAT Range 860-1120
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.16
- Acceptance Rate 43%
- Net Price $13,954
Eastern New Mexico University Main Campus
- Public 4 Year
- Portales, NM
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5.0 | 1 reviews
- Aug 24 application deadline
ENMU is a public university known for undergraduate aviation and teacher education. The campus is in the small college town of Portales on New Mexico's eastern plains.
- SAT Range 830-1060
- Avg GPA 3.23
- Acceptance Rate 92%
- Net Price $6,416
Fayetteville State University
- Public 4 Year
- Fayetteville, NC
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4.3 | 3 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Fayetteville State is a public university known for undergraduate education, nursing, and business. It is a historically Black university in the University of North Carolina system.
- SAT Range 890-1090
- Avg GPA 3.11
- Acceptance Rate 82%
- Net Price $7,811
University of Bridgeport
- Private 4 Year
- Bridgeport, CT
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| 0 reviews
University of Bridgeport is a private university known for undergraduate engineering, business, and dental hygiene. The campus sits along Long Island Sound in the city of Bridgeport.
- SAT Range 880-1115
- Avg GPA 3.04
- Acceptance Rate 83%
- Net Price $28,498
Truett McConnell University
- Private 4 Year
- Cleveland, GA
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| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Truett McConnell is a private Baptist university known for undergraduate Christian studies and education. The campus is in the North Georgia mountains near Cleveland.
- SAT Range 1000-1190
- Avg GPA 3.49
- Acceptance Rate 78%
- Net Price $22,179
Jackson State University
- Public 4 Year
- Jackson, MS
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| 0 reviews
- Jul 15 application deadline
Jackson State is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate business, education, and public health. The urban campus sits in Mississippi's capital city.
- SAT Range 820-1070
- Avg GPA 3.1
- Acceptance Rate 93%
- Net Price $23,450
Lander University
- Public 4 Year
- Greenwood, SC
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| 0 reviews
Lander is a public university known for undergraduate nursing and education. The campus is in the small city of Greenwood in South Carolina's Upstate.
- SAT Range 950-1178
- Avg GPA 3.66
- Acceptance Rate 81%
- Net Price $15,520
Tusculum University
- Private 4 Year
- Greeneville, TN
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| 0 reviews
Tusculum is a small private university with undergraduate programs in business, education, and nursing. The historic Greeneville campus is Tennessee's oldest college and retains a Presbyterian affiliation.
- SAT Range 910-1110
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.18
- Acceptance Rate 72%
- Net Price $20,355
Black Hills State University
- Public 4 Year
- Spearfish, SD
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| 0 reviews
Black Hills State is a public university known for undergraduate teacher education, business, and outdoor education. The campus sits in Spearfich at the northern edge of South Dakota's Black Hills.
- SAT Range 965-1135
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.22
- Acceptance Rate 96%
- Net Price $15,576