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.
North Carolina State University at Raleigh
- Public 4 Year
- Raleigh, NC
-
5.0 | 4 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
NC State is a large public university known for undergraduate engineering, agriculture, and textiles. The campus sits in Raleigh within North Carolina's Research Triangle.
- SAT Range 1300-1470
- Avg GPA 3.83
- Acceptance Rate 42%
- Net Price $15,522
Providence College
- Private 4 Year
- Providence, RI
-
3.0 | 2 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
Providence College is a private Dominican Catholic college known for undergraduate business and the liberal arts. Most undergrads live on the residential campus in a Providence neighborhood.
- SAT Range 1250-1390
- Avg GPA 3.47
- Acceptance Rate 51%
- Net Price $48,618
University of Portland
- Private 4 Year
- Portland, OR
-
| 0 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
University of Portland is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate nursing, engineering, and business. The campus sits on a bluff overlooking the Willamette River in North Portland.
- SAT Range 1160-1370
- Avg GPA 3.66
- Acceptance Rate 89%
- Net Price $30,985
Binghamton University
- Public 4 Year
- Vestal, NY
-
4.2 | 4 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
Binghamton is a selective public university known for undergraduate business, accounting, and engineering. The wooded hillside campus in Vestal sits above the Susquehanna River valley in New York's Southern Tier.
- SAT Range 1340-1500
- Avg GPA 4.0
- Acceptance Rate 39%
- Net Price $18,877
Northeastern University
- Private 4 Year
- Boston, MA
-
4.7 | 6 reviews
- Jan 1 application deadline
Northeastern is a highly selective private university known for undergraduate engineering, computer science, and health sciences. The urban campus sits in Boston's Fenway neighborhood.
- SAT Range 1440-1540
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.91
- Acceptance Rate 5%
- Net Price $34,207
Fairfield University
- Private 4 Year
- Fairfield, CT
-
| 0 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
Fairfield is a private Jesuit university known for undergraduate business and nursing. The suburban campus is in coastal Connecticut near Long Island Sound.
- SAT Range 1260-1390
- Avg GPA 3.67
- Acceptance Rate 33%
- Net Price $49,958
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
- Private 4 Year
- Troy, NY
-
4.3 | 3 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
RPI is a private technological university known for undergraduate engineering, computer science, and architecture. The hillside campus overlooks the Hudson River in Troy.
- SAT Range 1375-1510
- Avg GPA 3.88
- Acceptance Rate 63%
- Net Price $38,887
Brigham Young University
- Private 4 Year
- Provo, UT
-
4.4 | 17 reviews
- Dec 16 application deadline
BYU is a private university known for undergraduate accounting, business, and foreign languages. Most students are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and follow a campus honor code.
- SAT Range 1270-1460
- Avg GPA 3.89
- Acceptance Rate 68%
- Net Price $16,694
Clemson University
- Public 4 Year
- Clemson, SC
-
4.4 | 10 reviews
- May 1 application deadline
Clemson is a large public university known for undergraduate engineering and business. The lakeside campus sits in the Blue Ridge foothills beside Lake Hartwell.
- SAT Range 1240-1410
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.75
- Acceptance Rate 38%
- Net Price $25,003
Fordham University
- Private 4 Year
- Bronx, NY
-
4.2 | 5 reviews
- Jan 1 application deadline
Fordham is a private Jesuit university known for undergraduate business, communications, and the liberal arts. The main Rose Hill campus in the Bronx borders the New York Botanical Garden.
- SAT Range 1320-1480
- Avg GPA 3.67
- Acceptance Rate 59%
- Net Price $48,190
Creighton University
- Private 4 Year
- Omaha, NE
-
| 0 reviews
Creighton is a private Jesuit university known for undergraduate nursing, health sciences, and business. The compact urban campus sits in midtown Omaha.
- SAT Range 1243-1428
- Avg GPA 3.84
- Acceptance Rate 80%
- Net Price $32,636
Rose Hulman Institute of Technology
- Private 4 Year
- Terre Haute, IN
-
0.0 | 1 reviews
- Mar 1 application deadline
Rose-Hulman is a private college known for undergraduate engineering, science, and mathematics. Most students live on the residential campus in Terre Haute.
- SAT Range 1320-1500
- Avg GPA 4.0
- Acceptance Rate 77%
- Net Price $45,406
University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus
- Public 4 Year
- Pittsburgh, PA
-
3.8 | 5 reviews
Pitt is a large public university known for undergraduate nursing, health sciences, and philosophy. The urban campus in Pittsburgh's Oakland neighborhood centers on the Cathedral of Learning.
- SAT Range 1280-1460
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.79
- Acceptance Rate 58%
- Net Price $25,223
Elon University
- Private 4 Year
- Elon, NC
-
4.0 | 1 reviews
- Jan 10 application deadline
Elon is a private university known for undergraduate communications and business. Most students live on the residential campus in the small college town of Elon.
- SAT Range 1130-1280
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.65
- Acceptance Rate 66%
- Net Price $44,440
Stony Brook University
- Public 4 Year
- Stony Brook, NY
-
4.5 | 2 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
Stony Brook is a large public university known for undergraduate physics, mathematics, and marine science. The suburban campus sits on Long Island's North Shore.
- SAT Range 1330-1500
- Avg GPA 3.94
- Acceptance Rate 49%
- Net Price $20,992
Virginia Tech
- Public 4 Year
- Blacksburg, VA
-
5.0 | 3 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
Virginia Tech is a large public university known for undergraduate engineering and architecture. The campus sits in the college town of Blacksburg in Virginia's Blue Ridge region.
- SAT Range 1280-1450
- Avg GPA 3.97
- Acceptance Rate 55%
- Net Price $24,912
St Olaf College
- Private 4 Year
- Northfield, MN
-
4.8 | 4 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
St. Olaf is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate music and the sciences. Most students live on the residential campus in the college town of Northfield.
- SAT Range 1300-1470
- Avg GPA 3.68
- Acceptance Rate 48%
- Net Price $26,756
Sarah Lawrence College
- Private 4 Year
- Bronxville, NY
-
5.0 | 2 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
Sarah Lawrence is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate creative writing, the arts, and conference-based individualized study. The suburban Bronxville campus sits just north of New York City.
- SAT Range 1240-1430
- Avg GPA 3.75
- Acceptance Rate 62%
- Net Price $43,629