Best Test-Optional U.S. Colleges
CollegeSimply ranks 1045 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, Stanford University and Harvard 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.
Florida State University
- Public 4 Year
- Tallahassee, FL
-
5.0 | 6 reviews
- Mar 1 application deadline
FSU is a large public university known for undergraduate film, criminology, and music. The campus is in Tallahassee, Florida's capital city.
- SAT Range 1270-1410
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.7
- Acceptance Rate 24%
- Net Price $15,815
Union University
- Private 4 Year
- Jackson, TN
-
| 0 reviews
Union is a private Christian university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and Christian studies. The residential campus sits in Jackson in West Tennessee.
- SAT Range 1160-1390
- Avg GPA 3.8
- Acceptance Rate 60%
- Net Price $28,452
Adelphi University
- Private 4 Year
- Garden City, NY
-
3.0 | 3 reviews
Adelphi is a private university known for undergraduate nursing, psychology, and the performing arts. The suburban Garden City campus sits on Long Island outside New York City.
- SAT Range 1120-1340
- Avg GPA 3.69
- Acceptance Rate 66%
- Net Price $31,303
Bard College
- Private 4 Year
- Annandale-On-Hudson, NY
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Jan 1 application deadline
Bard is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate arts, music, and literature. The campus overlooks the Hudson River in New York's Hudson Valley.
- SAT Range 1270-1450
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 52%
- Net Price $29,320
Penn State Main Campus
- Public 4 Year
- University Park, PA
-
4.2 | 12 reviews
Penn State is a large public university known for undergraduate engineering, business, and communications. The University Park campus anchors the college town of State College in central Pennsylvania.
- SAT Range 1240-1420
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 61%
- Net Price $27,889
CUNY Bernard M Baruch College
- Public 4 Year
- New York, NY
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
Baruch is a public CUNY college known for undergraduate business, finance, and accounting. The compact urban campus sits in Midtown Manhattan.
- SAT Range 1100-1400
- Avg GPA 3.7
- Acceptance Rate 48%
- Net Price $4,326
The College of Wooster
- Private 4 Year
- Wooster, OH
-
2.3 | 3 reviews
- Feb 15 application deadline
The College of Wooster is a private liberal arts college known for a required senior Independent Study thesis. Most undergrads live on a residential campus in a small Ohio college town.
- SAT Range 1220-1460
- Avg GPA 3.76
- Acceptance Rate 60%
- Net Price $28,004
Rutgers University Newark
- Public 4 Year
- Newark, NJ
-
4.0 | 1 reviews
Rutgers-Newark is a public university known for undergraduate business and criminal justice. The urban campus is located in downtown Newark.
- SAT Range 1030-1270
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.23
- Acceptance Rate 71%
- Net Price $18,276
Clarkson University
- Private 4 Year
- Potsdam, NY
-
5.0 | 3 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
Clarkson is a private university known for undergraduate engineering, business, and the sciences. The residential campus is in the small college town of Potsdam in northern New York.
- SAT Range 1200-1390
- Avg GPA 3.8
- Acceptance Rate 77%
- Net Price $32,406
Duquesne University
- Private 4 Year
- Pittsburgh, PA
-
3.0 | 2 reviews
- Aug 15 application deadline
Duquesne is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate pharmacy, nursing, and business. The urban campus sits on a bluff overlooking downtown Pittsburgh.
- SAT Range 1180-1340
- Avg GPA 3.8
- Acceptance Rate 84%
- Net Price $37,917
New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
- Public 4 Year
- Socorro, NM
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
New Mexico Tech is a small public technological university known for undergraduate engineering, earth sciences, and physics. The campus is in the small town of Socorro in central New Mexico.
- SAT Range 1080-1310
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.63
- Acceptance Rate 44%
- Net Price $11,551
Bradley University
- Private 4 Year
- Peoria, IL
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
Bradley is a private university known for undergraduate engineering, business, and health sciences. Most students live on the residential campus in Peoria.
- SAT Range 1090-1300
- Avg GPA 3.83
- Acceptance Rate 77%
- Net Price $23,787
Allegheny College
- Private 4 Year
- Meadville, PA
-
| 0 reviews
- Feb 15 application deadline
Allegheny is a private liberal arts college known for requiring a major and minor in different fields and a senior comprehensive project. The historic campus sits in the small college town of Meadville in northwestern Pennsylvania.
- SAT Range 1173-1358
- Avg GPA 3.53
- Acceptance Rate 55%
- Net Price $26,420
Hofstra University
- Private 4 Year
- Hempstead, NY
-
4.0 | 3 reviews
Hofstra is a private university known for undergraduate communications, journalism, and business. The suburban Long Island campus sits in Hempstead near New York City.
- SAT Range 1230-1400
- Avg GPA 3.74
- Acceptance Rate 68%
- Net Price $35,792
New Jersey Institute of Technology
- Public 4 Year
- Newark, NJ
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Mar 1 application deadline
NJIT is a public technological university known for undergraduate engineering, computer science, and architecture. The urban campus is located in Newark.
- SAT Range 1210-1460
- Avg GPA 3.72
- Acceptance Rate 65%
- Net Price $17,313
Southwestern University
- Private 4 Year
- Georgetown, TX
-
4.5 | 2 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
Southwestern is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate study in the arts and sciences. Most students live on the residential campus in historic Georgetown, north of Austin.
- SAT Range 1130-1300
- Avg GPA 3.5
- Acceptance Rate 43%
- Net Price $32,228
University of Puget Sound
- Private 4 Year
- Tacoma, WA
-
4.0 | 5 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
Puget Sound is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate music and the natural sciences. Most students live on the residential campus in Tacoma near Commencement Bay.
- SAT Range 1170-1380
- Avg GPA 3.56
- Acceptance Rate 72%
- Net Price $43,188
Austin College
- Private 4 Year
- Sherman, TX
-
| 0 reviews
- Jul 31 application deadline
Austin College is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate sciences and international studies. Most undergrads live on the residential campus in Sherman, north of Dallas.
- SAT Range 1100-1310
- Avg GPA 3.63
- Acceptance Rate 48%
- Net Price $23,462