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.
University of Colorado Boulder
- Public 4 Year
- Boulder, CO
-
4.0 | 6 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
CU Boulder is a large public university known for undergraduate aerospace engineering, environmental sciences, and physics. The campus sits against the Flatirons in the college town of Boulder.
- SAT Range 1240-1430
- Avg GPA 3.68
- Acceptance Rate 78%
- Net Price $26,231
Missouri University of Science and Technology
- Public 4 Year
- Rolla, MO
-
| 0 reviews
- Jul 1 application deadline
Missouri S&T is a public university known for undergraduate engineering, computer science, and the physical sciences. Most undergrads live on the residential campus in the college town of Rolla.
- SAT Range 1190-1420
- Avg GPA 3.81
- Acceptance Rate 73%
- Net Price $17,366
Mercer University
- Private 4 Year
- Macon, GA
-
| 0 reviews
- Jul 1 application deadline
Mercer is a private university known for undergraduate engineering, business, and music. Most undergrads study on the historic main campus in Macon.
- SAT Range 1160-1350
- Avg GPA 3.98
- Acceptance Rate 69%
- Net Price $24,364
Lawrence University
- Private 4 Year
- Appleton, WI
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
Lawrence is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate music through its Conservatory of Music. The residential campus sits along the Fox River in Appleton.
- SAT Range 1200-1420
- Avg GPA 3.52
- Acceptance Rate 64%
- Net Price $27,161
SUNY College at Geneseo
- Public 4 Year
- Geneseo, NY
-
| 0 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
Geneseo is a public liberal arts college known for undergraduate education and the sciences. The residential campus sits in a small college town in western New York's Genesee Valley.
- SAT Range 1190-1340
- Avg GPA 3.72
- Acceptance Rate 66%
- Net Price $19,115
University of Dayton
- Private 4 Year
- Dayton, OH
-
4.5 | 2 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
University of Dayton is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate engineering and business. The Marianist campus sits in an urban neighborhood of Dayton.
- SAT Range 1200-1380
- Avg GPA 3.77
- Acceptance Rate 65%
- Net Price $32,794
University of Vermont
- Public 4 Year
- Burlington, VT
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
UVM is a public university known for undergraduate environmental science, natural resources, and nursing. The hillside campus overlooks Lake Champlain in Burlington.
- SAT Range 1290-1440
- Avg GPA 3.75
- Acceptance Rate 65%
- Net Price $20,084
Moravian University
- Private 4 Year
- Bethlehem, PA
-
| 0 reviews
Moravian is a private university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and the liberal arts. The historic campus sits in downtown Bethlehem in the Lehigh Valley.
- SAT Range 1070-1285
- Avg GPA 3.55
- Acceptance Rate 54%
- Net Price $31,743
Indiana University Bloomington
- Public 4 Year
- Bloomington, IN
-
5.0 | 2 reviews
IU is a large public university known for undergraduate business, music, and media. Bloomington is a classic college town built around a historic limestone campus.
- SAT Range 1170-1400
- Avg GPA 3.74
- Acceptance Rate 78%
- Net Price $17,270
Emerson College
- Private 4 Year
- Boston, MA
-
| 0 reviews
- Feb 20 application deadline
Emerson is a private college known for undergraduate journalism, film, and performing arts. The urban campus sits in Boston's Theater District near Boston Common.
- SAT Range 1270-1420
- Avg GPA 3.73
- Acceptance Rate 51%
- Net Price $53,432
Butler University
- Private 4 Year
- Indianapolis, IN
-
3.8 | 4 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Butler is a private university known for undergraduate pharmacy, business, and communication. Most students live on a residential campus on Indianapolis's north side.
- SAT Range 1160-1350
- Avg GPA 3.92
- Acceptance Rate 85%
- Net Price $38,438
Loyola University Chicago
- Private 4 Year
- Chicago, IL
-
4.3 | 6 reviews
Loyola Chicago is a private Jesuit university known for undergraduate nursing, business, and communications. The urban campus sits along Lake Michigan on Chicago's North Side.
- SAT Range 1170-1360
- Avg GPA 3.71
- Acceptance Rate 82%
- Net Price $39,147
Lewis & Clark College
- Private 4 Year
- Portland, OR
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
Lewis & Clark is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate international affairs and environmental studies. The wooded campus sits in the hills of southwest Portland.
- SAT Range 1210-1390
- Avg GPA 3.95
- Acceptance Rate 78%
- Net Price $37,999
University of St Thomas
- Private 4 Year
- Saint Paul, MN
-
| 0 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
St. Thomas is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate business. The urban campus sits along Summit Avenue in St. Paul.
- SAT Range 1260-1423
- Avg GPA 3.63
- Acceptance Rate 85%
- Net Price $31,250
St. John Fisher University
- Private 4 Year
- Rochester, NY
-
4.0 | 1 reviews
St. John Fisher is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate pharmacy, nursing, and business. The suburban campus sits in the Rochester area of western New York.
- SAT Range 1120-1300
- Avg GPA 3.53
- Acceptance Rate 66%
- Net Price $30,540
University of Dallas
- Private 4 Year
- Irving, TX
-
4.2 | 5 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
University of Dallas is a private Catholic university known for a Great Books core curriculum and undergraduate work in philosophy, politics, and the humanities. The suburban campus sits in Irving just outside Dallas.
- SAT Range 1120-1370
- Avg GPA 3.9
- Acceptance Rate 53%
- Net Price $29,209
University of Illinois Chicago
- Public 4 Year
- Chicago, IL
-
4.5 | 2 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
UIC is a large public university known for undergraduate nursing, architecture, and engineering. The urban campus sits on Chicago's Near West Side near the Illinois Medical District.
- SAT Range 1130-1350
- Avg GPA 3.41
- Acceptance Rate 77%
- Net Price $10,852
Seton Hall University
- Private 4 Year
- South Orange, NJ
-
3.0 | 1 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
Seton Hall is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate business and diplomacy. The suburban campus in South Orange sits a short train ride from New York City.
- SAT Range 1220-1390
- Avg GPA 3.64
- Acceptance Rate 73%
- Net Price $33,896