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.
Bellarmine University
- Private 4 Year
- Louisville, KY
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4.0 | 1 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
Bellarmine is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate nursing and the health sciences. The campus occupies a residential setting in Louisville.
- SAT Range 1030-1250
- Avg GPA 3.42
- Acceptance Rate 86%
- Net Price $23,165
University of Nebraska Lincoln
- Public 4 Year
- Lincoln, NE
-
| 0 reviews
- May 1 application deadline
Nebraska is a large public university known for undergraduate agriculture, engineering, and journalism. Students attend classes on a large campus in Lincoln, the state capital.
- SAT Range 1098-1330
- Avg GPA 3.63
- Acceptance Rate 87%
- Net Price $18,322
Susquehanna University
- Private 4 Year
- Selinsgrove, PA
-
| 0 reviews
Susquehanna is a private liberal arts university known for undergraduate business and communications. The campus sits along the Susquehanna River in the small town of Selinsgrove.
- SAT Range 1100-1300
- Avg GPA 3.67
- Acceptance Rate 81%
- Net Price $26,444
Berry College
- Private 4 Year
- Mount Berry, GA
-
| 0 reviews
- Jul 15 application deadline
Berry is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate animal science, business, and education. Most students join a campus work program on the college's 27,000-acre grounds of forests and farmland near Rome.
- SAT Range 1125-1330
- Avg GPA 3.84
- Acceptance Rate 64%
- Net Price $25,363
University of North Dakota
- Public 4 Year
- Grand Forks, ND
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 17 application deadline
UND is a public university known for undergraduate aviation and aerospace sciences. The campus sits in a college-town setting in Grand Forks near the Minnesota border.
- SAT Range 1110-1290
- Avg GPA 3.5
- Acceptance Rate 77%
- Net Price $18,076
College of Charleston
- Public 4 Year
- Charleston, SC
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| 0 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
College of Charleston is a public liberal arts college known for undergraduate marine biology and historic preservation. The historic campus sits in downtown Charleston near the harbor.
- SAT Range 1140-1310
- Avg GPA 3.94
- Acceptance Rate 60%
- Net Price $21,004
Stetson University
- Private 4 Year
- DeLand, FL
-
| 0 reviews
Stetson is a private university known for undergraduate business and music. The historic campus sits in the college town of DeLand in Central Florida.
- SAT Range 1060-1270
- Avg GPA 3.69
- Acceptance Rate 72%
- Net Price $20,319
Ohio Wesleyan University
- Private 4 Year
- Delaware, OH
-
| 0 reviews
- Mar 1 application deadline
Ohio Wesleyan is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate zoology, economics, and international studies. Most undergrads live on a residential campus in Delaware, a small city north of Columbus.
- SAT Range 1105-1350
- Avg GPA 3.54
- Acceptance Rate 56%
- Net Price $23,006
Bethel University
- Private 4 Year
- Saint Paul, MN
-
| 0 reviews
- May 1 application deadline
Bethel is a private Christian university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The suburban Arden Hills campus sits in the Twin Cities metro near St. Paul.
- SAT Range 1190-1300
- Avg GPA 3.6
- Acceptance Rate 88%
- Net Price $31,738
Albion College
- Private 4 Year
- Albion, MI
-
| 0 reviews
Albion is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate sciences, pre-medical studies, and business. The residential campus sits in a small college town in south-central Michigan.
- SAT Range 930-1160
- Avg GPA 3.48
- Acceptance Rate 81%
- Net Price $16,719
University of North Carolina Wilmington
- Public 4 Year
- Wilmington, NC
-
3.4 | 5 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
UNCW is a public university known for undergraduate marine biology and coastal sciences. The campus sits in coastal Wilmington near the Atlantic beaches.
- SAT Range 1230-1340
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.56
- Acceptance Rate 64%
- Net Price $18,976
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
- Public 4 Year
- Rapid City, SD
-
5.0 | 3 reviews
- Feb 15 application deadline
South Dakota Mines is a public science and engineering university known for undergraduate mining, geological, and materials engineering. The Rapid City campus lies at the edge of the Black Hills.
- SAT Range 1140-1340
- Avg GPA 3.57
- Acceptance Rate 80%
- Net Price $20,267
Fairleigh Dickinson University Florham Campus
- Private 4 Year
- Madison, NJ
-
| 0 reviews
Fairleigh Dickinson Florham is a private university known for undergraduate business, psychology, and communications. The residential campus occupies a historic estate in suburban Madison.
- SAT Range 1040-1310
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.42
- Acceptance Rate 95%
- Net Price $25,585
St. John's University New York
- Private 4 Year
- Queens, NY
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
St. John's is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate pharmacy, business, and communications. The urban campus is in Queens in New York City.
- SAT Range 1150-1340
- Avg GPA 3.5
- Acceptance Rate 83%
- Net Price $29,656
Canisius University
- Private 4 Year
- Buffalo, NY
-
| 0 reviews
Canisius is a private Jesuit university known for undergraduate business and education. The urban campus is located in Buffalo.
- SAT Range 1050-1320
- Avg GPA 3.7
- Acceptance Rate 72%
- Net Price $19,666
Alfred University
- Private 4 Year
- Alfred, NY
-
3.5 | 2 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
Alfred is a private university known for undergraduate ceramics, ceramic engineering, and art. The rural campus sits in the small college village of Alfred in western New York.
- SAT Range 1095-1310
- Avg GPA 3.4
- Acceptance Rate 74%
- Net Price $26,470
Pacific Lutheran University
- Private 4 Year
- Tacoma, WA
-
3.3 | 3 reviews
- Aug 15 application deadline
Pacific Lutheran is a private university known for undergraduate nursing, music, and education. Most students live on the residential campus in suburban Tacoma with a Lutheran church affiliation.
- SAT Range 1040-1260
- Avg GPA 3.71
- Acceptance Rate 78%
- Net Price $22,299
Towson University
- Public 4 Year
- Towson, MD
-
3.8 | 4 reviews
- Apr 1 application deadline
Towson is a public university known for undergraduate education, nursing, and communications. The suburban campus sits just north of Baltimore.
- SAT Range 950-1235
- Avg GPA 3.69
- Acceptance Rate 82%
- Net Price $16,653