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 Michigan Dearborn
- Public 4 Year
- Dearborn, MI
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Apr 1 application deadline
Michigan-Dearborn is a public university known for undergraduate engineering and computer science. The suburban campus sits in Dearborn in the Detroit metro area.
- SAT Range 990-1255
- Avg GPA 3.66
- Acceptance Rate 56%
- Net Price $11,521
Marywood University
- Private 4 Year
- Scranton, PA
-
| 0 reviews
Marywood is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate architecture, art and design, and social work. The residential campus sits in Scranton in northeastern Pennsylvania.
- SAT Range 1060-1250
- Avg GPA 3.58
- Acceptance Rate 61%
- Net Price $26,217
Farmingdale State College
- Public 4 Year
- Farmingdale, NY
-
| 0 reviews
- May 1 application deadline
Farmingdale State is a public college of technology known for undergraduate aviation, engineering technology, and applied sciences. The suburban campus sits on Long Island.
- SAT Range 1040-1240
- Avg GPA 3.26
- Acceptance Rate 63%
- Net Price $9,655
The University of Findlay
- Private 4 Year
- Findlay, OH
-
| 0 reviews
Findlay is a private university known for undergraduate equestrian studies, pharmacy, and animal science. The campus is located in the small city of Findlay in northwest Ohio.
- SAT Range 1010-1213
- Avg GPA 3.7
- Acceptance Rate 83%
- Net Price $27,297
Concordia University Irvine
- Private 4 Year
- Irvine, CA
-
| 0 reviews
Concordia Irvine is a private Lutheran university known for undergraduate education, nursing, and theology. The suburban campus sits in Irvine in Orange County.
- SAT Range 1030-1260
- Avg GPA 3.61
- Acceptance Rate 66%
- Net Price $29,845
Iona University
- Private 4 Year
- New Rochelle, NY
-
5.0 | 2 reviews
- Feb 15 application deadline
Iona is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate business and communications. The suburban New Rochelle campus sits a short distance north of New York City.
- SAT Range 1110-1300
- Avg GPA 3.4
- Acceptance Rate 87%
- Net Price $29,978
Lincoln Memorial University
- Private 4 Year
- Harrogate, TN
-
| 0 reviews
Lincoln Memorial is a private university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and pre-veterinary studies. The rural campus sits near Cumberland Gap in the Appalachian Mountains.
- SAT Range 1000-1210
- Avg GPA 3.29
- Acceptance Rate 63%
- Net Price $21,447
Carroll College
- Private 4 Year
- Helena, MT
-
2.0 | 1 reviews
- Feb 28 application deadline
Carroll is a private Catholic liberal arts college known for undergraduate nursing and pre-medicine. The campus sits in Montana's capital city of Helena near the Rocky Mountain foothills.
- SAT Range 1050-1300
- Avg GPA 3.64
- Acceptance Rate 71%
- Net Price $25,575
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
- Private 4 Year
- Chicago, IL
-
2.0 | 2 reviews
- Nov 15 application deadline
SAIC is a private art and design college known for undergraduate fine arts, design, and contemporary art practice. The urban downtown campus is connected to the Art Institute of Chicago museum.
- SAT Range 1048-1260
- Avg GPA 3.51
- Acceptance Rate 77%
- Net Price $55,631
Saint Norbert College
- Private 4 Year
- De Pere, WI
-
| 0 reviews
Saint Norbert is a private Catholic liberal arts college known for undergraduate business, education, and communication. It is the only Norbertine college in the United States, with a residential campus along the Fox River.
- SAT Range 1033-1290
- Avg GPA 3.57
- Acceptance Rate 86%
- Net Price $27,880
Grand Valley State University
- Public 4 Year
- Allendale, MI
-
3.7 | 3 reviews
- May 1 application deadline
Grand Valley State is a large public university known for undergraduate nursing, health sciences, and business. The Allendale campus sits west of Grand Rapids along the Grand River.
- SAT Range 940-1190
- Avg GPA 3.65
- Acceptance Rate 83%
- Net Price $17,198
Marymount Manhattan College
- Private 4 Year
- New York, NY
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Marymount Manhattan is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate theater, dance, and communication arts. The urban campus sits on Manhattan's Upper East Side.
- SAT Range 1105-1323
- Avg GPA 3.45
- Acceptance Rate 83%
- Net Price $38,376
Covenant College
- Private 4 Year
- Lookout Mountain, GA
-
| 0 reviews
- Mar 1 application deadline
Covenant is a private Christian liberal arts college known for undergraduate programs taught from a Reformed theological perspective. The mountaintop campus on Lookout Mountain overlooks the Chattanooga valley.
- SAT Range 1160-1380
- Avg GPA 3.7
- Acceptance Rate 87%
- Net Price $27,926
SUNY College of Technology at Alfred
- Public 4 Year
- Alfred, NY
-
| 0 reviews
Alfred State is a public college of technology known for undergraduate architecture, engineering technology, and construction management. The rural campus sits in the small college town of Alfred in western New York.
- SAT Range 990-1200
- Avg GPA 3.1
- Acceptance Rate 76%
- Net Price $15,283
Virginia Commonwealth University
- Public 4 Year
- Richmond, VA
-
3.0 | 1 reviews
- Jan 18 application deadline
VCU is a large public university known for undergraduate fine arts, design, and health professions. The urban campus stretches across downtown Richmond.
- SAT Range 1010-1270
- Avg GPA 3.75
- Acceptance Rate 93%
- Net Price $26,836
Manhattanville University
- Private 4 Year
- Purchase, NY
-
4.4 | 25 reviews
Manhattanville is a private university known for undergraduate education and the liberal arts. The suburban campus occupies a historic estate in Purchase.
- SAT Range 1020-1230
- Avg GPA 3.19
- Acceptance Rate 87%
- Net Price $21,690
State University of New York at Plattsburgh
- Public 4 Year
- Plattsburgh, NY
-
| 0 reviews
SUNY Plattsburgh is a public university known for undergraduate education, business, and Canadian studies. The campus sits beside Lake Champlain in northern New York near the Adirondacks.
- SAT Range 1080-1250
- Avg GPA 3.11
- Acceptance Rate 78%
- Net Price $15,412
Nebraska Wesleyan University
- Private 4 Year
- Lincoln, NE
-
5.0 | 2 reviews
- Aug 15 application deadline
Nebraska Wesleyan is a private liberal arts university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and the sciences. Most students live on the residential campus in Lincoln.
- SAT Range 1020-1290
- Avg GPA 3.7
- Acceptance Rate 80%
- Net Price $21,122