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.
Carroll University
- Private 4 Year
- Waukesha, WI
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| 0 reviews
Carroll is a private university known for undergraduate nursing, health sciences, and business. The residential campus sits in suburban Waukesha west of Milwaukee.
- SAT Range 1040-1270
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.39
- Acceptance Rate 67%
- Net Price $27,031
University of Lynchburg
- Private 4 Year
- Lynchburg, VA
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5.0 | 1 reviews
- Sep 1 application deadline
University of Lynchburg is a private university known for undergraduate nursing and health sciences. Students live on a residential campus in Lynchburg near the Blue Ridge Mountains.
- SAT Range 980-1230
- Avg GPA 3.53
- Acceptance Rate 43%
- Net Price $23,845
D'Youville University
- Private 4 Year
- Buffalo, NY
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| 0 reviews
D'Youville is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate nursing and health sciences. The compact urban campus sits on Buffalo's west side near the Peace Bridge.
- SAT Range 995-1220
- Avg GPA 3.68
- Acceptance Rate 81%
- Net Price $20,690
Fisk University
- Private 4 Year
- Nashville, TN
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| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Fisk is a private historically Black university known for undergraduate natural sciences and music. The historic urban campus sits in Nashville and is closely tied to the Fisk Jubilee Singers.
- SAT Range 1140-1510
- Avg GPA 3.1
- Acceptance Rate 37%
- Net Price $18,595
Trevecca Nazarene University
- Private 4 Year
- Nashville, TN
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Trevecca is a private Nazarene university known for undergraduate education, business, and ministry programs. Most students live on the urban Nashville campus.
- SAT Range 980-1235
- Avg GPA 3.43
- Acceptance Rate 69%
- Net Price $18,035
Marymount University
- Private 4 Year
- Arlington, VA
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| 0 reviews
Marymount is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate nursing, health sciences, and interior design. The Arlington campus sits just outside Washington, D.C.
- SAT Range 970-1170
- Avg GPA 3.38
- Acceptance Rate 93%
- Net Price $31,989
Vanguard University of Southern California
- Private 4 Year
- Costa Mesa, CA
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3.5 | 4 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Vanguard is a private Christian university known for undergraduate nursing, business, and theatre. The suburban Costa Mesa campus is affiliated with the Assemblies of God.
- SAT Range 980-1200
- Avg GPA 3.31
- Acceptance Rate 62%
- Net Price $23,286
West Virginia University
- Public 4 Year
- Morgantown, WV
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4.0 | 4 reviews
WVU is a large public university known for undergraduate forensic science, engineering, and journalism. The campus spreads across a hilly college town in Morgantown along the Monongahela River.
- SAT Range 1010-1220
- Avg GPA 3.45
- Acceptance Rate 89%
- Net Price $15,169
University of Wisconsin Eau Claire
- Public 4 Year
- Eau Claire, WI
-
4.0 | 1 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
UW-Eau Claire is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and music. The campus sits along the Chippewa River in a western Wisconsin college town.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 3.59
- Acceptance Rate 82%
- Net Price $15,151
University of Hawaii at Hilo
- Public 4 Year
- Hilo, HI
-
| 0 reviews
- Jul 1 application deadline
UH Hilo is a public university known for undergraduate astronomy, marine science, and Hawaiian studies. The campus sits on Hawaii's Big Island near Mauna Kea and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
- SAT Range 945-1175
- Avg GPA 3.36
- Acceptance Rate 61%
- Net Price $12,673
East Carolina University
- Public 4 Year
- Greenville, NC
-
4.2 | 4 reviews
East Carolina is a large public university known for undergraduate nursing, health sciences, and education. The main campus is in Greenville, a college town in eastern North Carolina.
- SAT Range 1070-1240
- Avg GPA 3.33
- Acceptance Rate 89%
- Net Price $13,755
Gallaudet University
- Private 4 Year
- Washington, DC
-
| 0 reviews
Gallaudet is a private university designed for deaf and hard of hearing students, known for undergraduate deaf education, American Sign Language, and interpreting. Students communicate primarily in ASL on the urban Washington, D.C. campus.
- SAT Range 780-1022
- Avg GPA 3.3
- Acceptance Rate 58%
- Net Price $15,944
Western Illinois University
- Public 4 Year
- Macomb, IL
-
4.0 | 1 reviews
Western Illinois is a public university known for undergraduate criminal justice, education, and agriculture. The residential campus sits in the small college town of Macomb.
- SAT Range 880-1090
- Avg GPA 3.45
- Acceptance Rate 71%
- Net Price $14,208
Olivet Nazarene University
- Private 4 Year
- Bourbonnais, IL
-
5.0 | 2 reviews
Olivet Nazarene is a private Christian university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and ministry. The residential campus sits in the small town of Bourbonnais south of Chicago.
- SAT Range 950-1220
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.38
- Acceptance Rate 56%
- Net Price $21,281
Fitchburg State University
- Public 4 Year
- Fitchburg, MA
-
| 0 reviews
Fitchburg State is a public university known for undergraduate teacher education, nursing, and business. The campus is located in the small city of Fitchburg in north-central Massachusetts.
- SAT Range 1060-1230
- Avg GPA 3.29
- Acceptance Rate 87%
- Net Price $15,340
Penn State Harrisburg
- Public 4 Year
- Middletown, PA
-
| 0 reviews
Penn State Harrisburg is a public university campus known for undergraduate business, engineering, and public affairs. The suburban Middletown campus sits near Pennsylvania's state capital.
- SAT Range 1120-1310
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.48
- Acceptance Rate 98%
- Net Price $23,788
Lubbock Christian University
- Private 4 Year
- Lubbock, TX
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Jun 1 application deadline
Lubbock Christian is a private Christian university known for undergraduate nursing and education. The residential campus in Lubbock is affiliated with the Churches of Christ.
- SAT Range 950-1190
- Avg GPA 3.71
- Acceptance Rate 73%
- Net Price $24,544
North Park University
- Private 4 Year
- Chicago, IL
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4.0 | 1 reviews
North Park is a private Christian university known for undergraduate nursing, music, and business. The compact urban campus sits in Chicago's North Park neighborhood on the city's North Side.
- SAT Range 890-1162
- Avg GPA 3.14
- Acceptance Rate 69%
- Net Price $20,372