Best Test-Optional Midwestern Colleges
There are 249 test-optional colleges in the Midwest, ranked using the same methodology as our national list. These schools do not require SAT or ACT scores with your application.
University of Chicago leads Midwest test-optional rankings for 2027. The top rated public option is University of Michigan Ann Arbor. Also highly ranked: Northwestern University, Washington University in St Louis and University of Notre Dame.
Without test scores, your GPA, activities, recommendation letters, and essays carry more weight. Compare acceptance rates, tuition, and enrollment across the colleges below. Explore the regional list below or browse individual states. See our ranking methodology for how schools are scored.
University of St Francis
- Private 4 Year
- Joliet, IL
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| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
University of St. Francis is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate nursing, health sciences, and education. The campus sits in Joliet, a suburban city southwest of Chicago.
- SAT Range 1030-1220
- Avg GPA 3.47
- Acceptance Rate 65%
- Net Price $14,045
Taylor University
- Private 4 Year
- Upland, IN
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4.0 | 4 reviews
Taylor is a private Christian university known for undergraduate education, business, and nursing. Most students live on the residential campus in the small town of Upland.
- SAT Range 1070-1330
- Avg GPA 3.87
- Acceptance Rate 74%
- Net Price $26,178
Beloit College
- Private 4 Year
- Beloit, WI
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5.0 | 4 reviews
Beloit is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate anthropology and the sciences. The historic residential campus overlooks the Rock River in southern Wisconsin.
- SAT Range 1200-1430
- Avg GPA 3.33
- Acceptance Rate 63%
- Net Price $24,455
North Central College
- Private 4 Year
- Naperville, IL
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| 0 reviews
- Apr 15 application deadline
North Central is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate business, education, and the sciences. The residential campus sits in suburban Naperville, west of Chicago.
- SAT Range 1055-1310
- Avg GPA 3.6
- Acceptance Rate 77%
- Net Price $23,276
Coe College
- Private 4 Year
- Cedar Rapids, IA
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| 0 reviews
- Mar 1 application deadline
Coe is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate writing, biology, and business. Most undergrads live on the residential campus in Cedar Rapids.
- SAT Range 1070-1290
- Avg GPA 3.74
- Acceptance Rate 64%
- Net Price $20,864
Hanover College
- Private 4 Year
- Hanover, IN
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0.0 | 1 reviews
Hanover is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate biology, business, and psychology. The campus overlooks the Ohio River from wooded bluffs in a small southern Indiana town.
- SAT Range 1110-1280
- Avg GPA 3.79
- Acceptance Rate 84%
- Net Price $23,683
University of Nebraska Lincoln
- Public 4 Year
- Lincoln, NE
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| 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
Ohio Wesleyan University
- Private 4 Year
- Delaware, OH
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| 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
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| 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
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| 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
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
- Public 4 Year
- Rapid City, SD
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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
Wisconsin Lutheran College
- Private 4 Year
- Milwaukee, WI
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5.0 | 1 reviews
Wisconsin Lutheran is a private Lutheran liberal arts college known for undergraduate nursing and education. The residential campus sits on Milwaukee's west side.
- SAT Range 970-1230
- Avg GPA 3.54
- Acceptance Rate 78%
- Net Price $24,095
Lewis University
- Private 4 Year
- Romeoville, IL
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| 0 reviews
Lewis is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate aviation and nursing. The suburban Romeoville campus includes its own airport used for flight training.
- SAT Range 960-1210
- Avg GPA 3.6
- Acceptance Rate 71%
- Net Price $18,959
Augsburg University
- Private 4 Year
- Minneapolis, MN
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| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Augsburg is a private Lutheran university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and social work. The urban campus is in Minneapolis's Cedar-Riverside neighborhood.
- SAT Range 1188-1376
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.27
- Acceptance Rate 82%
- Net Price $24,561
Dordt University
- Private 4 Year
- Sioux Center, IA
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| 0 reviews
Dordt is a private Christian university known for undergraduate engineering, agriculture, and education. The residential campus sits in the small town of Sioux Center in northwest Iowa.
- SAT Range 1070-1330
- Avg GPA 3.65
- Acceptance Rate 68%
- Net Price $28,486
Indiana University Indianapolis
- Public 4 Year
- Indianapolis, IN
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| 0 reviews
- May 15 application deadline
IU Indianapolis is a large public university known for undergraduate nursing, health sciences, and philanthropic studies. The urban campus is located in downtown Indianapolis.
- SAT Range 1030-1240
- Avg GPA 3.52
- Acceptance Rate 76%
- Net Price $12,228
Wittenberg University
- Private 4 Year
- Springfield, OH
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5.0 | 1 reviews
Wittenberg is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate education, biology, and business. The residential campus in Springfield has longstanding Lutheran ties.
- SAT Range 980-1275
- Avg GPA 3.6
- Acceptance Rate 72%
- Net Price $23,537
University of Missouri St Louis
- Public 4 Year
- Saint Louis, MO
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| 0 reviews
UMSL is a public university known for undergraduate business, education, and nursing. The suburban campus is in St. Louis County.
- SAT Range 1060-1290
- Avg GPA 3.5
- Acceptance Rate 63%
- Net Price $14,008