Best Test-Optional Southern Colleges
There are 307 test-optional colleges in the South, ranked using the same methodology as our national list. These schools do not require SAT or ACT scores with your application.
Duke University leads South test-optional rankings for 2027. The top rated public option is University of Virginia Main Campus. Also highly ranked: Rice University, Vanderbilt University and Emory University.
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.
Averett University
- Private 4 Year
- Danville, VA
-
1.6 | 5 reviews
Averett is a private university known for undergraduate aviation and business programs. The small campus sits in the city of Danville near the North Carolina border.
- SAT Range 926-1143
- Avg GPA 3.07
- Acceptance Rate 57%
- Net Price $23,471
Thomas University
- Private 4 Year
- Thomasville, GA
-
| 0 reviews
Thomas University is a private university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The small campus is located in Thomasville in southern Georgia.
- SAT Range 990-1220
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 38%
- Net Price $17,823
Louisiana Tech University
- Public 4 Year
- Ruston, LA
-
3.3 | 3 reviews
Louisiana Tech is a public university known for undergraduate engineering, computer science, and architecture. Ruston is a college town in northern Louisiana built around the campus.
- SAT Range 1100-1310
- Avg GPA 3.58
- Acceptance Rate 86%
- Net Price $12,325
Longwood University
- Public 4 Year
- Farmville, VA
-
| 0 reviews
Longwood is a public university known for undergraduate education, business, and nursing. The residential campus sits in the small college town of Farmville.
- SAT Range 1030-1210
- Avg GPA 3.59
- Acceptance Rate 90%
- Net Price $20,847
Maryville College
- Private 4 Year
- Maryville, TN
-
| 0 reviews
Maryville is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate environmental studies and outdoor programs. The residential campus sits near the Great Smoky Mountains in East Tennessee.
- SAT Range 1018-1188
- Avg GPA 3.61
- Acceptance Rate 61%
- Net Price $21,469
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
- Public 4 Year
- Greensboro, NC
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Mar 1 application deadline
UNCG is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and the performing arts. The urban campus is located in Greensboro.
- SAT Range 1150-1355
- Avg GPA 3.59
- Acceptance Rate 89%
- Net Price $11,404
Emory & Henry University
- Private 4 Year
- Emory, VA
-
| 0 reviews
Emory & Henry is a private liberal arts university known for undergraduate teacher education and the social sciences. The rural campus sits in the Appalachian Mountains of southwestern Virginia.
- SAT Range 1051-1223
- Avg GPA 3.5
- Acceptance Rate 84%
- Net Price $21,446
Hardin Simmons University
- Private 4 Year
- Abilene, TX
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
Hardin-Simmons is a private Baptist university known for undergraduate nursing, music, and education. The residential campus is located in Abilene in West Texas.
- SAT Range 1010-1190
- Avg GPA 3.43
- Acceptance Rate 90%
- Net Price $19,811
Tuskegee University
- Private 4 Year
- Tuskegee, AL
-
4.0 | 5 reviews
- Apr 15 application deadline
Tuskegee is a private university known for undergraduate engineering, nursing, and veterinary science. The rural campus is a historic HBCU in Alabama.
- SAT Range 995-1255
- Avg GPA 3.1
- Acceptance Rate 49%
- Net Price $24,344
East Tennessee State University
- Public 4 Year
- Johnson City, TN
-
4.0 | 1 reviews
ETSU is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, health sciences, and bluegrass music. The campus sits in the Appalachian Highlands of northeastern Tennessee.
- SAT Range 980-1200
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.33
- Acceptance Rate 86%
- Net Price $16,286
Flagler College
- Private 4 Year
- Saint Augustine, FL
-
0.0 | 1 reviews
- Mar 1 application deadline
Flagler is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate business, education, and communication. The historic campus centers on the former Hotel Ponce de Leon in downtown St. Augustine.
- SAT Range 960-1190
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.38
- Acceptance Rate 81%
- Net Price $32,395
Piedmont University
- Private 4 Year
- Demorest, GA
-
2.0 | 2 reviews
- Jul 15 application deadline
Piedmont is a private university known for undergraduate education and nursing. The campus is set in the small town of Demorest in northeast Georgia's Blue Ridge foothills.
- SAT Range 1038-1245
- Avg GPA 3.54
- Acceptance Rate 93%
- Net Price $22,252
Freed Hardeman University
- Private 4 Year
- Henderson, TN
-
| 0 reviews
Freed-Hardeman is a private Christian university affiliated with the Churches of Christ, known for undergraduate biblical studies, ministry, and education. The residential campus sits in the small town of Henderson in West Tennessee.
- SAT Range 952-1087
- Avg GPA 3.75
- Acceptance Rate 60%
- Net Price $20,178
Guilford College
- Private 4 Year
- Greensboro, NC
-
| 0 reviews
Guilford is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate peace and conflict studies. The Quaker-founded residential campus sits in Greensboro.
- SAT Range 1120-1260
- Avg GPA 3.14
- Acceptance Rate 80%
- Net Price $22,270
Anderson University
- Private 4 Year
- Anderson, SC
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
A private Christian university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. Most students live on its residential campus in Anderson in South Carolina's Upstate region.
- SAT Range 1100-1280
- Avg GPA 3.72
- Acceptance Rate 55%
- Net Price $24,434
Lynn University
- Private 4 Year
- Boca Raton, FL
-
3.0 | 4 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Lynn is a private university known for undergraduate business, communication, and hospitality management. The suburban Boca Raton campus sits near Florida's Atlantic coast.
- SAT Range 1040-1200
- Avg GPA 3.3
- Acceptance Rate 73%
- Net Price $45,469
Oklahoma Baptist University
- Private 4 Year
- Shawnee, OK
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
Oklahoma Baptist is a private Baptist university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and music. The residential campus sits in the smaller city of Shawnee east of Oklahoma City.
- SAT Range 1070-1240
- Avg GPA 3.68
- Acceptance Rate 49%
- Net Price $23,839
Thomas More University
- Private 4 Year
- Crestview Hills, KY
-
| 0 reviews
Thomas More is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate nursing and business. The suburban campus in Crestview Hills sits just south of Cincinnati.
- SAT Range 1030-1230
- Avg GPA 3.35
- Acceptance Rate 90%
- Net Price $22,297