Best Test-Optional Southeastern Colleges
There are 239 test-optional colleges in the Southeast, ranked using the same methodology as our national list. These schools do not require SAT or ACT scores with your application.
Duke University leads Southeast test-optional rankings for 2027. The top rated public option is University of Virginia Main Campus. Also highly ranked: Vanderbilt University, Emory University and Washington and Lee 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.
Bowie State University
- Public 4 Year
- Bowie, MD
-
3.0 | 1 reviews
- May 15 application deadline
Bowie State is a public HBCU known for undergraduate education and nursing. The suburban campus sits between Baltimore and Washington, D.C.
- SAT Range 796-1083
- Avg GPA 3.12
- Acceptance Rate 72%
- Net Price $17,287
McNeese State University
- Public 4 Year
- Lake Charles, LA
-
| 0 reviews
McNeese is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, engineering, and business. The campus sits in Lake Charles in southwest Louisiana.
- SAT Range 940-1198
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.36
- Acceptance Rate 78%
- Net Price $12,430
University of West Georgia
- Public 4 Year
- Carrollton, GA
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Jun 1 application deadline
West Georgia is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The residential campus is in Carrollton, a small city about an hour west of Atlanta.
- SAT Range 950-1140
- Avg GPA 3.31
- Acceptance Rate 52%
- Net Price $12,913
Southeastern University
- Private 4 Year
- Lakeland, FL
-
| 0 reviews
- May 1 application deadline
Southeastern is a private Christian university known for undergraduate ministry, business, and education. The campus is in Lakeland, a midsize city between Tampa and Orlando.
- SAT Range 960-1183
- Avg GPA 3.48
- Acceptance Rate 53%
- Net Price $32,334
West Liberty University
- Public 4 Year
- West Liberty, WV
-
| 0 reviews
West Liberty is a small public university known for undergraduate education, nursing, and business. The residential campus is set in a small town in West Virginia's Northern Panhandle.
- SAT Range 890-1123
- Avg GPA 3.53
- Acceptance Rate 97%
- Net Price $13,655
Auburn University at Montgomery
- Public 4 Year
- Montgomery, AL
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
AUM is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, business, and education. The campus is located in Montgomery, Alabama's capital city.
- SAT Range 1036-1203
- Avg GPA 3.4
- Acceptance Rate 92%
- Net Price $13,945
The University of Tennessee Southern
- Private 4 Year
- Pulaski, TN
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 26 application deadline
UT Southern is a small public university with undergraduate programs in nursing, education, and business. The campus sits in the small town of Pulaski in southern Tennessee.
- SAT Range 905-1110
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.17
- Acceptance Rate 87%
- Net Price $14,546
West Virginia Wesleyan College
- Private 4 Year
- Buckhannon, WV
-
| 0 reviews
West Virginia Wesleyan is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate nursing and education. Most students live on a residential campus in the college town of Buckhannon.
- SAT Range 892-1160
- Avg GPA 3.52
- Acceptance Rate 93%
- Net Price $19,218
Georgetown College
- Private 4 Year
- Georgetown, KY
-
4.0 | 1 reviews
Georgetown College is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate education and business. Most undergrads live on its residential campus in a small Kentucky college town.
- SAT Range 960-1160
- Avg GPA 3.54
- Acceptance Rate 91%
- Net Price $15,160
Toccoa Falls College
- Private 4 Year
- Toccoa Falls, GA
-
1.8 | 6 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Toccoa Falls is a private Christian college known for undergraduate biblical studies, ministry, and missions. The wooded campus includes the Toccoa Falls waterfall in the North Georgia foothills.
- SAT Range 1010-1230
- Avg GPA 3.5
- Acceptance Rate 66%
- Net Price $21,955
Austin Peay State University
- Public 4 Year
- Clarksville, TN
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 4 application deadline
Austin Peay is a public university known for undergraduate education and nursing. The Clarksville campus is close to Fort Campbell and draws many military-connected students.
- SAT Range 843-1126
- Avg GPA 3.3
- Acceptance Rate 96%
- Net Price $9,882
Northwestern State University of Louisiana
- Public 4 Year
- Natchitoches, LA
-
| 0 reviews
Northwestern State is a public university known for undergraduate nursing and education. The campus is in historic Natchitoches, a small city along the Cane River.
- SAT Range 866-1163
- Avg GPA 3.3
- Acceptance Rate 93%
- Net Price $13,134
Limestone University
- Private 4 Year
- Gaffney, SC
-
| 0 reviews
Limestone is a private university known for undergraduate nursing, business, and education. The campus is in the small town of Gaffney in upstate South Carolina.
- SAT Range 980-1160
- Avg GPA 3.42
- Acceptance Rate 97%
- Net Price $19,369
Arkansas State University
- Public 4 Year
- Jonesboro, AR
-
| 0 reviews
Arkansas State is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, agriculture, and business. The campus is located in Jonesboro in northeast Arkansas.
- SAT Range 970-1190
- Avg GPA 3.66
- Acceptance Rate 82%
- Net Price $12,410
Shorter University
- Private 4 Year
- Rome, GA
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 25 application deadline
Shorter is a private Christian university known for undergraduate nursing, music, and education. The campus sits in the small city of Rome in northwest Georgia.
- SAT Range 1040-1200
- Avg GPA 3.25
- Acceptance Rate 96%
- Net Price $16,821
Columbia College
- Private 4 Year
- Columbia, SC
-
| 0 reviews
Columbia College is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate education and nursing. Students study on an urban campus in South Carolina's capital.
- SAT Range 850-1140
- Avg GPA 3.56
- Acceptance Rate 94%
- Net Price $18,790
Winston Salem State University
- Public 4 Year
- Winston-Salem, NC
-
| 0 reviews
- Feb 15 application deadline
Winston-Salem State is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate nursing and health sciences. The urban campus is part of the University of North Carolina system.
- SAT Range 830-1020
- Avg GPA 3.01
- Acceptance Rate 78%
- Net Price $12,989
St. Thomas University
- Private 4 Year
- Miami Gardens, FL
-
1.0 | 1 reviews
St. Thomas is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate business, criminal justice, and sports administration. The suburban campus lies in Miami Gardens just north of Miami.
- SAT Range 860-1060
- Avg GPA 3.24
- Acceptance Rate 98%
- Net Price $27,844