Best Test-Optional Texas Colleges
Texas has 50 ranked test-optional colleges, part of our national test-optional list. These schools do not require SAT or ACT scores with your application, ranked by academic quality and outcomes.
Rice University tops our 2027 test-optional rankings in Texas. The top rated public option is Texas A&M University College Station. Also highly ranked: Trinity University, Southern Methodist University and Texas Christian University.
Without test scores, your GPA, activities, recommendation letters, and essays carry more weight. Compare acceptance rates, tuition, and enrollment across the colleges below. Sort by tuition or acceptance rate to find schools that fit your profile. See our ranking methodology for how schools are scored.
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
University of St Thomas
- Private 4 Year
- Houston, TX
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 15 application deadline
University of St. Thomas is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate business, nursing, and the liberal arts. The urban campus sits in Houston's Museum District.
- SAT Range 980-1210
- Avg GPA 3.53
- Acceptance Rate 90%
- Net Price $20,599
Texas Lutheran University
- Private 4 Year
- Seguin, TX
-
| 0 reviews
Texas Lutheran is a private Lutheran university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The residential campus is in Seguin, a small city northeast of San Antonio.
- SAT Range 1030-1230
- Avg GPA 3.9
- Acceptance Rate 96%
- Net Price $25,119
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
University of North Texas
- Public 4 Year
- Denton, TX
-
4.3 | 3 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
UNT is a large public university known for undergraduate music and jazz studies. Denton is a college town north of the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
- SAT Range 980-1230
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.46
- Acceptance Rate 72%
- Net Price $15,965
The University of Texas at Arlington
- Public 4 Year
- Arlington, TX
-
4.7 | 3 reviews
- Jun 1 application deadline
UT Arlington is a large public university known for undergraduate nursing, engineering, and architecture. The suburban campus sits in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex between the two cities.
- SAT Range 1010-1240
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.43
- Acceptance Rate 80%
- Net Price $13,755
Texas State University
- Public 4 Year
- San Marcos, TX
-
3.8 | 9 reviews
- Jun 1 application deadline
Texas State is a large public university known for undergraduate geography, education, and mass communication. The campus in the college town of San Marcos sits along the spring-fed San Marcos River.
- SAT Range 980-1200
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.38
- Acceptance Rate 89%
- Net Price $15,716
University of the Incarnate Word
- Private 4 Year
- San Antonio, TX
-
| 0 reviews
UIW is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate nursing and the health sciences. The urban campus is in San Antonio.
- SAT Range 900-1140
- Avg GPA 3.5
- Acceptance Rate 98%
- Net Price $23,363
University of Mary Hardin Baylor
- Private 4 Year
- Belton, TX
-
| 0 reviews
Mary Hardin-Baylor is a private Baptist university known for undergraduate nursing and education. The residential campus is in Belton in Central Texas.
- SAT Range 960-1200
- Avg GPA 3.53
- Acceptance Rate 96%
- Net Price $27,651
Sam Houston State University
- Public 4 Year
- Huntsville, TX
-
4.5 | 2 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Sam Houston State is a large public university known for undergraduate criminal justice and forensic science. The main campus is in Huntsville in the piney woods of East Texas.
- SAT Range 930-1120
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.25
- Acceptance Rate 90%
- Net Price $14,737
The University of Texas Permian Basin
- Public 4 Year
- Odessa, TX
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 23 application deadline
UT Permian Basin is a public university known for undergraduate petroleum engineering and business. The campus is located in Odessa in West Texas's Permian Basin.
- SAT Range 910-1130
- Avg GPA 3.27
- Acceptance Rate 95%
- Net Price $13,563
Texas A & M University Corpus Christi
- Public 4 Year
- Corpus Christi, TX
-
| 0 reviews
- Jul 1 application deadline
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi is a public university known for undergraduate marine science, coastal biology, and environmental science. The campus sits on Ward Island along Corpus Christi Bay.
- SAT Range 970-1193
- Avg GPA 3.41
- Acceptance Rate 89%
- Net Price $15,233
Texas Wesleyan University
- Private 4 Year
- Fort Worth, TX
-
3.0 | 1 reviews
Texas Wesleyan is a private Methodist university known for undergraduate teacher education and business. The historic campus sits in Fort Worth's Polytechnic Heights neighborhood.
- SAT Range 1020-1100
- Avg GPA 3.35
- Acceptance Rate 69%
- Net Price $26,416
Houston Christian University
- Private 4 Year
- Houston, TX
-
1.0 | 1 reviews
Houston Christian is a private Christian university known for undergraduate nursing, business, and education. The campus is in southwest Houston.
- SAT Range 990-1190
- Avg GPA 3.46
- Acceptance Rate 84%
- Net Price $21,282
West Texas A & M University
- Public 4 Year
- Canyon, TX
-
4.0 | 1 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
West Texas A&M is a public university known for undergraduate agriculture, nursing, and business. The campus is in Canyon, a small college town in the Texas Panhandle.
- SAT Range 950-1170
- Avg GPA 3.61
- Acceptance Rate 99%
- Net Price $15,572
Texas Woman's University
- Public 4 Year
- Denton, TX
-
4.7 | 3 reviews
TWU is a public university primarily for women, known for undergraduate nursing, health sciences, and education. The main campus is in Denton, a college town north of Dallas-Fort Worth.
- SAT Range 930-1140
- Avg GPA 3.24
- Acceptance Rate 96%
- Net Price $11,636
Texas A&M University Kingsville
- Public 4 Year
- Kingsville, TX
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Texas A&M-Kingsville is a public university known for undergraduate petroleum engineering, agriculture, and wildlife science. Students attend a campus in the small South Texas city of Kingsville.
- SAT Range 990-1110
- Avg GPA 3.45
- Acceptance Rate 91%
- Net Price $12,812
Schreiner University
- Private 4 Year
- Kerrville, TX
-
| 0 reviews
Schreiner is a small private university with undergraduate programs in nursing and education. The campus sits in Kerrville in the Texas Hill Country.
- SAT Range 970-1160
- Avg GPA 3.3
- Acceptance Rate 88%
- Net Price $22,884