Best Test-Optional Wisconsin Colleges
Wisconsin has 25 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.
University of Wisconsin Madison tops our 2027 test-optional rankings in Wisconsin. The top rated public option is also University of Wisconsin Madison. Also highly ranked: Lawrence University, Marquette University and Milwaukee School of Engineering.
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.
University of Wisconsin Madison
- Public 4 Year
- Madison, WI
-
5.0 | 2 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
Wisconsin is a highly selective public university known for undergraduate business, engineering, and the biological sciences. The lakeside campus occupies an isthmus between Lake Mendota and Lake Monona in a classic college town.
- SAT Range 1380-1520
- Avg GPA 3.88
- Acceptance Rate 45%
- Net Price $14,235
Lawrence University
- Private 4 Year
- Appleton, WI
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
Lawrence is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate music through its Conservatory of Music. The residential campus sits along the Fox River in Appleton.
- SAT Range 1200-1420
- Avg GPA 3.52
- Acceptance Rate 64%
- Net Price $27,161
Marquette University
- Private 4 Year
- Milwaukee, WI
-
4.3 | 3 reviews
- Dec 1 application deadline
Marquette is a private Jesuit university known for undergraduate nursing, business, and communications. The urban campus sits in Milwaukee near Lake Michigan.
- SAT Range 1200-1360
- Avg GPA 3.56
- Acceptance Rate 81%
- Net Price $34,322
Milwaukee School of Engineering
- Private 4 Year
- Milwaukee, WI
-
| 0 reviews
- Sep 1 application deadline
MSOE is a private university known for undergraduate engineering, computer science, and nursing. The urban campus is located in downtown Milwaukee.
- SAT Range 1160-1405
- Avg GPA 3.65
- Acceptance Rate 59%
- Net Price $25,669
Beloit College
- Private 4 Year
- Beloit, WI
-
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
Wisconsin Lutheran College
- Private 4 Year
- Milwaukee, WI
-
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
Concordia University Wisconsin
- Private 4 Year
- Mequon, WI
-
| 0 reviews
Concordia Wisconsin is a private Lutheran university known for undergraduate nursing, health sciences, and business. The suburban campus sits on the Lake Michigan shoreline in Mequon.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 3.52
- Acceptance Rate 78%
- Net Price $31,916
Viterbo University
- Private 4 Year
- La Crosse, WI
-
| 0 reviews
Viterbo is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate nursing, health sciences, and performing arts. The campus sits in La Crosse along the Mississippi River.
- SAT Range 1040-1380
- Avg GPA 3.5
- Acceptance Rate 72%
- Net Price $21,933
Saint Norbert College
- Private 4 Year
- De Pere, WI
-
| 0 reviews
Saint Norbert is a private Catholic liberal arts college known for undergraduate business, education, and communication. It is the only Norbertine college in the United States, with a residential campus along the Fox River.
- SAT Range 1033-1290
- Avg GPA 3.57
- Acceptance Rate 86%
- Net Price $27,880
University of Wisconsin La Crosse
- Public 4 Year
- La Crosse, WI
-
| 0 reviews
UW-La Crosse is a public university known for undergraduate exercise science, biology, and teacher education. The campus sits along the Mississippi River at the base of wooded bluffs.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 3.6
- Acceptance Rate 76%
- Net Price $14,712
Carroll University
- Private 4 Year
- Waukesha, WI
-
| 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 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
Carthage College
- Private 4 Year
- Kenosha, WI
-
4.5 | 4 reviews
Carthage is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate nursing, business, and education. The campus sits on the western shore of Lake Michigan.
- SAT Range 1000-1205
- Avg GPA 3.36
- Acceptance Rate 87%
- Net Price $27,066
Mount Mary University
- Private 4 Year
- Milwaukee, WI
-
| 0 reviews
Mount Mary is a private Catholic women's university known for undergraduate fashion design, dietetics, and art. The campus sits in a residential neighborhood on Milwaukee's northwest side.
- SAT Range 866-1123
- Avg GPA 3.13
- Acceptance Rate 62%
- Net Price $20,390
University of Wisconsin Stout
- Public 4 Year
- Menomonie, WI
-
| 0 reviews
- Sep 1 application deadline
UW-Stout is a public polytechnic university known for undergraduate industrial design, packaging, and engineering technology. The campus is in Menomonie, a small city in western Wisconsin.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 3.35
- Acceptance Rate 88%
- Net Price $15,673
University of Wisconsin Platteville
- Public 4 Year
- Platteville, WI
-
3.0 | 4 reviews
UW-Platteville is a public university known for undergraduate engineering and agriculture. Most students live on a residential campus in the small college town of Platteville.
- SAT Range -
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.39
- Acceptance Rate 89%
- Net Price $16,266
University of Wisconsin River Falls
- Public 4 Year
- River Falls, WI
-
5.0 | 2 reviews
UW-River Falls is a public university known for undergraduate agriculture, animal science, and teacher education. The campus is in the small city of River Falls near the Twin Cities.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 3.44
- Acceptance Rate 82%
- Net Price $14,769
Marian University
- Private 4 Year
- Fond Du Lac, WI
-
| 0 reviews
Marian is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate nursing and education. The small campus lies in Fond du Lac at the southern end of Lake Winnebago.
- SAT Range 800-1080
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.16
- Acceptance Rate 75%
- Net Price $22,697