Best Test-Optional U.S. Colleges
CollegeSimply ranks 1045 four-year colleges that do not require SAT or ACT scores for admission. These are the highest-ranked test-optional schools in the U.S., sorted by academic quality and student outcomes. Policies can vary by applicant and year, so confirm requirements on each school's website before applying.
Princeton University leads our 2027 test-optional rankings, ranked #1 nationally. The top rated public option is University of Michigan Ann Arbor. Also highly ranked: Duke University, Stanford University and Harvard University.
Without test scores, your GPA, activities, recommendation letters, and essays carry more weight. Compare acceptance rates, tuition, and enrollment across the full list below. Filter by state or sort by selectivity to build your list. You can also explore matches by GPA on our college search by GPA. See our ranking methodology for how schools are scored.
Lewis Clark State College
- Public 4 Year
- Lewiston, ID
-
1.0 | 1 reviews
- Aug 8 application deadline
Lewis-Clark State is a small public college known for undergraduate nursing, teacher education, and business. The campus is in Lewiston at the confluence of the Snake and Clearwater rivers.
- SAT Range 850-1110
- Avg GPA 3.23
- Acceptance Rate 88%
- Net Price $15,917
North Carolina A & T State University
- Public 4 Year
- Greensboro, NC
-
4.0 | 1 reviews
- Jun 1 application deadline
NC A&T is a large public HBCU known for undergraduate engineering and agriculture. The urban campus is in Greensboro.
- SAT Range 1020-1190
- Avg GPA 3.61
- Acceptance Rate 50%
- Net Price $10,097
Georgia Southern University
- Public 4 Year
- Statesboro, GA
-
| 0 reviews
- May 1 application deadline
Georgia Southern is a large public university known for undergraduate education, nursing, and logistics. The main campus anchors the college town of Statesboro in southeast Georgia.
- SAT Range 986-1133
- Avg GPA 3.36
- Acceptance Rate 88%
- Net Price $15,971
Point University
- Private 4 Year
- West Point, GA
-
| 0 reviews
Point is a small private Christian university known for undergraduate ministry, business, and education. The campus is in the small town of West Point on the Georgia-Alabama border.
- SAT Range 972-1237
- Avg GPA 3.41
- Acceptance Rate 44%
- Net Price $19,545
Barton College
- Private 4 Year
- Wilson, NC
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
Barton is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate nursing and education. The residential campus is in the small city of Wilson in eastern North Carolina.
- SAT Range 970-1150
- Avg GPA 3.25
- Acceptance Rate 94%
- Net Price $23,962
Arkansas Tech University
- Public 4 Year
- Russellville, AR
-
| 0 reviews
Arkansas Tech is a public university known for undergraduate engineering, education, and emergency management. The campus is in Russellville, a small city in the Arkansas River Valley.
- SAT Range 880-1100
- Avg GPA 3.37
- Acceptance Rate 96%
- Net Price $12,626
North Carolina Wesleyan University
- Private 4 Year
- Rocky Mount, NC
-
| 0 reviews
North Carolina Wesleyan is a small private university known for undergraduate business, education, and criminal justice. The residential campus is located in Rocky Mount in eastern North Carolina.
- SAT Range 860-1120
- Avg GPA 3.2
- Acceptance Rate 80%
- Net Price $18,472
Coker University
- Private 4 Year
- Hartsville, SC
-
| 0 reviews
Coker is a private university known for undergraduate liberal arts programs and round-table classroom teaching. The historic campus sits in the small town of Hartsville.
- SAT Range 940-1160
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.1
- Acceptance Rate 94%
- Net Price $19,823
Elizabeth City State University
- Public 4 Year
- Elizabeth City, NC
-
| 0 reviews
- Jun 30 application deadline
ECSU is a public HBCU known for undergraduate aviation and teacher education. The campus is in the small coastal city of Elizabeth City in northeastern North Carolina.
- SAT Range 920-1080
- Avg GPA 3.16
- Acceptance Rate 64%
- Net Price $6,483
Valdosta State University
- Public 4 Year
- Valdosta, GA
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Jun 15 application deadline
Valdosta State is a public university known for undergraduate education, nursing, and business. The campus is in the south Georgia city of Valdosta.
- SAT Range 920-1100
- Avg GPA 3.23
- Acceptance Rate 72%
- Net Price $11,144
University of South Carolina Beaufort
- Public 4 Year
- Bluffton, SC
-
| 0 reviews
A public university known for undergraduate nursing, hospitality management, and biology. The Bluffton campus sits in South Carolina's Lowcountry near Hilton Head Island.
- SAT Range 940-1110
- Avg GPA 3.82
- Acceptance Rate 73%
- Net Price $15,363
Bethel University
- Private 4 Year
- McKenzie, TN
-
| 0 reviews
Bethel is a private Christian university affiliated with the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, known for undergraduate business and education programs. The campus is set in the small town of McKenzie in western Tennessee.
- SAT Range 830-1120
- Avg GPA 3.6
- Acceptance Rate 60%
- Net Price $13,112
Johnson C Smith University
- Private 4 Year
- Charlotte, NC
-
4.5 | 2 reviews
Johnson C. Smith is a private historically Black university known for undergraduate business, computer science, and social work. The compact urban campus sits in Charlotte's historic West End.
- SAT Range 800-980
- Avg GPA 2.48
- Acceptance Rate 45%
- Net Price $19,705
Indiana University South Bend
- Public 4 Year
- South Bend, IN
-
| 0 reviews
IU South Bend is a public regional campus of Indiana University known for undergraduate nursing, business, and education. The campus lies along the St. Joseph River in South Bend.
- SAT Range 950-1190
- Avg GPA 3.24
- Acceptance Rate 84%
- Net Price $9,003
Bluefield State University
- Public 4 Year
- Bluefield, WV
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Bluefield State is a public HBCU known for undergraduate nursing, engineering technology, and education. The campus is in Bluefield, a small city in the Appalachian mountains of southern West Virginia.
- SAT Range 870-1080
- Avg GPA 3.41
- Acceptance Rate 97%
- Net Price $15,814
Western Kentucky University
- Public 4 Year
- Bowling Green, KY
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
WKU is a public university known for undergraduate journalism, photojournalism, and broadcasting. The hilltop campus overlooks Bowling Green in south-central Kentucky.
- SAT Range 840-1050
- Avg GPA 3.42
- Acceptance Rate 94%
- Net Price $12,548
Culver Stockton College
- Private 4 Year
- Canton, MO
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 15 application deadline
Culver-Stockton is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate business, education, and equestrian studies. The campus sits on bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River.
- SAT Range 970-1080
- Avg GPA 3.37
- Acceptance Rate 99%
- Net Price $21,996
Fairmont State University
- Public 4 Year
- Fairmont, WV
-
4.0 | 1 reviews
Fairmont State is a public university known for undergraduate teacher education, nursing, and business. The hilltop campus overlooks the small city of Fairmont in north-central West Virginia.
- SAT Range 810-1070
- Avg GPA 3.36
- Acceptance Rate 99%
- Net Price $11,328