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.
Tennessee State University
- Public 4 Year
- Nashville, TN
-
| 0 reviews
Tennessee State is a public HBCU known for undergraduate nursing, business, and engineering. The urban campus is in Nashville.
- SAT Range 880-1050
- Avg GPA 3.22
- Acceptance Rate 70%
- Net Price $14,586
Arizona Christian University
- Private 4 Year
- Glendale, AZ
-
| 0 reviews
Arizona Christian is a private Christian university known for undergraduate biblical studies and education. The suburban campus sits in Glendale in the Phoenix metro area.
- SAT Range 960-1170
- Avg GPA 3.16
- Acceptance Rate 71%
- Net Price $32,514
Clark Atlanta University
- Private 4 Year
- Atlanta, GA
-
| 0 reviews
- Apr 1 application deadline
Clark Atlanta is a private historically Black university known for undergraduate social work, business, and mass media arts. The urban Atlanta campus is part of the Atlanta University Center consortium with neighboring HBCUs.
- SAT Range 880-1120
- Avg GPA 3.28
- Acceptance Rate 64%
- Net Price $31,223
Youngstown State University
- Public 4 Year
- Youngstown, OH
-
4.0 | 1 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Youngstown State is a public university known for undergraduate engineering, business, and education. The urban campus sits in Youngstown in northeastern Ohio.
- SAT Range 1010-1230
- Avg GPA 3.51
- Acceptance Rate 84%
- Net Price $12,757
Dillard University
- Private 4 Year
- New Orleans, LA
-
| 0 reviews
Dillard is a private historically Black university known for undergraduate nursing, public health, and the sciences. The urban campus sits in New Orleans's Gentilly neighborhood.
- SAT Range 968-1202
- Avg GPA 3.31
- Acceptance Rate 42%
- Net Price $21,842
Southeast Missouri State University
- Public 4 Year
- Cape Girardeau, MO
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Jul 1 application deadline
SEMO is a public university known for undergraduate education, nursing, and business. The campus overlooks the Mississippi River in Cape Girardeau.
- SAT Range 850-1030
- Avg GPA 3.53
- Acceptance Rate 74%
- Net Price $16,185
Claflin University
- Private 4 Year
- Orangeburg, SC
-
| 0 reviews
Claflin is a private historically Black university known for undergraduate biology, business, and education. The residential campus is located in Orangeburg in central South Carolina.
- SAT Range 840-1040
- Avg GPA 3.28
- Acceptance Rate 65%
- Net Price $17,272
Concord University
- Public 4 Year
- Athens, WV
-
| 0 reviews
Concord is a small public university known for undergraduate teacher education and business. The residential campus sits in the college town of Athens in southern West Virginia.
- SAT Range 830-1090
- Avg GPA 3.4
- Acceptance Rate 93%
- Net Price $11,379
Southeastern Louisiana University
- Public 4 Year
- Hammond, LA
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Southeastern Louisiana is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The residential campus is in Hammond, a smaller city between Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 3.39
- Acceptance Rate 99%
- Net Price $13,116
University of Wisconsin Parkside
- Public 4 Year
- Kenosha, WI
-
| 0 reviews
UW-Parkside is a public university known for undergraduate business, criminal justice, and biological sciences. The wooded Kenosha campus sits between Milwaukee and Chicago.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 3.31
- Acceptance Rate 75%
- Net Price $10,234
Lincoln University
- Public 4 Year
- Lincoln University, PA
-
| 0 reviews
- May 1 application deadline
Lincoln University is a public HBCU known for undergraduate programs in education, business, and the sciences. The rural campus is set in Chester County in southern Pennsylvania.
- SAT Range 820-960
- Avg GPA 3.06
- Acceptance Rate 66%
- Net Price $14,473
Georgia Southwestern State University
- Public 4 Year
- Americus, GA
-
| 0 reviews
- Jul 21 application deadline
Georgia Southwestern is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The residential campus sits in the small city of Americus in southwest Georgia.
- SAT Range 890-1110
- Avg GPA 3.17
- Acceptance Rate 75%
- Net Price $11,769
Avila University
- Private 4 Year
- Kansas City, MO
-
| 0 reviews
Avila is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate nursing and education. The compact campus sits in southern Kansas City.
- SAT Range 800-960
- Avg GPA 3.24
- Acceptance Rate 88%
- Net Price $17,004
Louisiana State University Alexandria
- Public 4 Year
- Alexandria, LA
-
| 0 reviews
LSUA is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The campus sits in Alexandria in central Louisiana.
- SAT Range 970-1220
- Avg GPA 3.16
- Acceptance Rate 92%
- Net Price $8,296
Newberry College
- Private 4 Year
- Newberry, SC
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
Newberry is a private liberal arts college with undergraduate programs in education and business. The residential campus sits in the small town of Newberry and has long ties to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
- SAT Range 820-1060
- Avg GPA 3.58
- Acceptance Rate 90%
- Net Price $21,943
Norfolk State University
- Public 4 Year
- Norfolk, VA
-
| 0 reviews
- May 31 application deadline
Norfolk State is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate nursing, social work, and communications. The urban campus sits in Norfolk near downtown and the Elizabeth River.
- SAT Range 823-1030
- Avg GPA 2.9
- Acceptance Rate 88%
- Net Price $9,124
Union Commonwealth University
- Private 4 Year
- Barbourville, KY
-
4.5 | 2 reviews
Union Commonwealth is a small private university with undergraduate programs in education, business, and nursing. The residential campus sits in the Appalachian college town of Barbourville.
- SAT Range 920-1105
- Avg GPA 3.15
- Acceptance Rate 63%
- Net Price $17,124
University of the Cumberlands
- Private 4 Year
- Williamsburg, KY
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 31 application deadline
University of the Cumberlands is a private Christian university known for undergraduate teacher education and business. Students live on a residential campus in the small Appalachian town of Williamsburg.
- SAT Range 960-1160
- Avg GPA 3.47
- Acceptance Rate 99%
- Net Price $14,743