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.
North Carolina Central University
- Public 4 Year
- Durham, NC
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
NCCU is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate nursing, business, and criminal justice. The campus sits in Durham within North Carolina's Research Triangle.
- SAT Range 980-1100
- Avg GPA 3.27
- Acceptance Rate 87%
- Net Price $14,475
University of West Alabama
- Public 4 Year
- Livingston, AL
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 10 application deadline
West Alabama is a public university known for undergraduate education and business programs. The campus sits in the small town of Livingston in western Alabama.
- SAT Range 860-1120
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.16
- Acceptance Rate 43%
- Net Price $13,954
Eastern New Mexico University Main Campus
- Public 4 Year
- Portales, NM
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Aug 24 application deadline
ENMU is a public university known for undergraduate aviation and teacher education. The campus is in the small college town of Portales on New Mexico's eastern plains.
- SAT Range 830-1060
- Avg GPA 3.23
- Acceptance Rate 92%
- Net Price $6,416
Nelson University
- Private 4 Year
- Waxahachie, TX
-
| 0 reviews
Nelson is a private Assemblies of God university known for undergraduate ministry and education programs. The campus is in Waxahachie, a small city south of Dallas.
- SAT Range 890-1090
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.19
- Acceptance Rate 89%
- Net Price $22,359
Fayetteville State University
- Public 4 Year
- Fayetteville, NC
-
4.3 | 3 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Fayetteville State is a public university known for undergraduate education, nursing, and business. It is a historically Black university in the University of North Carolina system.
- SAT Range 890-1090
- Avg GPA 3.11
- Acceptance Rate 82%
- Net Price $7,811
University of Bridgeport
- Private 4 Year
- Bridgeport, CT
-
| 0 reviews
University of Bridgeport is a private university known for undergraduate engineering, business, and dental hygiene. The campus sits along Long Island Sound in the city of Bridgeport.
- SAT Range 880-1115
- Avg GPA 3.04
- Acceptance Rate 83%
- Net Price $28,498
Truett McConnell University
- Private 4 Year
- Cleveland, GA
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Truett McConnell is a private Baptist university known for undergraduate Christian studies and education. The campus is in the North Georgia mountains near Cleveland.
- SAT Range 1000-1190
- Avg GPA 3.49
- Acceptance Rate 78%
- Net Price $22,179
Jackson State University
- Public 4 Year
- Jackson, MS
-
| 0 reviews
- Jul 15 application deadline
Jackson State is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate business, education, and public health. The urban campus sits in Mississippi's capital city.
- SAT Range 820-1070
- Avg GPA 3.1
- Acceptance Rate 93%
- Net Price $23,450
Lander University
- Public 4 Year
- Greenwood, SC
-
| 0 reviews
Lander is a public university known for undergraduate nursing and education. The campus is in the small city of Greenwood in South Carolina's Upstate.
- SAT Range 950-1178
- Avg GPA 3.66
- Acceptance Rate 81%
- Net Price $15,520
Tusculum University
- Private 4 Year
- Greeneville, TN
-
| 0 reviews
Tusculum is a small private university with undergraduate programs in business, education, and nursing. The historic Greeneville campus is Tennessee's oldest college and retains a Presbyterian affiliation.
- SAT Range 910-1110
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.18
- Acceptance Rate 72%
- Net Price $20,355
Black Hills State University
- Public 4 Year
- Spearfish, SD
-
| 0 reviews
Black Hills State is a public university known for undergraduate teacher education, business, and outdoor education. The campus sits in Spearfich at the northern edge of South Dakota's Black Hills.
- SAT Range 965-1135
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.22
- Acceptance Rate 96%
- Net Price $15,576
Alcorn State University
- Public 4 Year
- Alcorn State, MS
-
1.0 | 1 reviews
Alcorn State is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate agriculture, nursing, and biology. The rural campus sits in southwestern Mississippi.
- SAT Range 670-998
- Avg GPA 3.2
- Acceptance Rate 45%
- Net Price $12,376
Prairie View A & M University
- Public 4 Year
- Prairie View, TX
-
4.0 | 1 reviews
- Mar 1 application deadline
Prairie View A&M is a public HBCU known for undergraduate engineering, nursing, and agriculture. The small-town campus sits northwest of Houston in Prairie View.
- SAT Range 860-1080
- Avg GPA 3.3
- Acceptance Rate 79%
- Net Price $14,448
Clayton State University
- Public 4 Year
- Morrow, GA
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Jul 17 application deadline
Clayton State is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, health sciences, and business. The suburban Morrow campus sits beside a lake south of Atlanta.
- SAT Range 860-1078
- Avg GPA 3.0
- Acceptance Rate 68%
- Net Price $8,192
Mississippi Valley State University
- Public 4 Year
- Itta Bena, MS
-
| 0 reviews
Mississippi Valley State is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate education and business. The rural campus sits in the Mississippi Delta near Greenwood.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 2.9
- Acceptance Rate 92%
- Net Price $10,232
Fort Valley State University
- Public 4 Year
- Fort Valley, GA
-
5.0 | 2 reviews
- Jun 15 application deadline
Fort Valley State is a public HBCU known for undergraduate agriculture and animal science. The residential campus is in the small city of Fort Valley in central Georgia.
- SAT Range 930-1070
- Avg GPA 2.87
- Acceptance Rate 66%
- Net Price $10,047
Columbus State University
- Public 4 Year
- Columbus, GA
-
| 0 reviews
- Jun 30 application deadline
Columbus State is a public university known for undergraduate music through the Schwob School of Music, plus nursing and theater. Arts programs also use a downtown RiverPark campus along the Chattahoochee River.
- SAT Range 800-1060
- Avg GPA 3.07
- Acceptance Rate 99%
- Net Price $12,420
Bethune Cookman University
- Private 4 Year
- Daytona Beach, FL
-
| 0 reviews
Bethune-Cookman is a private historically Black university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The campus sits in Daytona Beach near Florida's Atlantic coast.
- SAT Range 830-990
- Avg GPA 3.3
- Acceptance Rate 88%
- Net Price $12,476