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Test-Optional Colleges

The number of test-optional schools continues to grow each year as the movement that actually began way back in 1969 continues to spread like wildfire. While the first school to adopt such a policy was Bowdoin, a highly-selective liberal arts college, the majority of recent adoptees are less-selective to moderately-selective schools that hope eschewing the SAT/ACT will lead to a spike in applicants/enrollment. However, there are also a good number of very selective institutions that have also decided to jettison the requirement, an important development for those applicants who possess exceptional credentials in every area but standardized tests. Below is College Transitions’ list of selective colleges and universities that do not require standardized test (SAT/ACT) scores for admission.

Last updated May 31, 2021. Please check back frequently as policies continue to be updated.

To view additional data columns, click the + icon to the left of the institution’s name.

InstitutionPolicy Adopted% Incoming Freshmen Submitting SAT (2019)% Incoming Freshmen Submitting ACT (2019)SAT Math (middle 50%)SAT R/W (middle 50%)ACT (middle 50%)
Adelphi University202074%20%540-640540-63022-27
Agnes Scott College200950%36%540-650590-69024-30
Albion College202076%25%490-590500-61021-27
Allegheny College201556%27%580-680590-68024-30
American University201053%31%590-690620-70027-31
Amherst College202059%51%720-790690-76031-34
Appalachian State University202049%46%540-630560-64022-28
Arizona State University58%58%560-690560-67022-28
Auburn University202018%81%570-670580-65025-31
Augustana College (IL)200768%52%530-650540-63022-29
Austin College201667%41%550-650560-66024-29
Babson College202074%35%650-760620-69028-32
Ball State University201868%32%530-610540-62020-24
Bard College198533%16%610-710640-71027-31
Barnard College202063%48%670-770670-75031-34
Baruch College (CUNY)202094%Not Reported580-690550-640Not Reported
Bates College198445%31%640-730630-75029-33
Baylor University202049%51%600-700600-68026-32
Belmont University202046%72%550-650580-67024-29
Beloit College201430%30%550-690570-67021-29
Bennington College200634%13%590-700660-74029-32
Bentley University202085%24%630-730600-68027-31
Berea College202015%80%540-640550-66023-27
Berry College202050%49%530-650560-67024-30
Birmingham Southern College201617%74%540-650570-66022-29
Boston College202059%45%670-780660-74031-34
Boston University202073%32%690-790650-72030-34
Bowdoin College196959%45%670-780660-74031-34
Bradley University202070%52%530-640540-63022-28
Brandeis University201369%32%650-780630-72029-33
Brown University202067%48%740-800700-77033-35
Bryant University201170%7%570-660560-64024-30
Bryn Mawr College201461%32%650-770640-74029-33
Bucknell University201972%36%630-730620-70028-32
Butler University202068%62%570-670580-66024-30
Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo202078%48%620-740620-70026-32
Cal Poly, Pomona202091%25%510-640510-62019-27
Cal State University, Fresno202097%30%470-560470-57016-22
Cal State University, Fullerton202096%26%520-600510-60019-24
California Institute of Technology202079%42%790-800740-76035-36
Carleton College202057%54%690-790670-75031-34
Carnegie Mellon University202077%36%760-800700-76033-35
Case Western Reserve University202066%48%700-790640-72030-34
Catholic University201564%21%550-660580-67024-29
Centre College202026%79%560-730570-65026-32
Chapman University202069%44%590-690600-68025-30
Christopher Newport University200790%26%540-630570-65022-27
Claremont Mckenna College202056%53%690-780670-73031-34
Clark University201161%17%580-680600-69027-31
Clarkson University202089%32%600-690560-66023-30
Clemson University202062%38%610-710620-69027-32
Colby College201852%38%700-780680-74031-34
Colgate University202056%44%670-770660-73031-34
College of Charleston202059%42%530-620550-64022-28
College of Idaho201569%43%510-600520-61021-27
College of the Atlantic196931%16%540-630630-71026-32
College of the Holy Cross200544%21%630-730630-70028-32
College of William and Mary202080%32%660-770660-74030-34
College of Wooster202059%57%570-700580-68024-31
Colorado College201950%48%650-750650-73029-33
Colorado School of Mines202081%59%640-750620-71027-33
Columbia University202066%45%740-800710-76033-35
Connecticut College200931%16%660-740650-71030-33
Cooper Union202081%26%660-790650-74030-35
Cornell College201535%68%560-670540-68023-29
Cornell University202071%41%720-800680-76032-35
Creighton University201928%84%570-680580-67024-30
Dartmouth College202057%43%730-790710-77032-35
Davidson College202063%46%660-760650-73030-33
Denison University200638%39%610-730590-68027-31
DePaul University201064%Not Reported530-640540-650Not Reported
DePauw University201872%49%570-700560-66023-30
Dickinson College199452%23%620-710620-70028-32
Drake University201522%74%540-690580-68024-31
Drew University200566%24%540-660570-65025-30
Drexel University202086%22%600-710590-68025-31
Duke University202053%72%740-800710-77033-35
Duquesne University201473%31%560-650570-65023-28
Earlham College201162%34%550-690550-68023-30
East Carolina University202069%65%510-590520-60019-24
Eckerd College202072%45%530-630560-65023-29
Elon University202065%46%570-660590-66025-30
Emerson College201767%26%590-710610-70027-31
Emory University202059%41%690-790670-74031-34
Fairfield University200958%16%600-680610-67026-30
Fordham University202071%39%630-730620-70028-32
Franklin and Marshall College200662%23%640-760610-70028-32
Furman University201140%50%600-700630-71028-32
George Mason University200672%8%550-660570-66024-30
George Washington University201552%31%650-750630-72029-33
Georgetown College202013%93%510-640530-64021-27
Gettysburg College2006Not ReportedNot Reported620-700630-70027-31
Gonzaga University202072%46%600-690600-67025-30
Goucher College200771%22%500-610530-65021-30
Grinnell College202055%45%700-790670-74031-34
Guilford College2006Not Reported47%470-560440-59017-24
Gustavus Adolphus College2006Not Reported61%Not ReportedNot Reported25-30
Hamilton College202041%40%700-780670-74032-34
Hanover College201749%40%510-620520-62021-26
Hartwick College199550%10%510-600520-61020-25
Harvard University202069%47%740-800720-78033-35
Harvey Mudd College202074%44%780-800710-77033-35
Haverford College202068%43%700-790680-75032-34
Hendrix College201926%90%570-670580-70025-31
Hobart & William Smith College200635%18%590-680610-68027-30
Hofstra University201469%21%580-680580-66025-30
Houghton College201680%24%520-660540-66021-28
Hollins University202084%25%510-630560-67022-30
Indiana University Bloomington202075%60%570-690580-67024-31
Illinois Institute of Technology202078%39%620-730570-67026-32
Iowa State University202017%87%560-690540-65022-28
Ithaca College201250%17%570-670590-68026-30
James Madison University201762%15%550-640570-65023-28
John Jay College of Criminal Justice (CUNY)202099%Not Reported480-560480-570Not Reported
Johns Hopkins University202063%37%760-800710-77033-36
Juniata College200658%20%540-670550-66023-31
Kalamazoo College201553%25%580-680590-69025-31
Kansas State University2020Not Reported92%Not ReportedNot Reported22-28
Kenyon College202058%51%630-740640-72029-33
Knox College200554%41%540-680550-67024-31
Lafayette College202071%35%630-740620-70028-33
Lake Forest College200657%44%540-640540-64023-29
Lawrence University200536%51%600-730600-70025-32
Le Moyne College201564%17%540-640530-64022-28
Lehigh University202070%30%660-760620-69029-33
Lewis & Clark College199156%36%590-690630-71027-31
Linfield College201862%31%520-610520-62020-26
Loyola Marymount University202069%41%610-710620-70027-31
Loyola University (MD)200963%25%560-660580-66025-30
Loyola University Chicago202059%60%560-660570-66025-30
Lycoming College200677%21%500-600510-60019-24
Manhattan College202088%12%530-640530-64023-28
Macalester College202057%50%660-770660-74029-33
Marist College201052%16%580-670580-66025-30
Marquette University201932%79%560-670560-65024-29
Massachusetts Institute of Technology202075%48%780-800720-77034-36
Miami University202031%81%610-730600-68026-31
Michigan State University202078%38%550-670550-65023-29
Middlebury College202062%45%690-780670-75032-34
Mount Holyoke College200150%27%640-770630-72027-32
Muhlenberg College199660%30%580-680590-68026-30
New Jersey Institute of Technology202090%17%610-710580-67025-30
New York University202064%28%690-790660-74030-34
North Carolina State University202055%45%630-730620-69027-32
Northeastern University202055%31%710-790680-75032-35
Northwestern University202064%53%740-790700-76033-35
Oberlin College202068%41%630-750650-73029-33
Occidental College202068%45%650-750650-73028-32
Ohio State University202039%78%650-770600-69028-32
Ohio University202022%90%520-620530-64021-26
Ohio Wesleyan University201332%64%530-670550-66022-28
Olin College of Engineering202067%45%760-800700-76034-35
Oregon State University202072%40%530-660550-66021-28
Penn State University - University Park202074%22%580-700580-66025-30
Pitzer College200332%28%680-750670-73030-33
Pomona College202064%50%700-790690-75032-35
Princeton University202068%55%730-800710-77032-35
Providence College200651%17%600-680610-70027-31
Reed College202070%42%660-770670-75030-34
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute202072%28%690-780640-72029-33
Rhodes College202036%72%600-730620-70027-32
Rice University202046%54%750-800700-76033-35
Ripon College201621%80%510-620480-60019-25
Rochester Institute of Technology202075%27%620-720600-69027-32
Rollins College200767%44%560-660600-68024-30
Rowan University201492%11%470-580520-62021-27
Rutgers University202087%25%600-730590-68025-31
Saint Joseph's University201372%18%550-650570-65023-29
Saint Louis University202036%76%580-700590-68025-30
San Diego State University202086%38%550-670560-65022-29
San Jose State University202093%23%520-640510-62018-27
Santa Clara University202068%43%650-740630-70028-32
Sarah Lawrence College200445%26%600-700640-72028-31
Scripps College202062%51%660-750670-74030-33
Seattle University202079%37%570-670580-66024-30
Seton Hall University202087%23%570-670580-66024-29
Sewanee – The University of the South200840%61%570-660580-68025-30
Siena College201465%13%540-650530-63022-28
Simmons University202088%12%540-630570-66023-29
Skidmore College201653%22%610-700610-70028-32
Smith College200854%30%660-780670-74030-33
Southern Methodist University202039%55%660-760640-72029-33
Southwestern University201977%51%560-650580-67023-29
St. John's University201677%11%540-660540-64023-29
St. Lawrence University200555%20%580-680570-67024-30
St. Mary's College (IN)201865%58%510-610540-65022-28
St. Mary's College (MD)201987%22%520-640540-65021-29
St. Michael's College201053%11%560-650580-67025-29
St. Olaf College202030%74%600-720590-71026-32
Stanford University202067%50%740-800700-77032-35
Stevens Institute of Technology202076%20%700-780640-72031-34
Stonehill College200656%7%550-640570-65024-29
Stony Brook University (SUNY)202086%20%640-750590-69026-32
Universtiy at Albany (SUNY)202087%14%540-630550-62022-28
SUNY Potsdam200941%9%510-620520-63020-27
SUNY Maritime College202091%21%550-640540-62022-28
Susquehanna University200474%15%540-640560-65022-28
Swarthmore College202068%37%700-790680-75031-35
Syracuse University202070%32%600-710580-67026-30
Temple University201476%17%550-660570-66024-30
Texas A&M University - College Station202062%38%580-710580-68026-31
Texas Christian University202041%58%570-680580-67025-31
Texas Tech University202061%39%530-630540-63022-27
The College of New Jersey202090%19%580-690580-67025-30
Transylvania University201410%80%530-670550-68023-30
Trinity College201531%23%670-750630-71029-32
Trinity University202055%45%640-730650-72029-32
Truman State University202010%92%570-670580-68024-31
Tufts University202056%44%710-790680-75032-34
Tulane University202026%72%700-770660-75031-33
Union College (NY)200659%23%620-740600-68027-32
University at Buffalo (SUNY)202076%20%590-690570-65024-29
University of Arizona51%50%550-690560-67021-29
University of California, Berkeley202081%41%670-790640-74028-34
University of California, Davis202071%29%580-740570-67025-31
University of California, Irvine2020100%Not Reported600-750580-690Not Reported
University of California, Los Angeles202080%44%640-790640-74027-34
University of California, Merced202092%42%490-590490-59017-22
University of California, Riverside202094%34%550-690560-65024-30
University of California, San Diego202088%37%620-780610-71024-33
University of California, Santa Barbara202086%36%620-770620-72025-33
University of California, Santa Cruz202086%33%600-710590-68024-30
University of Chicago201854%51%770-800730-77033-35
University of Cincinnati202022%89%560-690560-66023-29
University of Colorado Boulder202072%47%560-690580-67025-31
University of Connecticut202087%27%610-730600-69026-31
University of Delaware202072%27%580-680590-67025-30
University of Denver201955%55%580-680590-67026-31
University of Hawaii202070%42%530-640540-63021-26
University of Iowa202029%87%570-680560-66022-29
University of Illinois at Chicago202076%41%510-610510-61021-27
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign202079%55%620-780600-70027-33
University of Louisville2020Not Reported100%Not ReportedNot Reported22-29
University of Maine202094%11%520-630530-63021-27
University of Mary Washington201587%21%510-620540-65022-29
University of Maryland, Baltimore County202092%20%590-690590-67024-29
University of Maryland, College Park202082%31%650-760630-72029-33
University of Massachusetts – Boston201584%7%510-610500-61020-27
University of Massachusetts – Dartmouth202096%6%500-600490-60019-26
University of Massachusetts – Lowell201579%9%580-670570-65024-29
University of Miami202057%38%640-740630-70029-32
University of Michigan202063%48%680-790660-74031-34
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities202018%89%660-770600-71026-31
University of Missouri2020
University of Nebraska – Lincoln202012%92%560-690560-67022-28
University of New Hampshire201993%13%530-630540-64022-28
University of North Carolina at Asheville202063%60%530-620560-65022-27
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill202052%69%650-760650-73027-33
University of North Carolina at Charlotte202071%61%560-650560-64022-26
University of North Carolina at Greensboro202065%62%500-570500-59019-24
University of North Carolina at Wilmington202046%63%580-660590-66022-27
University of North Carolina School of the Arts202066%43%530-620560-66022-28
University of Notre Dame202047%53%720-790680-76032-35
University of Oregon202070%33%540-650560-66022-28
University of Pennsylvania202062%38%750-800700-76033-35
University of Pittsburgh202083%34%630-740630-70028-33
University of Puget Sound201559%37%560-680590-69025-30
University of Redlands202071%28%530-620550-64023-28
University of Richmond202064%36%650-750640-71030-33
University of Rochester201972%31%670-780640-72030-34
University of San Diego202069%43%590-690600-68026-31
University of San Francisco201972%36%560-670570-66023-29
University of South Carolina202065%35%580-690600-68025-31
University of Southern California202061%52%690-790660-74030-34
University of Tennessee - Knoxville202023%88%570-670580-66024-30
University of Texas at Austin202079%54%610-760620-72027-33
University of Tulsa202039%82%540-690550-67024-31
University of Utah202026%79%570-700570-68022-29
University of Vermont202079%31%580-680600-68026-31
University of Virginia202079%34%670-780670-74030-34
University of Washington - Seattle202081%30%620-770600-70027-33
University of Wisconsin - Madison202028%79%680-780630-71027-32
Ursinus College200972%17%570-680580-67024-30
Vanderbilt University202049%52%750-800710-76033-35
Vassar College202069%40%690-780680-75031-34
Villanova University202061%39%670-760650-71031-34
Virginia Commonwealth University201477%18%520-620550-64021-28
Virginia Military Institute202093%33%540-630550-64021-28
Virginia Tech202087%25%590-710590-68025-31
Wake Forest University200844%45%670-770650-72030-33
Warren Wilson College2015Not ReportedNot Reported530-620610-670Not Reported
Washington & Jefferson College200960%21%540-640550-64022-28
Washington and Lee University202045%55%680-760670-73031-34
Washington College200774%21%530-640560-66020-29
Washington University in St. Louis202033%71%760-800710-77032-35
Wellesley College202072%38%680-780680-75031-34
Wesleyan University201463%39%670-770650-74031-34
Western Carolina University202049%59%510-590510-59020-25
Wheaton College (MA)199249%8%550-660600-68027-32
Whitman College201662%55%600-720620-72026-32
Whittier College201679%29%510-600530-62020-26
Whitworth University200676%28%520-640530-65021-29
Willamette University201673%34%560-660580-68031-35
Williams College202066%47%710-790700-76032-35
Wofford College201743%35%590-670600-68026-30
Worcester Polytechnic Institute200771%24%680-760630-71029-33
Yale University202068%50%740-800720-77033-35

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