Colleges That Don’t Require the SAT or ACT

There are over 3,500 colleges, universities, and institutions that offer degrees in the United States, but did you know that more than 2,100 of these schools don’t currently require SAT or ACT scores should you apply? Many colleges are currently test optional, while a handful are test free. If you didn’t score well or you’re thinking about skipping the standardized tests all together, here are some colleges that don’t require the SAT or ACT during their admissions processes.

Required Vs. Test-Optional Vs. Test-Free

Several colleges and universities in the United States still require applicants to submit their SAT or ACT results. If you apply to a school that requires the test and fail to submit a score, you’ll likely be rejected. These tests often show a student’s college readiness, which is valuable information for admissions departments when reviewing and comparing applications.

However, thousands of colleges, especially in recent years, have gone test optional or test free.

• Test-optional schools don’t require the SAT/ACT, but many recommend it. How important the SAT/ACT is to your acceptance chances depends on the school. One might simply consider it, while another deems it “very important.” Should you choose to submit your results, the admissions department will weigh your scores as part of your whole application.
• Test-free, or test-blind, institutions won’t accept any test results, even if you took the exam. SAT/ACT scores have no bearing on whether a student receives an acceptance letter or a rejection letter.

Colleges That Don’t Require the SAT or ACT

There are currently over 2,000 test-optional and test-blind colleges and universities. FairTest maintains a full list of bachelor’s degree-granting institutions that don’t require SAT or ACT results from applying students.

Here is a list of some of the top colleges and universities that don’t require the SAT or ACT as of April 2025.

How To Check If Your College Requires the SAT or ACT

Colleges can change their admissions policies from year-to-year. A school that has a test-optional policy this year may not have the same policy next admissions cycle. For example, the University of Pennsylvania was test-optional but began requiring the SAT or ACT again during the 2025-26 admissions cycle.

Always visit your school’s website for up-to-date information. If you can’t find information about whether the college requires test scores, reach out to the admissions department well before application deadlines to make sure you have time to sit for a test if needed.

Should You Take the SAT/ACT?

Yes, even if all of your potential colleges are test optional or test free, you should still sit for the SAT or ACT. You may decide to apply later to a school that does require the exam. If you waited too long, you could have missed all available testing dates.

While many test-optional colleges and universities state that not submitting your scores won’t hurt your admission chances, it could be the deciding factor for some students.

For example, two students apply to the same school, which doesn’t require an SAT/ACT score but does recommend it. The admissions department reviewing the applications finds that one student submitted an SAT score and the other didn’t. In all other aspects, they’re tied. The student who sat for the SAT may be the one who receives the acceptance letter as they took the initiative to go further.

In addition, a school listed as “test optional” may later ask you for an SAT/ACT score to help them make their admissions decision. If you don’t have a score to submit, you could receive a rejection. Some competitive majors, such as engineering, at select schools could also require standardized tests, even if the entire college doesn’t.

Your SAT/ACT score can also give you insight into the best colleges for you. College Match helps you find the right schools for your achievements, needs, and wants – and you can see how you match up when it comes to standardized test scores. Learn more here.