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College Lists

Test-Optional Colleges for 2026-27

74 of the 100 most selective colleges we track are test-optional for the 2026-27 cycle, meaning you choose whether to send SAT or ACT scores. 4 of them have already announced a change for a later cycle.

SchoolFuture policyAcceptance rateSAT middle 50%
Amherst CollegeNo change announced9%1490–1580
Barnard CollegeNo change announced8.8%1470–1560
Bates CollegeNo change announced13.3%1420–1530
Baylor UniversityNo change announced51.3%1200–1400
Binghamton UniversityNo change announced38.6%1340–1500
Boston CollegeNo change announced16.4%1440–1540
Boston UniversityNo change announced11.1%1420–1530
Bowdoin CollegeNo change announced7.1%1470–1550
Brandeis UniversityNo change announced40.5%1390–1520
Carleton CollegeNo change announced20.4%1450–1560
Case Western Reserve UniversityNo change announced36.5%1430–1540
Claremont McKenna CollegeChange announced9.6%1470–1560
Clemson UniversityNo change announced38.3%1240–1410
Colby CollegeNo change announced7.1%1460–1550
Colgate UniversityNo change announced13.9%1430–1540
College of William & MaryNo change announced34.1%1400–1530
Columbia UniversityChange announced4%1510–1580
Davidson CollegeNo change announced13.4%1400–1530
Duke UniversityNo change announced5.7%1500–1570
Emory UniversityNo change announced10.7%1470–1550
Fordham UniversityNo change announced59.3%1320–1480
George Washington UniversityNo change announced47.1%1350–1500
Grinnell CollegeNo change announced14.5%1410–1540
Hamilton CollegeNo change announced13.6%1450–1550
Harvey Mudd CollegeNo change announced12.7%1500–1570
Haverford CollegeNo change announced12.4%1460–1550
Indiana UniversityNo change announced78.2%1170–1400
Lehigh UniversityNo change announced25.9%1370–1500
Michigan State UniversityNo change announced84.8%1180–1360
Middlebury CollegeNo change announced10.8%1445–1550
New York UniversityNo change announced7.7%1480–1560
Northeastern UniversityNo change announced5.2%1440–1540
Northwestern UniversityNo change announced7.7%1510–1570
Oberlin CollegeNo change announced34.2%1360–1520
Pennsylvania State UniversityNo change announced60.6%1240–1420
Pomona CollegeNo change announced7.1%1490–1560
Princeton UniversityChange announced4.6%1510–1580
Purdue UniversityNo change announced49.9%1200–1480
Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteNo change announced63.5%1375–1510
Rice UniversityNo change announced8%1510–1570
Rutgers University-New BrunswickNo change announced58.1%1310–1500
Santa Clara UniversityNo change announced48%1350–1490
Southern Methodist UniversityNo change announced63.3%1340–1490
Stony Brook UniversityNo change announced49%1330–1500
Swarthmore CollegeNo change announced7.5%1490–1560
Syracuse UniversityNo change announced45.9%1270–1440
Texas A&M UniversityNo change announced57.4%1150–1400
Texas Christian UniversityNo change announced44.5%1140–1350
Tufts UniversityNo change announced11.5%1470–1560
Tulane University of LouisianaNo change announced14%1400–1520
University of ChicagoNo change announced4.5%1510–1580
University of Colorado BoulderNo change announced78.1%1240–1430
University of ConnecticutNo change announced52.4%1210–1440
University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignNo change announced42.4%1310–1520
University of MarylandNo change announced44.8%1400–1530
University of Massachusetts-AmherstNo change announced59.7%1310–1500
University of MichiganNo change announced15.6%1360–1530
University of MinnesotaNo change announced79.8%1300–1500
University of Notre DameNo change announced11.3%1455–1560
University of PittsburghNo change announced58.1%1280–1460
University of RochesterNo change announced40.1%1410–1540
University of Southern CaliforniaNo change announced9.8%1450–1550
University of VirginiaNo change announced16.8%1410–1540
University of WashingtonNo change announced39.1%
University of Wisconsin-MadisonNo change announced45.2%1380–1520
Vanderbilt UniversityChange announced5.9%1500–1570
Vassar CollegeNo change announced18.6%1450–1550
Villanova UniversityNo change announced27%1395–1510
Virginia TechNo change announced54.8%1280–1450
Wake Forest UniversityNo change announced21.7%1410–1520
Washington University in St LouisNo change announced12.1%1500–1570
Wellesley CollegeNo change announced14.1%1460–1560
Wesleyan UniversityNo change announced16.5%1415–1540
Williams CollegeNo change announced8.3%1490–1570

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Frequently asked questions

How many top colleges are test-optional for 2026-27?

74 of the 100 most selective colleges we track are test-optional for 2026-27. 18 require scores and 6 do not consider them at all.

Should I send scores to a test-optional college?

Compare your score with the school's published middle-50% range. A score inside or above that range usually helps. A score below the 25th percentile is usually better left off.

Acceptance rates and SAT ranges: College Scorecard API — U.S. Department of Education (api.data.gov) and Editorial overrides layer (overrides.json) — Common Data Set & institutional sources. Test policies and deadlines: each school's admissions site, verified for the 2026-27 cycle.

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