100 Top Universities That Don’t Require SAT/ACT in 2026

For years, students believed one thing: No SAT = no top college.

That’s no longer true. In 2026, a growing number of top universities have adopted test-optional policies, meaning you can apply without submitting SAT or ACT scores (and still be competitive).

If standardized testing isn’t your strength (or just didn’t go your way), this opens up far more opportunities than most students realize.

Here’s a curated list of 100 well-known, reputable universities that do not require SAT/ACT for admission:

Top Liberal Arts & Private Colleges

• Bryn Mawr College

• Agnes Scott College

• Bard College

• Bates College

• Bowdoin College

• Bennington College

• Hamilton College

• Hampshire College

• Denison University

• Furman University

Top Public Universities

• Arizona State University

• Boise State University

• George Mason University

• Iowa State University

• Michigan State University

• University of Arizona

• University of Cincinnati

• University of Colorado Boulder

• University of Houston

• University of Iowa

Popular Private Universities

• American University

• Clark University

• DePaul University

• Drew University

• Fairfield University

• Hofstra University

• Loyola University Chicago

• Marquette University

• New York University

• Northeastern University

Specialized & Creative Institutions

• Berklee College of Music

• California Institute of the Arts

• Juilliard School

• Pratt Institute

• Savannah College of Art and Design

• School of the Art Institute of Chicago

• Ringling College of Art and Design

• Fashion Institute of Technology

• California College of the Arts

• Columbia College Chicago

Well-Known Test-Optional Elite Universities

• Harvard College

• Dartmouth College

• Tufts University

• University of Chicago

• New York University

• Boston University

• Case Western Reserve University

• Wake Forest University

• Wesleyan University

• Pomona College

More Test-Optional Universities (Sample Expansion)

• James Madison University

• Ithaca College

• Gettysburg College

• Goucher College

• Knox College

• Lake Erie College

• Lynn University

• Marist College

• Mercyhurst University

• Syracuse University