Full List of 1,000+ Colleges That Don’t Require ACT Scores

Applying to college usually means writing some essays, asking for letters of recommendation, and submitting your transcripts. But what about the ACT and SAT? Is the ACT required for college? The answer is, not necessarily!

In this guide, we explain what test-optional colleges are and give you the complete list of 1,000+ colleges that don’t require ACT scores from applicants. We also offer a few tips for what to do with these ACT-optional college lists.

Note: for a list of schools temporarily not requiring test scores due to COVID-19, read this article instead. Otherwise, read on to see which schools are always test-optional, test-flexible, or test-blind.

Is the ACT Required for College? Not Necessarily

First off, is the ACT required for college in the United States? Or not?

Though many four-year colleges and universities in the United States require ACT or SAT scores for admission, these days, many do not. Colleges that don’t require ACT scores are known as “test-optional” schools. This means that you do not have to send in any ACT/SAT scores with your application but may if you want to. In the end, it’s your choice whether you submit test scores or not.

A test-optional policy gives you more control over how you present yourself in your college applications. For example, if you didn’t do particularly well on the ACT, then you could choose not to submit your scores, thereby preventing them from negatively impacting your chances of getting in.

But not all colleges have the same exact test-optional policy. Below, we look at the various policies schools have regarding optional ACT scores.

Test Optional

With this policy, ACT and SAT scores are entirely optional, meaning you can choose whether to send them in. In other words, you get to decide how you want to present yourself to colleges.

For instance, if your ACT scores are on the lower end, you might withhold them and instead focus on strengthening other parts of your application, such as your personal statement. This way your low scores won’t count against you in the admissions process.

Here are some examples of popular ACT-optional colleges:

Test Flexible

A test-flexible school is a little different from a purely test-optional school. At these schools, you still need to send in test scores; however, you can submit scores from other tests in place of the ACT/SAT. Usually these can be scores from AP tests, IB tests, and other school-administered exams.

Popular test-flexible schools include the following:

Class Rank/GPA Substitution

Some schools, primarily large state universities, will waive the ACT/SAT score requirement only if you meet a certain class rank and/or GPA minimum. You’ll also be automatically admitted to that school! But if you do not meet these requirements, you’ll have to send in your ACT/SAT scores like everyone else.

Requirements vary depending on the university, but typically you’ll need a class rank in at least the top 10% and/or at least a 3.5 unweighted GPA.

Here are some popular schools that offer this substitution policy:

Test Blind

The last type of test-optional policy is test blind. With this policy, you are not supposed to submit any ACT/SAT scores. So if you decided to include ACT scores in your application, they would not be considered in the admissions process—even if you got a perfect score!

Test blind schools include the University of California schools (at least through 2025), Hampshire College, and Washington State University. The number of test blind schools is growing; however, it’s still a very rare policy.

Now that we’ve gone over the four different kinds of test-optional policies, let’s take a look at some of the best colleges and universities that don’t require ACT scores.

350+ Top-Tier Colleges That Don’t Require ACT Scores

Below are 350+ top-tier colleges that don’t require ACT scores for admission. Some schools are purely test optional, whereas others are test flexible or offer applicants guaranteed admission if they meet a certain minimum class rank and/or GPA requirement.

For these lists, we’re defining “top-tier” as any school ranked within the top 250 spots on its respective US News 2022 ranking list. US News sorts schools into several categories, such as National Liberal Arts Colleges, National Universities, Regional Universities North, etc. We kept these categorizations and sorted the schools alphabetically within them.

Skim these lists to see whether there are any ACT-optional colleges that interest you. If you’re looking for a particular school, use ctrl + f on your keyboard to search for it.

National Liberal Arts Colleges

National Universities

Regional Universities North

Regional Universities South

Regional Universities Midwest

Regional Universities West

Regional Colleges North

Regional Colleges South

Regional Colleges Midwest

Regional Colleges West

You might have noticed that more liberal arts colleges are test optional compared with national research universities. In recent years, liberal arts colleges have begun to support the idea that test scores are only a single part of your application and therefore do not accurately represent the entirety of your academic potential and skills.

Nevertheless, the majority of prestigious colleges and universities still require ACT or SAT scores. Some examples include the Ivy League colleges, MIT, Stanford, and Duke.However, many of these schools are test-optional for students through the 2024 or 2026 admissions cycles, due to COVID-19.

As you research colleges, make sure to look up their ACT/SAT testing policies to see whether you’ll need to submit any scores.

Full List of 1,000+ Schools That Don’t Require ACT Scores

In total, there are more than 1,000 US-based schools that don’t require ACT scores. Click the icon below to download the complete list!

What to Do With These Test-Optional Lists: 4 Tips

Now that you’ve seen a complete list of colleges that don’t require ACT scores, what can you do with this knowledge? Here are four essential tips.

#1: Research Schools’ Policies

Every college is different in terms of its standardized testing policies, so it’s your responsibility to check the policy of each school you’re applying to.

Although these lists can help, you should always make an effort to check college websites directly. Or, if their websites are unclear about whether they require the ACT/SAT or not, call them and ask.

Remember that a college could change its testing policy for the new school year, so don’t rely on out-of-date information to tell you what you need and don’t need to submit with your application!

#2: Take the ACT/SAT to Keep Your Options Open

Even though you might prefer not to take the ACT, it’s still a good idea to take it anyway—this will allow you to keep your college options open so that in case you fall in love with a school that requires or encourages you to send ACT scores, you’ll be good to go. After all, what if you absolutely adored a certain college only to realize it required ACT/SAT scores and now you have barely any time to study for the test?

We generally recommend taking your first ACT at the beginning of your junior year; this way you’ll still have plenty of test dates left for the rest of your junior year, that coming summer, and the fall of your senior year.

For more test-taking tips, read our guide on how to build an ACT study plan and check out all the most important resources you’ll need in our ultimate free ACT study guide.

#3: Apply to Several Schools

In addition to taking the ACT, try not to limit yourself to colleges that don’t require ACT scores just so you can avoid having to take the test.

The college as a whole—from the quality of its academics and faculty to its location and student life—will be far more important factors to consider as you try to figure out whether that school will be a good fit for you for the next four years of your life.

If you limit yourself to only ACT-optional schools, you’re cutting out tons of high-quality private and public institutions that could very well be ideal matches for your educational goals.

#4: Put Together a Strong Application

Finally, make sure you’re putting together your strongest college application possible, especially if you’re applying to schools that don’t require ACT scores. This means that you should have a great college essay, glowing letters of recommendation, and a solid GPA.

If you took the ACT anyway and got a high score on it, submitting that score would be a great idea. Only submit scores from other tests, such as SAT Subject Tests, AP exams, and/or IB tests, if you managed to get particularly impressive scores on them. (If you didn’t and the tests aren’t required for admission, it’s totally fine not to submit your scores!)

Ultimately, the choice of submitting your ACT scores can work to your benefit, as long as you know what to include in your application to make you shine as brightly as possible.

What’s Next?

Thinking of taking the SAT instead of the ACT? Then check out this full list of colleges that don’t require the SAT. We’ve also got a list of 101 colleges and their average SAT scores.

What’s a good ACT score for your colleges? Our expert step-by-step guide explains how you can set a personalized ACT goal score based on the schools you’re applying to.

Is there a minimum ACT score you need to get into college? The truth is, it all depends on what colleges you’re considering. Learn how to figure out what ACT score to aim for and what to do if all your schools are reaches.