We considered several key factors to find the best test-optional colleges, including each school’s cost per credit, the number of credits required to graduate, and available delivery formats, such as online, on-campus, or a hybrid model.
Accreditation is one of the most important criteria we considered when reviewing the colleges on our list. To ensure our list only includes reputable schools with prestigious programs, we made sure to only include those accredited by trustworthy institutions such as the Higher Learning Commission, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, and the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Students who attend these schools will receive a quality education and can transfer college credits if they decide to switch schools.
We also looked at programs available at each institution, the institution’s reputation, and total enrollment. After reviewing these factors, we assigned each program an Intelligent Score on a scale of 0 to 100.
Students needing financial aid to fund their education should be aware that many colleges award merit aid based on a combination of academic accomplishments, including your GPA and standardized test scores. If you choose to withhold your test scores when applying to college, this may prevent you from receiving aid from the school, and you will need to apply for scholarships from other institutions.
Do not confuse test-flexible for test-optional. Test-flexible schools may not require you to submit your SAT or ACT scores, but they may require you to submit scores from other tests, like AP tests. While this may not be an issue for some students, poor test-takers are better off applying to a test-optional school where they can boost their admission chances with extracurriculars and admissions essays.
Some studies indicate test-optional colleges promote socioeconomic equality as they cater to students that may not be able to pay for test prep services or take tests multiple times to improve their scores. DEFINING ACCESS: How Test-Optional Works, a 2018 study by the National Association for College Admission Counseling, found test-optional policies can lead to an increased representation of “racial and ethnic groups often underrepresented in college populations.”
When applying to a test-optional school, consider other ways you can boost your chances of admission and finance your education. Here are a few key points to keep in mind.