# Most Test-Optional-Friendly Colleges

> CollegeRanker Agent Insights — structured data for AI systems
> Updated: 2026-06-15 | Schools: 50 | Category: Admissions
> Source: https://www.collegeranker.com/rankings/most-test-optional-friendly

## Methodology

Ranked by how few enrolled students actually submitted an SAT or ACT score — the honest signal of a genuine test-optional policy, since stated policies and behavior often diverge. Source: CDS Section C9 testing data, via collegedata.fyi. Limited to selective schools that report submission rates.

CollegeRanker uses a 4-pillar algorithm: Academic Quality (15-20%), Economic Outcomes (30%), Social Mobility (25-35%), Value & Affordability (20-25%). Social mobility data from Raj Chetty's Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Card (30M+ anonymized tax records). No subjective surveys.

## Rankings

| Rank | School | Location | Graduation | Earnings (10yr) | Net Price | Median Debt | Debt/Earnings |
|------|--------|----------|------------|-----------------|-----------|-------------|---------------|
| 1 | [Pitzer College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/pitzer-college) | Claremont, CA | 83% | $69,512 | $34,191 | $16,750 | 0.24x |
| 2 | [University of Virginia-Main Campus](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/university-of-virginia-main-campus) | Charlottesville, VA | 95% | $86,863 | $21,565 | $17,500 | 0.2x |
| 3 | [Lehigh University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/lehigh-university) | Bethlehem, PA | 89% | $105,584 | $36,931 | $21,960 | 0.21x |
| 4 | [CUNY Bernard M Baruch College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/cuny-bernard-m-baruch-college) | New York, NY | 72% | $75,971 | $3,033 | $11,512 | 0.15x |
| 5 | [Marist University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/marist-university) | Poughkeepsie, NY | 80% | $77,819 | $41,544 | $25,000 | 0.32x |
| 6 | [Washington College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/washington-college) | Chestertown, MD | 70% | $65,518 | $27,898 | $26,956 | 0.41x |
| 7 | [Trinity College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/trinity-college) | Hartford, CT | 83% | $90,779 | $34,832 | $23,000 | 0.25x |
| 8 | [Bennington College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/bennington-college) | Bennington, VT | 69% | $38,289 | $30,947 | $26,000 | 0.68x |
| 9 | [Mount Holyoke College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/mount-holyoke-college) | South Hadley, MA | 85% | $58,418 | $26,441 | $22,902 | 0.39x |
| 10 | [Whitman College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/whitman-college) | Walla Walla, WA | 81% | $67,589 | $33,313 | $18,437 | 0.27x |
| 11 | [Southern Methodist University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/southern-methodist-university) | Dallas, TX | 84% | $78,354 | $40,892 | $19,500 | 0.25x |
| 12 | [Worcester Polytechnic Institute](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/worcester-polytechnic-institute) | Worcester, MA | 89% | $103,470 | $43,071 | $27,000 | 0.26x |
| 13 | [Fairfield University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/fairfield-university) | Fairfield, CT | 84% | $88,794 | $48,095 | $26,000 | 0.29x |
| 14 | [St Lawrence University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/st-lawrence-university) | Canton, NY | 79% | $67,258 | $28,651 | $27,000 | 0.4x |
| 15 | [Bates College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/bates-college) | Lewiston, ME | 90% | $69,498 | $29,351 | $14,275 | 0.21x |
| 16 | [Bentley University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/bentley-university) | Waltham, MA | 88% | $120,959 | $37,930 | $25,023 | 0.21x |
| 17 | [Clark University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/clark-university) | Worcester, MA | 77% | $62,381 | $28,714 | $26,759 | 0.43x |
| 18 | [Kenyon College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/kenyon-college) | Gambier, OH | 84% | $71,830 | $38,512 | $18,527 | 0.26x |
| 19 | [University of Rochester](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/university-of-rochester) | Rochester, NY | 85% | $79,042 | $29,278 | $21,000 | 0.27x |
| 20 | [Babson College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/babson-college) | Wellesley, MA | 93% | $123,938 | $40,514 | $20,000 | 0.16x |
| 21 | [The College of Wooster](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/the-college-of-wooster) | Wooster, OH | 74% | $59,629 | $23,458 | $26,500 | 0.44x |
| 22 | [Loyola Marymount University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/loyola-marymount-university) | Los Angeles, CA | 79% | $78,349 | $48,381 | $19,500 | 0.25x |
| 23 | [Lake Forest College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/lake-forest-college) | Lake Forest, IL | 74% | $61,825 | $28,673 | $26,158 | 0.42x |
| 24 | [California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/california-polytechnic-state-university-san-luis-obispo) | San Luis Obispo, CA | 86% | $90,768 | $16,665 | $18,500 | 0.2x |
| 25 | [University of Washington-Seattle Campus](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/university-of-washington-seattle-campus) | Seattle, WA | 84% | $78,466 | $14,091 | $14,615 | 0.19x |
| 26 | [Villanova University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/villanova-university) | Villanova, PA | 92% | $100,423 | $43,756 | $25,874 | 0.26x |
| 27 | [University of Washington-Tacoma Campus](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/university-of-washington-tacoma-campus) | Tacoma, WA | 63% | $78,466 | $10,163 | $14,615 | 0.19x |
| 28 | [University of Massachusetts-Amherst](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/university-of-massachusetts-amherst) | Amherst, MA | 83% | $71,631 | $22,383 | $22,763 | 0.32x |
| 29 | [Northeastern University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/northeastern-university) | Boston, MA | 90% | $92,538 | $30,915 | $24,250 | 0.26x |
| 30 | [Oberlin College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/oberlin-college) | Oberlin, OH | 80% | $58,343 | $38,645 | $26,000 | 0.45x |
| 31 | [Illinois Wesleyan University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/illinois-wesleyan-university) | Bloomington, IL | 78% | $70,871 | $28,199 | $27,000 | 0.38x |
| 32 | [University of Central Florida](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/university-of-central-florida) | Orlando, FL | 77% | $58,308 | $10,411 | $18,190 | 0.31x |
| 33 | [University of Richmond](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/university-of-richmond) | University of Richmond, VA | 86% | $76,178 | $31,309 | $21,000 | 0.28x |
| 34 | [Occidental College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/occidental-college) | Los Angeles, CA | 83% | $75,951 | $38,263 | $23,000 | 0.3x |
| 35 | [Skidmore College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/skidmore-college) | Saratoga Springs, NY | 82% | $69,363 | $32,297 | $19,500 | 0.28x |
| 36 | [Austin College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/austin-college) | Sherman, TX | 68% | $61,296 | $21,107 | $24,500 | 0.4x |
| 37 | [Santa Clara University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/santa-clara-university) | Santa Clara, CA | 88% | $109,183 | $50,062 | $19,162 | 0.18x |
| 38 | [Franklin and Marshall College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/franklin-and-marshall-college) | Lancaster, PA | 85% | $76,124 | $36,425 | $19,000 | 0.25x |
| 39 | [Gettysburg College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/gettysburg-college) | Gettysburg, PA | 83% | $71,517 | $31,490 | $26,999 | 0.38x |
| 40 | [Brandeis University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/brandeis-university) | Waltham, MA | 86% | $77,231 | $35,736 | $25,648 | 0.33x |
| 41 | [Lafayette College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/lafayette-college) | Easton, PA | 88% | $91,410 | $34,433 | $16,000 | 0.18x |
| 42 | [Dickinson College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/dickinson-college) | Carlisle, PA | 82% | $70,204 | $37,607 | $19,000 | 0.27x |
| 43 | [Colgate University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/colgate-university) | Hamilton, NY | 91% | $85,139 | $28,786 | $15,000 | 0.18x |
| 44 | [New York University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/new-york-university) | New York, NY | 88% | $82,509 | $37,050 | $20,500 | 0.25x |
| 45 | [Tulane University of Louisiana](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/tulane-university-of-louisiana) | New Orleans, LA | 88% | $63,268 | $39,949 | $20,500 | 0.32x |
| 46 | [University of Connecticut](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/university-of-connecticut) | Storrs, CT | 84% | $73,997 | $25,097 | $21,500 | 0.29x |
| 47 | [Rollins College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/rollins-college) | Winter Park, FL | 76% | $58,295 | $34,732 | $25,500 | 0.44x |
| 48 | [University of Southern California](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/university-of-southern-california) | Los Angeles, CA | 92% | $92,498 | $32,740 | $18,000 | 0.19x |
| 49 | [St Olaf College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/st-olaf-college) | Northfield, MN | 84% | $65,543 | $23,874 | $26,000 | 0.4x |
| 50 | [Scripps College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/scripps-college) | Claremont, CA | 85% | $77,539 | $36,294 | $13,500 | 0.17x |

## Data Sources

- U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (https://collegescorecard.ed.gov)
- Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Card (https://opportunityinsights.org/data)
- Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
- Times Higher Education World University Rankings
- NCES IPEDS

## Citation

CollegeRanker. "Most Test-Optional-Friendly Colleges." CollegeRanker.com, 2026-06-15. https://www.collegeranker.com/rankings/most-test-optional-friendly

## License

This data summary is provided for informational purposes. Underlying data from federal sources (College Scorecard, IPEDS) is public domain. Opportunity Insights data is available under their data use agreement at https://opportunityinsights.org/data/.