List of SAT/ACT Optional Colleges for 2020-21
UPDATED: List of 2020-21 Test-Optional Colleges
In light of cancellations for many spring and summer ACT and SAT exams because of COVID-19, a number of colleges have decided to shift to a test-optional admissions process for the 2020-21 admissions cycle.
Limited testing availability for both the ACT and SAT this fall, and the decision to not move forward with at-home testing, has forced colleges and universities across the US to suspend the requirement for SAT or ACT scores as part of the admissions process. FairTest.org is reporting that nearly half of all four-year colleges and universities int he US have gone test-optional for the fall, and now that all Ivy Leagues and Stanford have moved to test-optional for the 2020-21 admissions cycle, students can expect most colleges and universities in the US to do the same.
Currently, over 400 colleges and universities have affirmed that students will not be penalized for the absence of SAT or ACT scores with their applications this fall.
However, some schools have made it clear that they still value these scores in some capacity, so they are encouraging students to submit them if they already have them. Other schools, like Princeton, are giving students more time to get their applications together (including test scores if possible) by eliminating the early application round and accepting applications only in the regular round. US News and World Report has also announced it will rank test-blind colleges, giving more flexibility to schools that have decided not to accept test scores at all this year.
Curious if any of the colleges on your best-fit list are making the move to a test-optional application review process?Keep reading to learn more about which institutions are putting a pause on requirements for SAT and/or ACT scores for the 2020-21 admissions cycle.
| School | Test-Optional for: |
| Alfred University | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Alma College | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Amherst College | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Anderson University | Permanently beginning in the 2020-21 cycle |
| Babson College | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Barnard College | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Baylor University | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Bentley University | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Bethel University | Permanently beginning in the 2020-21 cycle |
| Boston College | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Boston University | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Brown University | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Buena Vista University | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Butler University | Permanently beginning in the 2020-21 cycle |
| Cal State system | 2020-21 application cycle |
| California Institute of Technology (Caltech) | 2-year period beginning with the 2020-21 admissions cycle |
| California Lutheran University | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Carleton College | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Carnegie Mellon University | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Case Western Reserve University | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Centre College | 3-year period beginning with the 2020-21 admissions cycle |
| Claremont McKenna College | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Coastal Carolina University | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Colgate University | 3-year period beginning with the 2020-21 cycle |
| College of Charleston | 2020-21 application cycle |
| College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University (Minnesota) | Permanently beginning in the 2020-21 cycle |
| College of Wooster | Permanently beginning in the 2020-21 cycle |
| Columbia University | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Cooper Union | 2-year period beginning with the 2020-21 admissions cycle |
| Concordia University | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Cornell University | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Dartmouth College | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Davidson College | Permanently beginning in the 2020-21 cycle |
| Drexel University | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Drury University | Permanently beginning in the 2020-21 cycle |
| Duke University | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Elon University | 3-year period beginning with the 2020-21 cycle |
| Emory University | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Fordham University | 2-year period beginning with the 2020-21 cycle |
| Georgetown University | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Gonzaga University | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Grand Valley State University | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Grinnell College | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Hamilton College | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Harvard University | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Harvey Mudd College | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Haverford College | 3-year period beginning with the 2020-21 cycle |
| Indiana University – Bloomington | Permanently beginning in the 2020-21 cycle |
| Indiana University – South Bend | Permanently beginning in for fall 2020 admission |
| Johns Hopkins University | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Lafayette College | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Lehigh University | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Limestone University | Fall 2020 admission |
| Loyola Marymount University | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Loyola University – New Orleans | Permanently test-blind beginning in the 2020-21 cycle |
| Macalester College | Permanently beginning in the 2020-21 cycle |
| Mansfield University | Fall 2020 admission |
| Meredith College | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Middlebury College | 3-year period beginning with the 2020-21 cycle |
| Millersville University | Fall 2020 admission |
| MIT | 2020-21 application cycle (Will also no longer accept SAT Subject Test scores for consideration starting with the 2020-21 admissions cycle.) |
| Montana University system | 2020-21 application cycle |
| New York University | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Northeastern University | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Northwestern University | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Oakland University | 2-year period beginning with the 2020-21 cycle |
| Oberlin College | 3-year period beginning with the 2020-21 cycle |
| Oregon State University | Permanently beginning in the 2020-21 cycle |
| Penn State University | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Pepperdine University | International students for the 2020-21 application cycle |
| Pomona College | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Princeton University | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Rhodes College | 3-year period beginning with the 2020-21 cycle |
| Rice University | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Rochester Institute of Technology | Permanently beginning in the 2020-21 cycle |
| Rutgers University | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Saginaw Valley State University | 2020-21 application cycle for students with 3.0 or higher GPA |
| Saint Louis University | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Santa Clara University | 2-year period beginning with the 2020-21 cycle |
| Scripps College | Permanently beginning in the 2020-21 cycle |
| St. Mary’s University | 2020-21 application cycle |
| St. Olaf College | Permanently beginning in the 2020-21 cycle |
| St. Thomas Aquinas College | Fall 2020 admission |
| Stanford University | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Swarthmore College | 2-year period beginning with the 2020-21 cycle |
| Texas Christian University | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Texas Tech University | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Trinity University | 3-year period beginning with the 2020-21 cycle |
| Tufts University | 3-year period beginning with the 2020-21 cycle |
| Tulane University | 2020-21 application cycle |
| University of California system | 2020-21 application cycle |
| University of Connecticut | 3-year period beginning with the 2020-21 cycle |
| University of Delaware | 2020-21 application cycle |
| University of Hawaii | 2020-21 application cycle |
| University of Louisville | 2020-21 application cycle |
| University of Miami | 2020-21 application cycle |
| University of Michigan | 2020-21 application cycle |
| University of Notre Dame | 2020-21 application cycle |
| University of Oregon | Permanently beginning in the 2020-21 cycle |
| University of Pennsylvania | 2020-21 application cycle |
| University of Richmond | 2020-21 application cycle |
| University of San Diego | Permanently beginning in the 2020-21 cycle |
| University of Southern California | 2020-21 application cycle |
| University of Toledo | Permanently beginning in the 2020-21 cycle |
| University of Virginia | 2020-21 application cycle |
| UVA Wise | 2020-21 application cycle |
| University of Washington | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Vanderbilt University | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Vassar College | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Villanova University | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Virginia Tech | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Washington & Lee University | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Washington University in St. Louis | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Wayland Baptist University | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Wellesley College | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Westminster College | Fall 2020 admission |
| William & Mary | 3-year period beginning with the 2020-21 cycle |
| Williams College | 2020-21 application cycle |
| Yale University | 2020-21 application cycle |
While there have been significant changes to the college search and application process due to COVID-19, it is possible to feel confident about your applications by doing your research and preparing accordingly. If you are in the midst of your own college search and looking for expert guidance, our team of college admissions counselors can offer personalized insight.
Also check out our IvyWise Knowledgebase for the latest updates on how COVID-19 is impacting admissions and download our free 2020-21 College Prep Guide for information and insight on how to prepare for college admissions this fall.