50-50 Highlights: Test Optional Colleges

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Students everywhere who struggle with standardized tests appreciate the increasing number of test optional colleges. However, it’s important to understand that there isn’t any one definition of “test optional.” Furthermore, just because a college states that it’s test optional for admissions doesn’t mean that tests aren’t required for scholarships or course placement. So be sure to check out the colleges for their specific requirements.

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Different Types of Test Optional

Of the 441 50-50 schools, at least 102 are some version of test optional. This is an increase from 91 last year. According to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), 26 report that the SAT/ACT is “neither required nor recommended, 34 are “considered by not required” and 42 as listed as “recommended.” Some of the “recommended” schools still require tests as part of their scholarship process while other don’t.

What Kind of Schools are Test Optional?

Last year there were 9 test optional schools in the Doctoral/Research Universities category. This year there are 11 including University of Arizona, Temple University, and Montclair State University. The largest category of test optional schools was Liberal Arts Colleges with 43 followed by Masters level with 39. The majority of the colleges are private. Only 17 public 50-50 colleges are test optional according to IPEDS.

New York has the most with 14 schools, followed by Pennsylvania with 12 and Massachusetts with 11 each. A total of 22 states do not have any test optional 50-50 colleges.

Remember, test optional isn’t an option for those looking for athletic scholarships.

The following table lists all 50-50 schools that do not list testing as “required.” This includes some fairly specialized institutions including health, art/design, and maritime schools. As usual, the four-year graduation rate is used for private colleges, the five-year rate for public institutions.

50-50 Test Optional Colleges

Name	Type	State	Full-time Under-grads	SAT/ACT Required	4/5 yr Grad Rate	% Freshman Receiving Pell Grants	Avg Net Price After Gift Aid (2015-2016)
Northern Arizona University	Public	AZ	20,357	Recommended	50	36	$14,678
University of Arizona	Public	AZ	29,597	Recommended	56	26	$16,466
The California Maritime Academy	Public	CA	1,038	Recommended	56	23	$14,606
California State University-Channel Islands	Public	CA	5,070	Recommended	53	53	$14,461
Mills College	Private	CA	815	Considered but not req	61	39	$27,647
Otis College of Art and Design	Private	CA	1,081	Recommended	50	30	$39,413
Whittier University	Private	CA	1,618	Considered but not req	58	32	$25,638
Eastern Connecticut State University	Public	CT	4,267	Recommended	53	35	$17,014
Fairfield University	Private	CT	3,704	Neither req/rec	78	13	$38,527
Sacred Heart University	Private	CT	4,435	Neither req/rec	54	15	$39,134
University of Saint Joseph	Private	CT	767	Considered but not req	60	34	$29,251
Catholic University of America	Private	DC	3,331	Neither req/rec	62	14	$36,009
Ringling College of Art and Design	Private	FL	1,181	Neither req/rec	61	32	$44,386
Rollins College	Private	FL	2,480	Recommended	64	22	$35,726
Stetson University	Private	FL	3,037	Recommended	56	36	$25,265
Agnes Scott College	Private	GA	876	Recommended	66	39	$21,315
Augustana College, IL	Private	IL	2,460	Recommended	71	25	$23,542
DePaul University	Private	IL	13,664	Recommended	59	30	$32,084
Illinois College	Private	IL	948	Recommended	60	48	$18,318
Knox College	Private	IL	1,368	Recommended	69	36	$23,301
Lake Forest College	Private	IL	1,553	Recommended	64	45	$24,478
Earlham College	Private	IN	980	Recommended	65	29	$22,567
Cornell College	Private	IA	1,033	Considered but not req	65	26	$27,915
Kansas State University	Public	KS	17,935	Recommended	57	21	$16,431
Transylvania University	Private	KY	1,047	Recommended	68	23	$23,685
Unity College	Private	ME	638	Recommended	56	36	$25,171
University of Maine at Farmington	Public	ME	1,688	Neither req/rec	54	47	$14,336
Hood College	Private	MD	1,180	Recommended	50	32	$23,888
Loyola University Maryland	Private	MD	4,021	Neither req/rec	80	16	$34,152
Salisbury University	Public	MD	7,148	Recommended	66	21	$17,678
Assumption College	Private	MA	2,007	Neither req/rec	72	20	$29,387
Bay Path College	Private	MA	1,471	Considered but not req	55	58	$22,012
Clark University	Private	MA	2,319	Neither req/rec	71	23	$26,350
Emmanuel College	Private	MA	1,775	Considered but not req	60	28	$31,891
Endicott College	Private	MA	2,692	Recommended	76	15	$34,509
Hampshire College	Private	MA	1,410	Neither req/rec	51	29	$34,154
Merrimack College	Private	MA	3,027	Neither req/rec	68	19	$33,003
Mount Holyoke College	Private	MA	2,095	Neither req/rec	78	16	$27,234
Stonehill College	Private	MA	2,376	Neither req/rec	76	19	$31,010
Wentworth Institute of Technology	Private	MA	2,578	Considered but not req	54	28	$29,109
Wheaton College-MA	Private	MA	1,567	Recommended	76	24	$32,821
Kalamazoo College	Private	MI	1,434	Neither req/rec	73	19	$27,958
Concordia College at Moorhead	Private	MN	2,125	Recommended	66	23	$23,529
Dunwoody College of Technology	Private	MN	898	Recommended	67	42	$23,816
Gustavus Adolphus College	Private	MN	2,342	Recommended	78	27	$24,293
Keene State College	Public	NH	4,097	Considered but not req	62	26	$18,647
Plymouth State University	Public	NH	3,820	Neither req/rec	53	32	$20,844
Saint Anselm College	Private	NH	1,878	Considered but not req	69	13	$32,148
Drew University	Private	NJ	1,412	Recommended	57	36	$25,167
Montclair State University	Public	NJ	14,433	Considered but not req	61	46	$15,131
Bard College	Private	NY	1,965	Neither req/rec	69	21	$29,356
Elmira College	Private	NY	1,123	Neither req/rec	56	35	$26,024
Hobart and William Smith Colleges	Private	NY	2,270	Considered but not req	72	17	$38,805
Hofstra University	Private	NY	6,417	Considered but not req	53	21	$32,169
Houghton College	Private	NY	994	Considered but not req	61	43	$21,518
Ithaca College	Private	NY	6,206	Neither req/rec	66	21	$35,049
Keuka College	Private	NY	1,335	Considered but not req	52	56	$24,126
Le Moyne College	Private	NY	2,495	Considered but not req	58	32	$23,361
Nazareth College	Private	NY	1,974	Neither req/rec	58	30	$28,379
Sarah Lawrence College	Private	NY	1,327	Considered but not req	74	23	$32,897
Siena College	Private	NY	3,006	Recommended	70	25	$26,816
SUNY College at Cortland	Public	NY	6,179	Considered but not req	73	30	$17,422
The New School	Private	NY	6,045	Considered but not req	53	26	$45,504
Wagner College	Private	NY	1,715	Recommended	64	27	$27,217
Baldwin Wallace University	Private	OH	3,043	Neither req/rec	54	37	$22,326
Columbus College of Art and Design	Private	OH	1,064	Recommended	52	49	$23,486
Hiram College	Private	OH	912	Considered but not req	54	47	$26,257
Ohio Wesleyan University	Private	OH	1,655	Recommended	62	32	$27,967
Wittenberg University	Private	OH	1,760	Neither req/rec	62	30	$25,325
Lewis & Clark College	Private	OR	2,177	Considered but not req	74	16	$35,849
Willamette University	Private	OR	1,961	Recommended	70	25	$32,628
Allegheny College	Private	PA	1,890	Recommended	70	31	$26,517
Cabrini College	Private	PA	1,310	Considered but not req	51	52	$24,958
East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania	Public	PA	5,648	Considered but not req	55	40	$16,377
Juniata College	Private	PA	1,512	Recommended	72	22	$28,142
King College	Private	PA	1,801	Recommended	59	31	$25,914
Lebanon Valley College	Private	PA	1,608	Considered but not req	72	27	$26,335
Mercyhurst University	Private	PA	2,402	Neither req/rec	60	27	$21,648
Saint Joseph’s University	Private	PA	4,623	Considered but not req	72	12	$36,058
Susquehanna University	Private	PA	2,118	Recommended	69	26	$26,561
Temple University	Public	PA	25,318	Neither req/rec	66	28	$21,237
The University of the Arts	Private	PA	1,664	Considered but not req	55	29	$33,394
Ursinus College	Private	PA	1,632	Recommended	73	22	$31,537
Bryant University	Private	RI	3,379	Neither req/rec	73	15	$36,490
Providence College	Private	RI	3,746	Considered but not req	81	14	$35,238
Roger Williams University	Private	RI	3,956	Neither req/rec	55	15	$35,275
Salve Regina University	Private	RI	1,994	Recommended	64	25	$30,905
Furman University	Private	SC	2,624	Recommended	78	13	$31,050
Presbyterian College	Private	SC	990	Considered but not req	57	34	$19,777
Southern Wesleyan University	Private	SC	1,249	Recommended	50	51	$14,914
University of South Dakota	Public	SD	4,961	Considered but not req	52	28	$16,502
Bennington College	Private	VT	680	Neither req/rec	65	18	$37,087
Saint Michael’s College	Private	VT	1,971	Recommended	73	14	$31,264
Christopher Newport University	Public	VA	4,961	Considered but not req	74	15	$22,637
Radford University	Public	VA	8,522	Recommended	56	33	$14,084
University of Puget Sound	Private	WA	2,459	Neither req/rec	70	13	$40,416
Whitman College	Private	WA	1,430	Considered but not req	83	13	$34,272
Whitworth University	Private	WA	2,303	Considered but not req	63	31	$27,826
Beloit College	Private	WI	1,296	Considered but not req	64	26	$25,790
Carthage College	Private	WI	2,636	Considered but not req	55	27	$27,564
Lawrence University	Private	WI	1,515	Considered but not req	64	16	$29,230
Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design	Private	WI	609	Recommended	58	48	$24,954