Algebra is usually not required for college unless you are majoring in Science. I didn't have to take the developmental math classes. I just took College Math (Math 120) which was things you never learn in high school such as logic, probabality, and statatistics.
I also took Introduction To Probabilty at Hebrew University because I originally started college in Israel. That was the lowest math level. You don't need to pass the placement test for that. But it didn't matter because I didn't major in Science. That's all that was required for Humanities and I always didn't like math in high school anyway. Algebra and Geometry in high school are not things you need in the real World. Addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division are what you need. Nowadays people use calculators for that. Even in high school we could use calculators on tests when the subject was Algebra. As a result, people don't remember the real math from elementary school such as long division and rely on calculators. Addition and subtraction you can figure out without a paper and pencil but if it was too much to remember (Adding large amounts.), I use the calculator. Multiplication and division I always use the calculator now. I don't remember long division at all.
Some people blame Arabs for Algebra. But some people have written on JTF that Arabs didn't invent it. They just presented it to the West from India just like Arabic numerals are really Hindu numerals. Arabs have a separate script for writing digits in Arabic. Some of it looks similar to the numbers we use but some doesn't.