{"answer":"Of the 50 most-applied-to private nonprofit colleges, 12 require an SAT or ACT score from students applying now for fall 2027, 37 leave the score optional, and 1 could not be confirmed from the college's own pages. Columbia stays optional for fall 2027 and returns to requiring scores for students enrolling in fall 2028.","as_of":"October 2026","date":"2026-10-15","dek":"The table holds all 50 colleges, each one's policy, the term that policy covers and a link to the page it was read from. Public universities are not in it.","faq":[{"a":"Of the 50 most-applied-to private nonprofit colleges, 12 require an SAT or ACT score from students applying now for fall 2027, 37 leave the score optional, and 1 could not be confirmed from the college's own pages.","q":"How many private colleges require the SAT or ACT?"},{"a":"Columbia stays optional for fall 2027 and returns to requiring scores for students enrolling in fall 2028.","q":"Is Columbia test optional?"},{"a":"A policy that covers this year says nothing about the year after.","q":"Does test optional mean a college will never require a score?"}],"findings":[{"h":"Twelve of the 50 require a score from this year's applicants.","p":"The required list is mostly the most selective names: Brown, Carnegie Mellon, Cornell, Dartmouth, Georgetown, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, MIT, Penn, Stanford, Yale and the University of Miami. Each one asks for an SAT or ACT score from first-year applicants for fall 2027. Georgetown is on the list because it never dropped the requirement."},{"h":"Four optional colleges have already named the year the score comes back.","p":"37 of the 50 leave the score to the applicant for fall 2027. Columbia, Princeton and Notre Dame have each announced that scores will be required from students enrolling in fall 2028, and Vanderbilt from fall 2029. Those four are optional today and will not be for a family with a younger student."},{"h":"A policy is set one cycle at a time.","p":"The term column shows how narrow these promises are. New York University states its policy for the upcoming application term. Boston University has said it stays optional through fall 2028 and spring 2029. A policy that covers this year says nothing about the year after."}],"license":"CC BY 4.0 \u2014 quote with attribution to Test Prep Gurus (High School Reach)","method":"Each row is the first-year testing policy stated on that college's own admissions page in October 2026, for the application cycle now open (fall 2027 entry), with the college's wording for the term it covers and for any change it has already announced. The 50 colleges are the private nonprofit colleges with the most applicants in the federal IPEDS file for the fall 2023 entering class, the latest federal file; for-profit colleges and public universities are excluded. Two limits ride with the table: Fordham's admissions pages require a login, so its policy is recorded as unknown rather than guessed, and Carnegie Mellon sets policy college by college, so its row reports the majority position and not a single university rule. Rows are grouped by policy and then listed alphabetically.","question":"Which private colleges require the SAT or ACT right now?","related":[{"label":"Test policy at public universities, state by state","url":"/test-policy"},{"label":"Do test scores still matter?","url":"/test-scores"},{"label":"SAT or ACT, which one to take","url":"https://www.prepgurus.com/sat-vs-act"}],"sections":[{"h2":"What a required policy actually requires","paragraphs":["At the 12 colleges that require a score, an application without an SAT or ACT is incomplete. There is no waiver to apply for and nothing else that stands in for the number. A student with one of these colleges on the list is taking the test.","They came back on different timelines. MIT was first, for fall 2022 applicants. Brown returned for the 2024-25 cycle and Penn for the 2025-26 cycle. Harvard and Dartmouth returned with the Class of 2029. Cornell, Johns Hopkins, Stanford and the University of Miami returned for fall 2026 entry.","Yale changed shape rather than direction. It used to accept an AP or IB score in place of an SAT or ACT, and from the 2026-2027 cycle it takes the SAT or ACT only."]},{"h2":"Two rows that carry a caveat","paragraphs":["Fordham is listed as unknown. Every Fordham admissions page we tried redirects to a login screen, so the policy could not be read from the college's own site, and we do not print what other sites say it is.","Carnegie Mellon sets policy college by college. Its School of Computer Science requires an SAT or ACT, most of its other colleges require a score from some accepted exam, and its College of Fine Arts stays optional. Its row reports the majority position, so it cannot be read as one policy for the whole university."]},{"h2":"Public universities are a separate list","paragraphs":["This table is private colleges only. Public universities set test policy by system and by state, so a single state can hold a required campus and an optional one.","Our test policy report covers the public side, state by state. A family with a mixed list needs both pages, because the strictest college on the list decides whether the test happens."]},{"h2":"What a family should do with this","paragraphs":["Build the college list first, then read the policy for each college on it. If one college requires a score, the test is part of the plan, because that application cannot be sent without it.","Read the policy for the term your child will enter, not the one in the news. Columbia is optional for fall 2027 and required for fall 2028, so this year's senior and this year's junior face different rules at the same college.","Then check the college's own page again before each application season. Every row above links to the page it was read from, and those pages change."]}],"slug":"private-college-test-policy-2026","sources":[{"label":"NYU - All Freshmen Applicants","url":"https://www.nyu.edu/admissions/undergraduate-admissions/how-to-apply/all-freshmen-applicants.html"},{"label":"Northeastern - Admissions FAQ","url":"https://admissions.northeastern.edu/application-information/frequently-asked-admissions-questions/"},{"label":"USC - Test Optional FAQ","url":"https://admission.usc.edu/test-optional-faq/"},{"label":"Boston University - Test Policy","url":"https://www.bu.edu/admissions/apply/first-year/test-policy/"},{"label":"Cornell - First-Year Applicants","url":"https://admissions.cornell.edu/how-to-apply/first-year-applicants"},{"label":"Penn - Testing","url":"https://admissions.upenn.edu/how-to-apply/preparing-your-application/testing"},{"label":"Columbia - Testing Policy Update (blocked, 403)","url":"https://undergrad.admissions.columbia.edu/testing-policy-update"},{"label":"Harvard - Application Requirements","url":"https://college.harvard.edu/admissions/apply/application-requirements"},{"label":"Stanford - Standardized Testing","url":"https://admission.stanford.edu/apply/first-year/testing.html"},{"label":"Yale - Requirements","url":"https://admissions.yale.edu/requirements"},{"label":"Northwestern - Application Materials","url":"https://admissions.northwestern.edu/apply/requirements.html"},{"label":"Brown - Standardized Tests","url":"https://admission.brown.edu/ask/standardized-tests"},{"label":"Miami - Test Optional Admissions","url":"https://admissions.miami.edu/undergraduate/application-process/admission-requirements/test-optional-admissions/index.html"},{"label":"Duke - Resources + FAQs","url":"https://admissions.duke.edu/resources/"},{"label":"Vanderbilt - Testing Policies","url":"https://admissions.vanderbilt.edu/apply/testing-policies/"},{"label":"SNHU - What is the SAT","url":"https://www.snhu.edu/about-us/newsroom/education/what-is-the-sat"},{"label":"Fordham - Admission Facts (login-gated)","url":"https://www.fordham.edu/undergraduate-admission/why-fordham/admission-facts/"},{"label":"Syracuse - First-Year Requirements","url":"https://www.syracuse.edu/admissions-aid/application-process/undergraduate/first-year/requirements/"},{"label":"Loyola Chicago - First-Year Students","url":"https://www.luc.edu/undergrad/admissions/first-yearstudents/"},{"label":"Drexel - Standardized Tests","url":"https://drexel.edu/admissions/apply/undergrad-instructions/first-year-instructions/standardized-tests"},{"label":"Baylor - 2027-2028 Application Process","url":"https://admissions.web.baylor.edu/admissions/incoming-freshman/application-process"},{"label":"Princeton - Standardized Testing","url":"https://admission.princeton.edu/apply/standardized-testing"},{"label":"Case Western - Test Optional","url":"https://case.edu/admission/apply/application-requirements-enhancements/test-optional"},{"label":"Johns Hopkins - Standardized Testing","url":"https://apply.jhu.edu/how-to-apply/application-deadlines-requirements/standardized-testing/"},{"label":"UChicago - Admissions FAQ","url":"https://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/apply/uchicago-admissions-faq/"},{"label":"Liberty - Admissions Resident Program Catalog","url":"https://catalog.liberty.edu/undergraduate/admission/admissions-resident-program"},{"label":"Boston College - Test Optional Policy","url":"https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/admission/apply/test-optional.html"},{"label":"University of Tampa - First-Year Admissions","url":"https://www.ut.edu/admissions/first-year-admissions"},{"label":"Tufts - SAT and ACT Tests","url":"https://admissions.tufts.edu/apply/applying-to-tufts/sat-and-act-tests/"},{"label":"Carnegie Mellon - Standardized Testing","url":"https://www.cmu.edu/admission/admission/standardized-testing"},{"label":"WashU - First-Year US Applicants","url":"https://admissions.washu.edu/how-to-apply/first-year-us-applicants/"},{"label":"DePaul - Test Optional FAQs","url":"https://www.depaul.edu/admission-and-aid/Pages/test-optional-faqs.aspx"},{"label":"Emory - Standardized Exam Policies","url":"https://apply.emory.edu/apply/requirements/exams"},{"label":"Rice - Standardized Testing Policy","url":"https://admission.rice.edu/policies/standardized-testing"},{"label":"Howard - First-Year Admissions","url":"https://admission.howard.edu/undergraduate/first-year"},{"label":"Dartmouth - Are standardized test scores required?","url":"https://admissions.dartmouth.edu/glossary-question/are-standardized-test-scores-required"},{"label":"Pace - Undergraduate Admission","url":"https://www.pace.edu/admission-and-aid/undergraduate-admission"},{"label":"Notre Dame - Standardized Testing Policy","url":"https://admissions.nd.edu/apply/standardized-testing-policy/"},{"label":"Tulane - Standardized Tests","url":"https://admission.tulane.edu/apply/instructions/standardized-tests"},{"label":"Clark Atlanta - Undergraduate Admissions","url":"https://www.cau.edu/admissions/undergraduate-admissions"},{"label":"George Washington - Test Optional","url":"https://undergraduate.admissions.gwu.edu/apply/test-optional"},{"label":"MIT - Tests and Scores","url":"https://mitadmissions.org/apply/firstyear/tests-scores/"},{"label":"University of San Francisco - Test Optional","url":"https://www.usfca.edu/admission/undergraduate/test-optional"},{"label":"Georgetown - FAQ High School Credits and Tests","url":"https://uadmissions.georgetown.edu/faq/faq-high-school-credits-and-tests/"},{"label":"St. John's - Test Optional","url":"https://www.stjohns.edu/test-optional"},{"label":"RIT - Undergraduate FAQs","url":"https://www.rit.edu/admissions/undergraduate-faqs"},{"label":"Seton Hall - Test Optional Admission","url":"https://www.shu.edu/undergraduate-admissions/test-optional-admission.html"},{"label":"LMU - First-Year Applicants","url":"https://admission.lmu.edu/learnmore/prospectivestudents/first-yearapplicants/"},{"label":"Villanova - First-Year Applicants","url":"https://www.villanova.edu/university/undergraduate-admission/applying-to-villanova/first-year-applicants.html"},{"label":"Hofstra - Standardized Testing Policy","url":"https://www.hofstra.edu/admission/standardized-testing-policy/"}],"tables":[{"columns":[{"fmt":"str","key":"name","label":"College"},{"fmt":"str","key":"policy","label":"Policy"},{"fmt":"str","key":"applies_to","label":"Term it covers"},{"fmt":"str","key":"changed","label":"Change announced"},{"fmt":"url","key":"source_url","label":"College's page"}],"h2":"Test policy at the 50 most-applied-to private colleges","intro":"Required colleges first, then optional, then the one we could not confirm.","note":"First-year applicant policy as each college's own admissions page stated it in October 2026, for the cycle now open (fall 2027 entry). The 50 colleges are the private nonprofit colleges with the most applicants in the federal IPEDS file for the fall 2023 entering class, the latest federal file; for-profit colleges are left out. A blank in the last two columns means the college's page did not state a term or an upcoming change. Policies are set cycle by cycle, so a college's own page is newer than this table.","rows":[{"applies_to":"first-year applicants beginning with the 2024-25 admission cycle (covers fall 2027)","changed":"reinstated beginning with the 2024-25 admission cycle","name":"Brown University","policy":"required","quote":"Brown has returned to its previous policy requiring standardized test scores - either SAT or ACT scores - for first-year applicants beginning with the 2024-25 admission cycle.","source_url":"https://admission.brown.edu/ask/standardized-tests","unitid":217156},{"applies_to":"fall 2026 applicants and beyond (covers fall 2027); College of Fine Arts remains test optional","changed":"most colleges moved from test optional to 'test flexible' (a score from some accepted exam is mandatory) starting fall 2026; School of Computer Science requires SAT or ACT specifically","name":"Carnegie Mellon University","policy":"required","quote":"Test flexible means that students are required to submit test scores in order to complete their application, however, they may choose which type of test(s) they prefer to submit.","source_url":"https://www.cmu.edu/admission/admission/standardized-testing","unitid":211440},{"applies_to":"first-year applicants, fall 2026 and beyond (covers fall 2027)","changed":"reinstated beginning fall 2026 entry after a test-optional pandemic-era period","name":"Cornell University","policy":"required","quote":"You're required to submit SAT or ACT scores when applying to Cornell.","source_url":"https://admissions.cornell.edu/how-to-apply/first-year-applicants","unitid":190415},{"applies_to":"Class of 2029 applicants (fall 2025 entry) and continuing","changed":"reactivated the testing requirement beginning with the Class of 2029 after a test-optional pandemic-era period","name":"Dartmouth College","policy":"required","quote":"Dartmouth reactivated the standardized testing requirement for undergraduate admission beginning with applicants to the Class of 2029.","source_url":"https://admissions.dartmouth.edu/glossary-question/are-standardized-test-scores-required","unitid":182670},{"applies_to":"current application cycle (Georgetown never adopted test-optional admissions)","changed":null,"name":"Georgetown University","policy":"required","quote":"All first-year applicants are required to submit at least one full SAT or ACT test as part of their application.","source_url":"https://uadmissions.georgetown.edu/faq/faq-high-school-credits-and-tests/","unitid":131496},{"applies_to":"Class of 2029 applicants (fall 2025 entry) and continuing","changed":"reinstated for the Class of 2029 after a test-optional pandemic-era period","name":"Harvard University","policy":"required","quote":"Harvard requires the SAT or ACT to meet its standardized testing requirement.","source_url":"https://college.harvard.edu/admissions/apply/application-requirements","unitid":166027},{"applies_to":"fall 2026 and beyond (covers fall 2027)","changed":"reinstated for fall 2026 after a test-optional period","name":"Johns Hopkins University","policy":"required","quote":"Johns Hopkins University requires first-year applicants to submit SAT (Math and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing sections) or ACT (Math, Reading, and English sections) scores to be considered for admission.","source_url":"https://apply.jhu.edu/how-to-apply/application-deadlines-requirements/standardized-testing/","unitid":162928},{"applies_to":"current and future admissions cycles (since fall 2022 entrants)","changed":"reinstated after a two-cycle pandemic-era suspension (fall 2021 and fall 2022 applications were test-optional)","name":"Massachusetts Institute of Technology","policy":"required","quote":"We require the SAT or the ACT for both prospective first-year and transfer students.","source_url":"https://mitadmissions.org/apply/firstyear/tests-scores/","unitid":166683},{"applies_to":"current first-year applicants (fall 2027 entry)","changed":"required again starting with Class of 2030 applicants (fall 2026 entry) after Class of 2029 was test-optional","name":"Stanford University","policy":"required","quote":"ACT or SAT scores are required.","source_url":"https://admission.stanford.edu/apply/first-year/testing.html","unitid":243744},{"applies_to":"fall 2026 undergraduate admission and beyond (covers fall 2027)","changed":"reinstated starting fall 2026 entry","name":"University of Miami","policy":"required","quote":"Test Required for Fall 2026","source_url":"https://admissions.miami.edu/undergraduate/application-process/admission-requirements/test-optional-admissions/index.html","unitid":135726},{"applies_to":"2026-2027 admissions cycle (fall 2027 entry)","changed":"reinstated for the 2025-26 cycle after a test-optional period","name":"University of Pennsylvania","policy":"required","quote":"Penn applicants are required to submit scores for the SAT or ACT.","source_url":"https://admissions.upenn.edu/how-to-apply/preparing-your-application/testing","unitid":215062},{"applies_to":"current first-year and transfer applicants","changed":"narrowed from a test-flexible (SAT/ACT/AP/IB) policy to SAT-or-ACT-only starting the 2026-2027 cycle","name":"Yale University","policy":"required","quote":"First-year and transfer applicants must include scores from the ACT or SAT when applying.","source_url":"https://admissions.yale.edu/requirements","unitid":130794},{"applies_to":"2027-2028 application process","changed":null,"name":"Baylor University","policy":"optional","quote":"Students are not required to submit standardized test scores for admission.","source_url":"https://admissions.web.baylor.edu/admissions/incoming-freshman/application-process","unitid":223232},{"applies_to":"current application cycle","changed":null,"name":"Boston College","policy":"optional","quote":"Boston College offers a test-optional admission policy. Students who choose not to submit test scores will receive full consideration in our selection process.","source_url":"https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/admission/apply/test-optional.html","unitid":164924},{"applies_to":"fall 2028 and spring 2029 (covers fall 2027)","changed":null,"name":"Boston University","policy":"optional","quote":"Boston University has decided to remain test optional for students applying for admission through fall 2028 and spring 2029.","source_url":"https://www.bu.edu/admissions/apply/first-year/test-policy/","unitid":164988},{"applies_to":"current application cycle","changed":null,"name":"Case Western Reserve University","policy":"optional","quote":"At the time of application, you choose whether you wish to apply with testing scores or as a test-optional candidate","source_url":"https://case.edu/admission/apply/application-requirements-enhancements/test-optional","unitid":201645},{"applies_to":"Spring 2027 and Fall 2027 application cycle","changed":null,"name":"Clark Atlanta University","policy":"optional","quote":"SAT or ACT scores are optional for all applicants.","source_url":"https://www.cau.edu/admissions/undergraduate-admissions","unitid":138947},{"applies_to":"fall 2027 applicants (2026-2027 cycle)","changed":"required from the 2027-2028 cycle (students enrolling fall 2028)","name":"Columbia University in the City of New York","policy":"optional","quote":"Columbia College and Columbia Engineering will remain test optional for the 2026-2027 admissions cycle.","source_url":"https://undergrad.admissions.columbia.edu/testing-policy-update","unitid":190150},{"applies_to":"current application cycle (permanent policy since 2016)","changed":null,"name":"DePaul University","policy":"optional","quote":"Students applying for freshman admission can choose whether to submit ACT or SAT scores as part of the application.","source_url":"https://www.depaul.edu/admission-and-aid/Pages/test-optional-faqs.aspx","unitid":144740},{"applies_to":"fall entry (current)","changed":null,"name":"Drexel University","policy":"optional","quote":"Drexel practices a No Harm Test-Optional review for fall entry.","source_url":"https://drexel.edu/admissions/apply/undergrad-instructions/first-year-instructions/standardized-tests","unitid":212054},{"applies_to":"2026-2027 admissions cycle (fall 2027 entry)","changed":null,"name":"Duke University","policy":"optional","quote":"Duke University will be test-optional for both first-year and transfer applicants in the 2026-2027 admissions cycle.","source_url":"https://admissions.duke.edu/resources/","unitid":198419},{"applies_to":"2026-2027 application cycle (fall 2027 entry)","changed":null,"name":"Emory University","policy":"optional","quote":"Emory University is Test Optional for the 2026-2027 application cycle.","source_url":"https://apply.emory.edu/apply/requirements/exams","unitid":139658},{"applies_to":"current application cycle (policy in place since 2015)","changed":null,"name":"George Washington University","policy":"optional","quote":"SAT/ACT scores are an optional credential. You can decide if you want to submit your scores to GW as part of your application.","source_url":"https://undergraduate.admissions.gwu.edu/apply/test-optional","unitid":131469},{"applies_to":"current application cycle","changed":null,"name":"Hofstra University","policy":"optional","quote":"We are not requiring standardized test scores for students applying to Hofstra for full-time undergraduate admission.","source_url":"https://www.hofstra.edu/admission/standardized-testing-policy/","unitid":191649},{"applies_to":"2026-27 admission cycle (fall 2027 entry)","changed":null,"name":"Howard University","policy":"optional","quote":"For the 2026-27 admission cycle, SAT/ACT test scores are not required to render a first year admission application complete.","source_url":"https://admission.howard.edu/undergraduate/first-year","unitid":131520},{"applies_to":"general undergraduate resident program admission","changed":null,"name":"Liberty University","policy":"optional","quote":"Results from the CLT, SAT or ACT are not required for admission, but may be used in consideration for merit-based aid.","source_url":"https://catalog.liberty.edu/undergraduate/admission/admissions-resident-program","unitid":232557},{"applies_to":"current application cycle","changed":null,"name":"Loyola Marymount University","policy":"optional","quote":"National SAT/ACT test scores (test optional)","source_url":"https://admission.lmu.edu/learnmore/prospectivestudents/first-yearapplicants/","unitid":117946},{"applies_to":"current application cycle","changed":null,"name":"Loyola University Chicago","policy":"optional","quote":"Loyola is test-optional so you can decide if you would like to include ACT and/or SAT scores in your application.","source_url":"https://www.luc.edu/undergrad/admissions/first-yearstudents/","unitid":146719},{"applies_to":"the upcoming application term (current cycle, fall 2027 entry)","changed":null,"name":"New York University","policy":"optional","quote":"Standardized testing is optional for the upcoming application term.","source_url":"https://www.nyu.edu/admissions/undergraduate-admissions/how-to-apply/all-freshmen-applicants.html","unitid":193900},{"applies_to":"the foreseeable future (includes fall 2027)","changed":null,"name":"Northeastern University","policy":"optional","quote":"Northeastern University is test-optional for the foreseeable future and does not require applicants to submit standardized testing to be considered for admission.","source_url":"https://admissions.northeastern.edu/application-information/frequently-asked-admissions-questions/","unitid":167358},{"applies_to":"current application cycle (2026-27, fall 2027 entry)","changed":null,"name":"Northwestern University","policy":"optional","quote":"Northwestern follows a test-optional policy and will not require ACT or SAT scores from first-year or transfer candidates.","source_url":"https://admissions.northwestern.edu/apply/requirements.html","unitid":147767},{"applies_to":"the foreseeable future (includes fall 2027)","changed":null,"name":"Pace University","policy":"optional","quote":"We are excited to share that Pace University will continue its test-optional policy for the foreseeable future.","source_url":"https://www.pace.edu/admission-and-aid/undergraduate-admission","unitid":194310},{"applies_to":"fall 2027 entry (2026-27 admission cycle)","changed":"standardized testing will be required beginning with the 2027-28 admission cycle (fall 2028 entry)","name":"Princeton University","policy":"optional","quote":"Princeton remains test optional.","source_url":"https://admission.princeton.edu/apply/standardized-testing","unitid":186131},{"applies_to":"current application cycle (recommended, not required, since the 2024-25 cycle)","changed":null,"name":"Rice University","policy":"optional","quote":"Rice recommends that degree-seeking first-year and transfer applicants submit SAT or ACT test scores if available.","source_url":"https://admission.rice.edu/policies/standardized-testing","unitid":227757},{"applies_to":"current application cycle (since fall 2021)","changed":null,"name":"Rochester Institute of Technology","policy":"optional","quote":"RIT has a test-optional admissions policy for SAT/ACT scores.","source_url":"https://www.rit.edu/admissions/undergraduate-faqs","unitid":195003},{"applies_to":"through the Fall 2029 admissions cycle (covers fall 2027)","changed":null,"name":"Seton Hall University","policy":"optional","quote":"Seton Hall has announced that students seeking undergraduate admission to the University will not be required to submit standardized test scores as part of the application process through the Fall 2029 admissions cycle.","source_url":"https://www.shu.edu/undergraduate-admissions/test-optional-admission.html","unitid":186584},{"applies_to":"general undergraduate admission (ongoing)","changed":null,"name":"Southern New Hampshire University","policy":"optional","quote":"SNHU, which doesn't require test scores for admission for either its campus or online programs","source_url":"https://www.snhu.edu/about-us/newsroom/education/what-is-the-sat","unitid":183026},{"applies_to":"current application cycle","changed":null,"name":"St. John's University-New York","policy":"optional","quote":"First-year applicants to St. John's University have the option to submit a test-optional application.","source_url":"https://www.stjohns.edu/test-optional","unitid":195809},{"applies_to":"fall 2027 admission (named explicitly)","changed":null,"name":"Syracuse University","policy":"optional","quote":"SAT/ACT scores will not be required for students applying for Fall 2026, Spring 2027, Fall 2027 or Spring 2028 admission.","source_url":"https://www.syracuse.edu/admissions-aid/application-process/undergraduate/first-year/requirements/","unitid":196413},{"applies_to":"current application cycle","changed":null,"name":"The University of Tampa","policy":"optional","quote":"UTampa is test optional. We do not require test scores for admission to the University.","source_url":"https://www.ut.edu/admissions/first-year-admissions","unitid":137847},{"applies_to":"all undergraduate applicants (current cycle, fall 2027)","changed":null,"name":"Tufts University","policy":"optional","quote":"Tufts University is test-optional for all undergraduate applicants.","source_url":"https://admissions.tufts.edu/apply/applying-to-tufts/sat-and-act-tests/","unitid":168148},{"applies_to":"Fall 2027 first-year and transfer admission (named explicitly)","changed":null,"name":"Tulane University of Louisiana","policy":"optional","quote":"The submission of SAT or ACT scores will remain optional for Fall 2027 first-year and transfer admission to Tulane.","source_url":"https://admission.tulane.edu/apply/instructions/standardized-tests","unitid":160755},{"applies_to":"current application cycle (all applicants)","changed":null,"name":"University of Chicago","policy":"optional","quote":"Submitting an SAT or ACT is optional and not required for admission.","source_url":"https://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/apply/uchicago-admissions-faq/","unitid":144050},{"applies_to":"fall 2027 applicants","changed":"Notre Dame will reinstate a standardized testing requirement beginning with the 2027-2028 admissions cycle (fall 2028 entry)","name":"University of Notre Dame","policy":"optional","quote":"The University will remain test optional for those applying for Fall 2027.","source_url":"https://admissions.nd.edu/apply/standardized-testing-policy/","unitid":152080},{"applies_to":"current application cycle","changed":null,"name":"University of San Francisco","policy":"optional","quote":"USF does not require students to submit standardized test scores when applying for undergraduate admission.","source_url":"https://www.usfca.edu/admission/undergraduate/test-optional","unitid":122612},{"applies_to":"first-year applicants to the 2027-28 academic year","changed":null,"name":"University of Southern California","policy":"optional","quote":"the applicant decides if they would like their SAT or ACT scores to be considered","source_url":"https://admission.usc.edu/test-optional-faq/","unitid":123961},{"applies_to":"fall 2027 and fall 2028 applicants","changed":"testing will be required starting with applicants for fall 2029 entry","name":"Vanderbilt University","policy":"optional","quote":"Scores from the ACT or SAT exams will not be required for students applying to enter the university for fall 2027 and 2028","source_url":"https://admissions.vanderbilt.edu/apply/testing-policies/","unitid":221999},{"applies_to":"2026-27 admission cycle, Class of 2031 (fall 2027 entrants)","changed":null,"name":"Villanova University","policy":"optional","quote":"Villanova University remains test-optional for applicants through the 2026-27 admission campaign (Class of 2031).","source_url":"https://www.villanova.edu/university/undergraduate-admission/applying-to-villanova/first-year-applicants.html","unitid":216597},{"applies_to":"current application cycle","changed":null,"name":"Washington University in St Louis","policy":"optional","quote":"WashU is test optional.","source_url":"https://admissions.washu.edu/how-to-apply/first-year-us-applicants/","unitid":179867},{"applies_to":null,"changed":"secondary sources describe Fordham as test-optional for the foreseeable future, but Fordham's own admissions pages are gated behind a CAS login wall and could not be read directly","name":"Fordham University","policy":"unknown","quote":null,"source_url":"https://www.fordham.edu/undergraduate-admission/why-fordham/admission-facts/","unitid":191241}]}],"title":"Which private colleges require the SAT or ACT for fall 2027 applicants","updated":null,"url":"https://highschoolreach.com/research/private-college-test-policy-2026"}