{"answer":"For fall 2027 applicants, 10 rows in our table are test blind, which means a score is not read even if a student sends it: every University of California campus, all 23 California State University campuses, Pitzer, Reed, Hampshire, Lewis & Clark, Augsburg, Cal Poly Maritime, Washington State and Northern Illinois. Twelve more in the table are only test optional, so they do read a score when one arrives.","as_of":"October 2026","date":"2026-10-15","dek":"The table holds all 24 colleges and systems we checked, each one's policy for fall 2027 and the page it was read from. It is not a list of every test-blind college.","faq":[{"a":"At a test-blind college the score is not read.","q":"What does test blind mean?"},{"a":"Every UC campus is test blind. So are all 23 CSU campuses.","q":"Are the UCs and CSUs test blind?"},{"a":"At a test-optional college the score is read if it arrives.","q":"Is test optional the same as test blind?"}],"findings":[{"h":"Test blind and test optional are not the same promise.","p":"At a test-blind college the score is not read. A student can send one. It changes nothing. At a test-optional college the score is read if it arrives. So a weak score can cost a student there. 10 rows in our table are blind. Twelve are optional."},{"h":"Two California systems hold most of the test-blind seats.","p":"Every UC campus is test blind. So are all 23 CSU campuses. Together that is far more seats than the eight single colleges on the list. For a family in California, the two public systems are the plain answer."},{"h":"A test-blind policy has an end date.","p":"Pitzer prints its own window. No SAT or ACT in the review from fall 2022 through fall 2027. Then back to test optional for students entering in fall 2028. Lewis & Clark went test free with the class entering in fall 2025. Cal Maritime now runs as Cal Poly Maritime Academy. A policy that holds this year can be rewritten for the next one."}],"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 or system's own page in October 2026, for the application cycle now open, which is fall 2027 entry. The table covers the colleges and systems we checked, so it is not a census and a college missing from it has no policy recorded here either way. Two limits ride with it: College of the Atlantic's admissions pages would not load, so it is left out rather than guessed, and the Cal Poly Maritime row rests on the archived Cal Maritime requirements page because the current Cal Poly page would not load. Rows are grouped test blind, then test optional, then the two that are neither, and listed alphabetically inside each group.","question":"Which colleges are test blind and will not look at my kid's SAT score at all?","related":[{"label":"Test policy at California's public universities","url":"/test-policy/california"},{"label":"Test policy at public universities, state by state","url":"/test-policy"},{"label":"Do test scores still matter?","url":"/test-scores"},{"label":"Plain-English explainers from Test Prep Gurus","url":"https://www.prepgurus.com/explainers"}],"sections":[{"h2":"The colleges that will not look at a score","paragraphs":["Two public systems carry this list. Every UC campus is test blind. The UC guarantee for students near the top of their class is made with no test score at all. All 23 CSU campuses are test blind too, and that rule is systemwide, not campus by campus.","The single colleges are Pitzer, Reed, Lewis & Clark, Hampshire, Augsburg, Cal Poly Maritime, Washington State and Northern Illinois. Hampshire has not taken scores since 2014. Reed asks for a self-reported score if a student has one, then does not use it.","Cal Maritime is the row to read twice. It is now Cal Poly Maritime Academy, part of Cal Poly, and still a CSU campus. The page here is the archived Cal Maritime page, because the current Cal Poly page would not load for us."]},{"h2":"The colleges families mix up with these","paragraphs":["Twelve colleges in the table are test optional, not test blind. Dickinson, Catholic University, Loyola New Orleans, Whitman, Sarah Lawrence, Antioch and Southern Oregon are on that list. So are five public colleges in Washington state, the University of Washington among them. Several were test blind in the pandemic years, which is where the mix-up starts.","Two more rows are neither. The University of Idaho is conditional. A score is optional at a 3.00 grade point average or higher. From 2.60 to 2.99 a student must send a score or join the Vandal Gateway Program. Cornell now asks for a score at all eight of its undergraduate colleges, so no part of Cornell is score free.","College of the Atlantic is not in the table. Its admissions pages would not load for us. We do not print a policy we could not read on the college's own site."]},{"h2":"What a family should do with this","paragraphs":["Check each college on your student's list, on that college's own page, in the fall of senior year. The table says which cycle each policy covers. A policy can change between a sophomore year and an application.","If every college on the list is test blind, the testing question is settled. The time goes to grades and course rigor instead. If one college reads scores, the student is taking the test. One college sets the plan for the whole list.","Watch the end dates. Pitzer returns to test optional for students entering in fall 2028. A current sophomore is looking at a different Pitzer than a current senior."]}],"slug":"test-blind-colleges-2026","sources":[{"label":"UC: Fact Sheet: Fall 2026 First-Year and Transfer Admissions (data tables)","url":"https://www.ucop.edu/institutional-research-academic-planning/_files/factsheets/2026/admissions-fact-sheet-data-tables.pdf"},{"label":"CSU/SDSU: First-Years admissions page (states systemwide CSU testing rule)","url":"https://admissions.sdsu.edu/first-years"},{"label":"Pitzer College: Test-Free / Test-Optional Policy page","url":"https://www.pitzer.edu/admission-aid/how-apply/test-free-test-optional-policy"},{"label":"Washington State University: First-Year Students apply page","url":"https://admission.wsu.edu/apply/first-year-students/"},{"label":"Northern Illinois University: Freshman requirements page","url":"https://www.niu.edu/admissions/apply/requirements/index.shtml"},{"label":"Reed College: First-year applicant guide (testing self-report, not used in evaluation)","url":"https://www.reed.edu/apply/guide-to-applying/first-year/"},{"label":"Hampshire College: 'No to SATs/ACTs: Not Even Optional'","url":"https://www.hampshire.edu/admissions/apply-hampshire/no-sats/acts-not-even-optional"},{"label":"Dickinson College: Standardized Testing page","url":"https://www.dickinson.edu/homepage/1716/standardized_testing"},{"label":"Catholic University of America: Application Process page","url":"https://www.catholic.edu/admission-aid/undergraduate-admission/first-year-students/application-process"},{"label":"Loyola University New Orleans: Test-Optional Admissions page","url":"https://www.loyno.edu/test-optional-admissions"},{"label":"University of Washington: How to Apply (first-year)","url":"https://admit.washington.edu/apply/first-year/how-to-apply/"},{"label":"Western Washington University: First-Year Apply page","url":"https://admissions.wwu.edu/first-year/apply"},{"label":"Eastern Washington University: 'EWU Becomes Test-Optional' story","url":"https://www.ewu.edu/stories/ewu-becomes-test-optional-to-increase-equity-in-college-admissions/"},{"label":"Central Washington University: Undergraduate Admissions page","url":"https://www.cwu.edu/admissions-aid/apply/undergraduate-admissions.php"},{"label":"The Evergreen State College: Test Optional Admissions page","url":"https://www.evergreen.edu/admissions-and-aid/test-optional-admission"},{"label":"Antioch College: Application Instructions page","url":"https://antiochcollege.edu/admission/apply/"},{"label":"Sarah Lawrence College: First-Year Applicants page","url":"https://www.sarahlawrence.edu/admission/apply/first-year.html"},{"label":"Whitman College: Testing Policy page","url":"https://www.whitman.edu/admission-and-aid/applying-to-whitman/testing-policy"},{"label":"Lewis & Clark College: Test-Free Policy page","url":"https://college.lclark.edu/offices/admissions/apply/testing_policy/"},{"label":"Augsburg University: Test-Free Admissions Policy page","url":"https://www.augsburg.edu/firstyear/inquire-and-apply/test-optional/"},{"label":"Cal Poly Maritime Academy (formerly CSU Maritime Academy / Cal Maritime) homepage","url":"https://maritime.calpoly.edu/"},{"label":"Cal Maritime (archived First-Time Freshmen requirements page)","url":"https://maritime-archive.calpoly.edu/admissions/requirements/first-time-freshmen.html"},{"label":"Cornell University: 'Cornell to Reinstate Standardized Test Requirements for Fall 2026'","url":"https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2024/04/cornell-reinstate-standardized-test-requirements-fall-2026"},{"label":"Southern Oregon University: Apply page","url":"https://sou.edu/admissions/apply/"},{"label":"University of Idaho: First-Year Students admissions-apply page","url":"https://www.uidaho.edu/admissions-apply/first-year-students"}],"tables":[{"columns":[{"fmt":"str","key":"college","label":"College or system"},{"fmt":"str","key":"state","label":"State"},{"fmt":"str","key":"policy_2026","label":"Policy for fall 2027 applicants"},{"fmt":"url","key":"source_url","label":"College's page"}],"h2":"Test policy at the colleges we checked","intro":"Test-blind colleges first, then the ones that are only test optional.","note":"First-year applicant policy as each college's or system's own page stated it in October 2026, for the application cycle now open, which is fall 2027 entry. Test blind means a score is not considered even when it is sent; test optional means the college reads a score when a student sends one. These are the colleges and systems we checked, not every test-blind college in the country, so absence from the table is not a policy. Policies are set one cycle at a time, which makes a college's own page newer than this table.","rows":[{"college":"University of California (systemwide: Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz)","policy_2026":"blind","quote":"Students applying by November 30, 2026, for fall 2027 admission will not be required to submit SAT or ACT scores","source_url":"https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/press-room/statement-uc-academic-senate-chair-ahmet-palazoglu-boars-undergraduate-admissions-review","state":"CA"},{"college":"California State University (systemwide, 23 campuses)","policy_2026":"blind","quote":"SAT and ACT scores will not be used for determining who gets admitted into the CSU.","source_url":"https://admissions.sdsu.edu/first-years","state":"CA"},{"college":"Augsburg University","policy_2026":"blind (test-free, since the 2021/fall 2022 cycle)","quote":"ACT or SAT test scores are not considered for admission for incoming undergraduate (first-year and transfer) student applications.","source_url":"https://www.augsburg.edu/firstyear/inquire-and-apply/test-optional/","state":"MN"},{"college":"California State University Maritime Academy (Cal Maritime) -- now operating as Cal Poly Maritime Academy after its 2026 merger into Cal Poly, and still a CSU/Cal Poly campus","policy_2026":"blind","quote":"Note that the SAT and ACT are not part of the admission evaluation process.","source_url":"https://maritime-archive.calpoly.edu/admissions/requirements/first-time-freshmen.html","state":"CA"},{"college":"Hampshire College","policy_2026":"blind","quote":"As of 2014, we haven't even accepted them; we are entirely test free in our admissions process.","source_url":"https://www.hampshire.edu/admissions/apply-hampshire/no-sats/acts-not-even-optional","state":"MA"},{"college":"Lewis & Clark College","policy_2026":"blind (test-free, starting with the fall 2025 entering class)","quote":"We do not ask applicants to submit SAT or ACT scores, nor do we review them as part of our holistic review of a student's application for undergraduate admission.","source_url":"https://college.lclark.edu/offices/admissions/apply/testing_policy/","state":"OR"},{"college":"Northern Illinois University","policy_2026":"blind","quote":"We do not consider ACT or SAT scores for general admission or merit scholarships.","source_url":"https://www.niu.edu/admissions/apply/requirements/index.shtml","state":"IL"},{"college":"Pitzer College","policy_2026":"blind (through fall 2027 entrants; college has announced a return to test-optional for fall 2028 entrants)","quote":"Pitzer College will not use SAT or ACT scores for application evaluation from Fall 2022-2027 and plans to return to a Test-Optional policy for students applying for entry in the Fall of 2028.","source_url":"https://www.pitzer.edu/admission-aid/how-apply/test-free-test-optional-policy","state":"CA"},{"college":"Reed College","policy_2026":"blind","quote":"Self-reported SAT or ACT scores, if available (neither will be used in our evaluation)","source_url":"https://www.reed.edu/apply/guide-to-applying/first-year/","state":"OR"},{"college":"Washington State University","policy_2026":"blind","quote":"WSU does not require students to submit SAT/ACT test scores as part of the application process and will not use them in our admission decisions.","source_url":"https://admission.wsu.edu/apply/first-year-students/","state":"WA"},{"college":"Antioch College","policy_2026":"optional (not blind)","quote":"We are fully test optional. We do not require SAT or ACT scores, nor do we charge an application fee.","source_url":"https://antiochcollege.edu/admission/apply/","state":"OH"},{"college":"Catholic University of America","policy_2026":"optional (not blind -- was test-blind 2020 through the pandemic era, reverted to test-optional)","quote":"The Committee on Admission at Catholic University does not require standardized tests (SAT or ACT) for admission","source_url":"https://www.catholic.edu/admission-aid/undergraduate-admission/first-year-students/application-process","state":"DC"},{"college":"Central Washington University","policy_2026":"optional (not blind)","quote":"No, CWU is a test-optional school. While we do not require SAT or ACT scores for admission, you can submit your official SAT or ACT scores to CWU for class placement.","source_url":"https://www.cwu.edu/admissions-aid/apply/undergraduate-admissions.php","state":"WA"},{"college":"Dickinson College","policy_2026":"optional (not blind -- test-optional since 1994)","quote":"Dickinson's test-optional policy provides students with a choice regarding the submission of standardized test scores.","source_url":"https://www.dickinson.edu/homepage/1716/standardized_testing","state":"PA"},{"college":"Eastern Washington University","policy_2026":"optional (not blind)","quote":"Students may still choose to submit test scores as part of an admissions application. All applicants, regardless of test scores, will receive the same consideration.","source_url":"https://www.ewu.edu/stories/ewu-becomes-test-optional-to-increase-equity-in-college-admissions/","state":"WA"},{"college":"Loyola University New Orleans","policy_2026":"optional (not blind -- was briefly test-blind in 2020 per contemporaneous press, current own page is test-optional)","quote":"Applicants will have the choice to select if they wish to have their ACT (with or without the Science section) or SAT scores considered when Loyola reviews their application for admission and merit scholarship decisions.","source_url":"https://www.loyno.edu/test-optional-admissions","state":"LA"},{"college":"Sarah Lawrence College","policy_2026":"optional (not blind)","quote":"The submission of standardized test scores is optional.","source_url":"https://www.sarahlawrence.edu/admission/apply/first-year.html","state":"NY"},{"college":"Southern Oregon University","policy_2026":"optional (not blind)","quote":"SAT or ACT test scores are optional.","source_url":"https://sou.edu/admissions/apply/","state":"OR"},{"college":"The Evergreen State College","policy_2026":"optional (not blind)","quote":"Applying test optional removes the requirement for SAT or ACT test scores.","source_url":"https://www.evergreen.edu/admissions-and-aid/test-optional-admission","state":"WA"},{"college":"University of Washington (Seattle)","policy_2026":"optional (not blind)","quote":"The UW no longer requires SAT or ACT scores for most applicants.","source_url":"https://admit.washington.edu/apply/first-year/how-to-apply/","state":"WA"},{"college":"Western Washington University","policy_2026":"optional (not blind; permanently test-optional starting fall 2021)","quote":"Western's application process is test-optional. You are not required to submit test scores to apply for admission.","source_url":"https://admissions.wwu.edu/first-year/apply","state":"WA"},{"college":"Whitman College","policy_2026":"optional (not blind)","quote":"Whitman College is test-optional, meaning that most applicants are not required to submit ACT or SAT scores as part of the admission process.","source_url":"https://www.whitman.edu/admission-and-aid/applying-to-whitman/testing-policy","state":"WA"},{"college":"University of Idaho","policy_2026":"conditional -- optional at GPA 3.00+; at GPA 2.60-2.99 a test score (or the Vandal Gateway Program) is required; not test-blind at any GPA tier","quote":"Test scores are not required. [...] must submit ACT or SAT test scores or opt-in to the Vandal Gateway Program.","source_url":"https://www.uidaho.edu/admissions-apply/first-year-students","state":"ID"},{"college":"Cornell University (all 8 undergraduate colleges)","policy_2026":"required -- no Cornell college remains score-free for fall 2026 or fall 2027 applicants","quote":"Effective for those applying to enroll for fall 2026 or beyond, applicants to all eight Cornell undergraduate colleges and schools will be required to submit standardized test scores.","source_url":"https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2024/04/cornell-reinstate-standardized-test-requirements-fall-2026","state":"NY"}]}],"title":"Which colleges ignore an SAT or ACT score even when a student sends it","updated":null,"url":"https://highschoolreach.com/research/test-blind-colleges-2026"}