Research · Test policy · 50 states · October 2026
The 2026 Public University Test Policy Report
Which states' public universities require the SAT or ACT, which are test-optional, and which will not look at a score. 226 public universities in all 50 states, every flagship among them, each read from its own admissions page and quoted. One page per state answers the question in its first sentence.
Analysis: Test Prep Gurus (High School Reach, highschoolreach.com), October 2026. Figures and the state tables may be quoted with attribution to Test Prep Gurus.
The finding, in plain English
"Test-optional" is the majority rule, and the exceptions are large. Of the 226 public universities we checked, 31 require an SAT or ACT score from first-year applicants, 180 are test-optional and 15 do not consider a score at all. Among the 50 flagships, 8 require a score, 41 are test-optional and 1 is test-blind. 10 states have at least one public university that requires a score. 10 states have public universities that will not look at one.
A family that skips the test has crossed those 31 universities off the list before applying, and the 115 four-year colleges nationally that report a requirement to the federal government. At the selective test-optional colleges that publish both shares, score submitters were admitted at 1.2 to 3.2 times the rate of non-submitters, by the colleges' own numbers (the arithmetic).
Require a score
Test-optional
Test-blind
Flagships requiring a score
Where a score is required
Public universities that require an SAT or ACT score from most first-year applicants, with the entering term their page names. Exemptions (a GPA waiver, auto-admits, homeschool rules) are in the notes on each state's page.
| State | University | Applies to | Since / change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Auburn University flagship | fall 2027 first-year applicants | test-optional pathway (limited, 3.6+ GPA) ended after fall 2026; required for fall 2027 and beyond |
| Arkansas | Arkansas State University | current first-year applicants (automatic admission pathway) | — |
| Arkansas | University of Arkansas at Little Rock | current first-year applicants (no specific entering term stated on page) | — |
| Florida | Florida Atlantic University | Summer/Fall 2026 admitted students | — |
| Florida | Florida International University | first-time-in-college applicants, current cycle | — |
| Florida | Florida State University flagship | current freshman admission cycle | — |
| Florida | University of Central Florida | Summer and Fall 2027 freshman admission | — |
| Florida | University of Florida flagship | current freshman admission cycle (per BOG Reg 6.002, binding on all SUS schools including UF) | — |
| Florida | University of South Florida | Fall 2026 and other terms (Fall/Summer/Spring all reviewed under the Fall cycle) | — |
| Georgia | Augusta University | fall 2026 (AY 2026-27) | moved from test-optional (AY2025-26, 3.4 GPA floor, 'research university' tier) to required for AY2026-27 |
| Georgia | Georgia College & State University | fall 2026 (AY 2026-27); also required in AY2025-26 | already required in AY2025-26 (along with UGA and Georgia Tech), continues required for AY2026-27 |
| Georgia | Georgia Institute of Technology flagship | fall 2026 (AY 2026-27) and fall 2027 (AY 2027-28) | required continuously through USG's test-optional waiver period |
| Georgia | Georgia Southern University | fall 2026 (AY 2026-27) | moved from test-optional (AY2025-26, 3.2 GPA floor) to required for AY2026-27 |
| Georgia | Georgia State University | fall 2026 (AY 2026-27) | moved from test-optional (AY2025-26, 3.4 GPA floor) to required for AY2026-27 |
| Georgia | Kennesaw State University | fall 2026 (AY 2026-27) | moved from test-optional (AY2025-26, 3.2 GPA floor, 'comprehensive university' tier) to required for AY2026-27 |
| Georgia | University of Georgia flagship | current first-year and dual-enrollment applicants (fall 2026 and fall 2027; UGA is one of the two USG schools excluded from the fall-2027 CLT substitution) | required continuously since before the USG test-optional waiver began; remained required through AY2025-26, AY2026-27 and will remain required into AY2027-28 |
| Indiana | Purdue University (West Lafayette) flagship | fall 2026 entering class and current cycle | — |
| Louisiana | Southern University and A&M College | current cycle | — |
| North Carolina | North Carolina State University | current policy as published; follows UNC System Policy 700.1.1 (fall 2026 and beyond) | — |
| North Carolina | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill flagship | 2026-2027 academic year and beyond | GPA-conditional test requirement effective per UNC System Policy 700.1.1; score floor (17 ACT/930 SAT) added starting fall 2026 |
| North Carolina | University of North Carolina at Charlotte | Fall 2027 applicants, as stated on the source page | — |
| Ohio | The Ohio State University flagship | 2026 admissions cycle and beyond (Columbus campus); current policy as published (regional campuses) | Columbus campus reinstated the ACT/SAT requirement for the 2026 admissions cycle, ending a test-optional pilot that had run since 2020 |
| Tennessee | Austin Peay State University | fall 2026 first-year applicants | — |
| Tennessee | Middle Tennessee State University | fall 2026 first-year applicants | — |
| Tennessee | Tennessee State University | fall 2026 first-year applicants | — |
| Tennessee | University of Memphis | fall 2026 first-year applicants | — |
| Tennessee | University of Tennessee, Chattanooga | fall 2026 first-year applicants | — |
| Tennessee | University of Tennessee, Knoxville flagship | fall 2026 and fall 2027 first-year applicants | — |
| Tennessee | University of Tennessee, Martin | fall 2026 first-year applicants | — |
| Texas | University of Texas at Austin flagship | fall 2025 applicants and later | reinstated for fall 2025 after a pandemic-era test-optional period (exact announcement date/news URL not confirmed this session) |
| Texas | University of Texas at El Paso | 2026-2027 Academic Catalog, first-time first-year applicants | — |
Where a score is not considered
Test-blind (test-free) public universities: a score is not read even if the student sends one.
| State | University | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | University of Alaska Anchorage | 2026-2027 catalog (current policy, no end date stated) | Baccalaureate admission is based on high school GPA of at least 2.00 (or cumulative college GPA of 1.75 with 24 earned credits); the catalog qualifies the test-score statement with "for most programs," and which programs may differ was not identified on an official page. Placement exams, not SAT/ACT, are used for advising and course placement. |
| California | California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly SLO) | current first-year admission cycle, following CSU systemwide policy | Cal Poly's own selection-criteria page did not explicitly restate the CSU test-blind policy in the excerpt fetched (the phrase 'when applicable' is consistent with scores not being required); relying primarily on CSU's systemwide policy (see systems entry) for the 'blind' label here. Flagged as a gap for a fuller Cal Poly-specific confirmation. |
| California | California State University, Long Beach | current first-year admission cycle | Admission decided using the CSULB Index (GPA-based); test scores not used even if submitted. |
| California | San Diego State University | current first-year admission cycle, following CSU systemwide policy | Follows CSU's systemwide test-blind policy. If admitted, SAT/ACT scores may still be used for course placement. |
| California | University of California, Berkeley | same as UC systemwide policy | Berkeley's own term for its policy is 'test-free' rather than 'test-optional' or 'test-blind'; follows the systemwide UC policy of not considering scores for admission, evaluation, or scholarships. |
| California | University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) | same as UC systemwide policy | Follows the systemwide UC test-blind policy. Submitted scores may still be used to satisfy the Entry Level Writing Requirement or for course placement after enrollment. |
| Idaho | Boise State University | current Idaho resident and nonresident first-year high school seniors/graduates | Scores are not considered even if submitted (test-blind) for applicants from accredited high schools. Exception: homeschool or unaccredited-high-school applicants under 21 must submit official ACT or SAT scores. |
| Illinois | Northern Illinois University | current first-year applicants | NIU markets itself as having 'test-free admission'; GPA is used instead as the predictor of success. |
| Maine | University of Southern Maine | undergraduate applicants, current cycle | This is stricter than 'optional': USM's own wording says scores are not used in the decision at all, even if submitted, which matches this project's 'blind' label rather than 'optional.' Labeled separately from the UMS system-wide 'test-optional' description above. |
| New Hampshire | Plymouth State University | unknown - no entering term/class stated on the page; confirmed in effect as of check date 2026-10-08 | Explicitly test-blind, including for merit-based scholarships. No exceptions (homeschool, nursing, honors) found stated on the page. No CLT mention found. |
| New Jersey | Rutgers University-Newark | through 2027 (per page: "maintains test-optional and test-blind policies through 2027") | Rutgers-Newark 7-year BA/MD joint-degree program requires at least one standardized test score. |
| Utah | Southern Utah University | fall 2026 first-year applicants | SUU's first-year admissions page makes no mention of SAT/ACT at all; admission is stated purely by high school GPA (2.4+ for full admission, lower for the provisional COMPASS program). Corroborated by SUU's own 2020 announcement (suu.edu/news/2020/09/standardized-test-requirement.html) that it dropped the ACT/SAT requirement for admission and scholarships -- a test score is not used to decide domestic freshman admission, so 'blind' is the correct label; exception: applicants without a standard high school diploma still submit a score. |
| Virginia | Old Dominion University | current freshman application cycle (page not tied to a named term) | Scores may still be submitted voluntarily for class-placement purposes or for certain endowed scholarships, but are not used in the admission decision. A narrow exception elsewhere on the site lists SAT/ACT as required for some non-standard-pathway applicant categories (e.g. certain homeschool/GED-within-3-years cases); the general freshman policy is test-blind. |
| Washington | Eastern Washington University | current freshman application cycle (page not tied to a specific term) | Scores are not required for admission or for any automatic scholarships. |
| Washington | Washington State University | current freshman application cycle (page not tied to a specific term) |
What changed, and when
Universities whose page or a dated announcement records a change in policy.
| State | University | Now | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Auburn University | Required | test-optional pathway (limited, 3.6+ GPA) ended after fall 2026; required for fall 2027 and beyond |
| Alabama | University of Alabama | Test-optional | required below a 3.0 GPA starting fall 2027; required for all applicants starting fall 2028 |
| Alabama | University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) | Test-optional | test-optional ends after the summer/fall 2027 cycle; required for all starting fall 2028 |
| Alabama | University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) | Test-optional | required starting spring 2028 |
| Alaska | University of Alaska Fairbanks | Test-optional | Began as a COVID-19 testing waiver instituted March 2020 and extended through fall 2021 (per a June 25, 2020 UAF news article, https://www.uaf.edu/news/archives/news-archives-2010-2021/uaf-extends-sat-act-test-waiver-through-2021.php); still in effect as of the 2026-2027 catalog, but the exact date it became a permanent policy was not confirmed on an official page. |
| California | University of California, Berkeley | Test-blind | test scores eliminated systemwide beginning with fall 2021 applicants; became permanent after UC determined no replacement test was feasible |
| California | University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) | Test-blind | test scores eliminated systemwide beginning with fall 2021 applicants |
| Colorado | University of Northern Colorado | Test-optional | optional since fall 2021 (Class of 2021 graduates) |
| Georgia | Augusta University | Required | moved from test-optional (AY2025-26, 3.4 GPA floor, 'research university' tier) to required for AY2026-27 |
| Georgia | Georgia College & State University | Required | already required in AY2025-26 (along with UGA and Georgia Tech), continues required for AY2026-27 |
| Georgia | Georgia Institute of Technology | Required | required continuously through USG's test-optional waiver period |
| Georgia | Georgia Southern University | Required | moved from test-optional (AY2025-26, 3.2 GPA floor) to required for AY2026-27 |
| Georgia | Georgia State University | Required | moved from test-optional (AY2025-26, 3.4 GPA floor) to required for AY2026-27 |
| Georgia | Kennesaw State University | Required | moved from test-optional (AY2025-26, 3.2 GPA floor, 'comprehensive university' tier) to required for AY2026-27 |
| Georgia | University of Georgia | Required | required continuously since before the USG test-optional waiver began; remained required through AY2025-26, AY2026-27 and will remain required into AY2027-28 |
| Hawaii | University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa | Test-optional | test-optional since around 2020-2021 (originally announced via a UH Mānoa news article -- manoa.hawaii.edu/news/article.php?aId=10687 -- published May 25, 2020, as a one-year COVID exemption for fall 2021 applicants; policy has continued since with no stated end date per the current freshman admissions page) |
| Illinois | Southern Illinois University Carbondale | Test-optional | no longer required effective summer/fall 2021 |
| Illinois | University of Illinois Chicago | Test-optional | policy amended effective the 2027 admission cycle |
| Indiana | Indiana University Bloomington | Test-optional | went test-optional (per secondary reporting, around 2021); not independently verified from an official dated announcement |
| Kansas | University of Kansas | Test-optional | test-flexible path approved by the Board of Regents in March 2021, effective beginning with applicants for summer 2022 |
| Kentucky | University of Kentucky | Test-optional | test-optional policy extended through 2028-29 |
| Louisiana | Louisiana State University (LSU A&M) | Test-optional | ACT/SAT requirement reinstated for applicants with weighted HS GPA below 3.5, effective for summer 2027 entry; all applicants will need a score by summer 2028 |
| Louisiana | Southeastern Louisiana University | Test-optional | a 2022 local news report (WWLTV) states Southeastern "drops ACT score requirement for admission beginning fall 2022"; not independently confirmed from an official Southeastern page |
| Maine | University of Maine | Test-optional | adopted test-optional in 2020, now permanent |
| Maryland | Morgan State University | Test-optional | permanent test-optional policy |
| Maryland | Salisbury University | Test-optional | expanded test-optional policy, removing a prior 3.5 minimum-GPA eligibility cutoff, effective fall 2021 |
| Maryland | Towson University | Test-optional | made permanently test-optional (no longer a temporary pandemic-era policy) |
| Massachusetts | Bridgewater State University | Test-optional | No Test Option available since fall 2017 |
| Massachusetts | University of Massachusetts Amherst | Test-optional | test-optional since the spring 2021 entering term; originally announced (July 2020, massachusetts.edu) as a 3-year pilot running through spring 2023, then continued past that date -- the current live policy page states no new sunset term |
| Michigan | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | Test-optional | Continuing test-optional policy; page explicitly reaffirmed for the 2026-2027 application cycle |
| Michigan | Western Michigan University | Test-optional | Adopted test-optional in 2020 |
| Minnesota | University of Minnesota Twin Cities | Test-optional | Policy coverage window has been repeatedly extended; most recent page checked extends it through fall 2029 |
| Montana | Montana State University | Test-optional | test-optional since the Board of Regents' April 2020 temporary suspension; made permanent via the May 27, 2021 revision to Policy 301 |
| Montana | University of Montana | Test-optional | test-optional since the Board of Regents' April 2020 temporary suspension; made permanent via the May 27, 2021 revision to Policy 301 |
| New Mexico | University of New Mexico | Test-optional | test optional since the 2021-22 academic year (UNM first waived the requirement for 2021-22 applicants, announced July 2020, citing pandemic test-access disruption; current admissions page states the policy as ongoing with no end date given) |
| New York | Brooklyn College | Test-optional | test optional effective fall 2023 (per CUNY Board of Trustees resolution) |
| New York | John Jay College of Criminal Justice | Test-optional | test optional effective fall 2023 (per CUNY Board of Trustees resolution) |
| North Carolina | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Required | GPA-conditional test requirement effective per UNC System Policy 700.1.1; score floor (17 ACT/930 SAT) added starting fall 2026 |
| North Dakota | North Dakota State University | Test-optional | test requirement removed system-wide effective August 1, 2023, per North Dakota University System Board of Higher Education vote (per news coverage) |
| North Dakota | University of North Dakota | Test-optional | test requirement removed system-wide effective August 1, 2023, per North Dakota University System Board of Higher Education vote (per news coverage) |
| Ohio | Ohio University | Test-optional | test-optional pathway in place since the 2021 class |
| Ohio | The Ohio State University | Required | Columbus campus reinstated the ACT/SAT requirement for the 2026 admissions cycle, ending a test-optional pilot that had run since 2020 |
| Pennsylvania | University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) | Test-optional | extended through Fall 2028 (page does not state the original start date) |
| Pennsylvania | West Chester University of Pennsylvania | Test-optional | catalog describes the policy as temporary, re-evaluated each admissions cycle (no original start date stated on this page) |
| Tennessee | Tennessee Technological University | Test-optional | test-optional (exact term it took effect not confirmed) |
| Texas | University of Texas at Austin | Required | reinstated for fall 2025 after a pandemic-era test-optional period (exact announcement date/news URL not confirmed this session) |
| Utah | Utah Tech University | Test-optional | formerly Dixie State University, renamed Utah Tech University in 2022 |
| Vermont | Vermont State University | Test-optional | formed in 2023 from the merger of Castleton University, Northern Vermont University (Johnson + Lyndon), and Vermont Technical College |
| Virginia | George Mason University | Test-optional | test-optional ("Score Optional") since 2007 — not a COVID-era policy |
| Virginia | Virginia Tech | Test-optional | test-optional since fall 2021 (COVID-era policy made permanent through fall 2028) |
| Washington | University of Washington | Test-optional | SAT/ACT requirement permanently removed, announced June 11, 2020, effective for applicants starting fall 2021 |
| Wisconsin | University of Wisconsin-Madison | Test-optional | test-optional since fall 2020/2021 cycle; most recently extended through spring 2028 |
All 50 states
The statewide rule where one exists, the flagship's policy, and the count of universities checked. Click the state for every university, the quotes and the sources.
| State | Statewide rule | Flagship | Flagship policy | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | No statewide rule | Auburn University | Required | 10 · 1 req · 9 opt |
| Alaska | No statewide rule | University of Alaska Fairbanks | Test-optional | 3 · 0 req · 2 opt · 1 blind |
| Arizona | Test-optional Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) |
University of Arizona | Test-optional | 3 · 0 req · 3 opt |
| Arkansas | No statewide rule | University of Arkansas | Test-optional | 5 · 2 req · 3 opt |
| California | Test-blind University of California Board of Regents and California State University Board of Trustees |
University of California, Berkeley | Test-blind | 5 · 0 req · 0 opt · 5 blind |
| Colorado | Test-optional Colorado General Assembly / Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) |
University of Colorado Boulder | Test-optional | 6 · 0 req · 6 opt |
| Connecticut | No statewide rule | University of Connecticut | Test-optional | 5 · 0 req · 5 opt |
| Delaware | No statewide rule | University of Delaware | Test-optional | 2 · 0 req · 2 opt |
| Florida | Required Florida Board of Governors (State University System of Florida) |
Florida State University | Required | 6 · 6 req · 0 opt |
| Georgia | Varies by campus University System of Georgia (USG) Board of Regents |
Georgia Institute of Technology | Required | 9 · 7 req · 2 opt |
| Hawaii | Varies by campus University of Hawaiʻi (UH) System / Board of Regents |
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa | Test-optional | 3 · 0 req · 3 opt |
| Idaho | Test-optional Idaho State Board of Education (Board Policy III.Q, Admission Standards) |
University of Idaho | Test-optional | 3 · 0 req · 2 opt · 1 blind |
| Illinois | Test-optional Illinois General Assembly — Higher Education Fair Admissions Act (110 ILCS 29), effective January 1, 2022 |
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | Test-optional | 6 · 0 req · 5 opt · 1 blind |
| Indiana | No statewide rule | Purdue University (West Lafayette) | Required | 5 · 1 req · 4 opt |
| Iowa | Test-optional Iowa Board of Regents (governs University of Iowa, Iowa State University, University of Northern Iowa) |
University of Iowa | Test-optional | 3 · 0 req · 3 opt |
| Kansas | Test-optional Kansas Board of Regents (qualified admissions standards set under K.S.A. 76-717) |
University of Kansas | Test-optional | 4 · 0 req · 4 opt |
| Kentucky | No statewide rule | University of Kentucky | Test-optional | 5 · 0 req · 5 opt |
| Louisiana | Varies by campus Louisiana Board of Regents |
Louisiana State University (LSU A&M) | Test-optional | 5 · 1 req · 4 opt |
| Maine | Varies by campus University of Maine System Board of Trustees |
University of Maine | Test-optional | 2 · 0 req · 1 opt · 1 blind |
| Maryland | No statewide rule | University of Maryland, College Park | Test-optional | 5 · 0 req · 5 opt |
| Massachusetts | Varies by campus Massachusetts Department of Higher Education (Board of Higher Education) minimum undergraduate admissions standards |
University of Massachusetts Amherst | Test-optional | 5 · 0 req · 5 opt |
| Michigan | No statewide rule | Michigan State University | Test-optional | 6 · 0 req · 6 opt |
| Minnesota | No statewide rule | University of Minnesota Twin Cities | Test-optional | 4 · 0 req · 4 opt |
| Mississippi | Test-optional Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) |
University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) | Test-optional | 3 · 0 req · 3 opt |
| Missouri | No statewide rule | University of Missouri (Mizzou) | Test-optional | 4 · 0 req · 4 opt |
| Montana | Test-optional Montana University System Board of Regents |
Montana State University | Test-optional | 2 · 0 req · 2 opt |
| Nebraska | No statewide rule | University of Nebraska-Lincoln | Test-optional | 6 · 0 req · 6 opt |
| Nevada | Test-optional Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) Board of Regents |
University of Nevada, Las Vegas | Test-optional | 3 · 0 req · 3 opt |
| New Hampshire | Varies by campus University System of New Hampshire (USNH) |
University of New Hampshire | Test-optional | 3 · 0 req · 2 opt · 1 blind |
| New Jersey | No statewide rule | Rutgers University-New Brunswick | Test-optional | 10 · 0 req · 9 opt · 1 blind |
| New Mexico | No statewide rule | University of New Mexico | Test-optional | 2 · 0 req · 2 opt |
| New York | No statewide rule | Stony Brook University | Test-optional | 6 · 0 req · 6 opt |
| North Carolina | Required University of North Carolina System Board of Governors |
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Required | 3 · 3 req · 0 opt |
| North Dakota | Test-optional North Dakota University System / State Board of Higher Education |
University of North Dakota | Test-optional | 2 · 0 req · 2 opt |
| Ohio | No statewide rule | The Ohio State University | Required | 6 · 1 req · 5 opt |
| Oklahoma | Test-optional Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education (OSRHE) |
University of Oklahoma | Test-optional | 3 · 0 req · 3 opt |
| Oregon | No statewide rule | University of Oregon | Test-optional | 3 · 0 req · 3 opt |
| Pennsylvania | No statewide rule | Pennsylvania State University (Penn State, University Park) | Test-optional | 4 · 0 req · 4 opt |
| Rhode Island | No statewide rule | University of Rhode Island | Test-optional | 2 · 0 req · 2 opt |
| South Carolina | No statewide rule | University of South Carolina (Columbia) | Test-optional | 4 · 0 req · 4 opt |
| South Dakota | Varies by campus South Dakota Board of Regents |
University of South Dakota | Test-optional | 6 · 0 req · 6 opt |
| Tennessee | Varies by campus | University of Tennessee, Knoxville | Required | 9 · 7 req · 2 opt |
| Texas | Varies by campus | University of Texas at Austin | Required | 7 · 2 req · 5 opt |
| Utah | Varies by campus | University of Utah | Test-optional | 6 · 0 req · 5 opt · 1 blind |
| Vermont | Varies by campus | University of Vermont | Test-optional | 2 · 0 req · 2 opt |
| Virginia | No statewide rule | University of Virginia | Test-optional | 6 · 0 req · 5 opt · 1 blind |
| Washington | No statewide rule | University of Washington | Test-optional | 5 · 0 req · 3 opt · 2 blind |
| West Virginia | Test-optional West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (HEPC) |
West Virginia University | Test-optional | 2 · 0 req · 2 opt |
| Wisconsin | Test-optional Universities of Wisconsin (UW System) Board of Regents |
University of Wisconsin-Madison | Test-optional | 6 · 0 req · 6 opt |
| Wyoming | No statewide rule | University of Wyoming | Test-optional | 1 · 0 req · 1 opt |
The national picture, public and private
Of the 1,395 four-year colleges that report a testing policy to the federal government (IPEDS, 2023 cycle, with the University of California and Cal State test-blind rule and Caltech's reinstatement applied), 115 require a score, 1,239 are test-optional and 41 are test-blind. Weighted by enrollment that is 15%, 76% and 10% of students. Among public colleges alone: 74 required, 412 test-optional, 41 test-blind.
Colleges that brought a requirement back after studying their own test-optional years: Harvard, Stanford, MIT, Yale, Penn, Caltech, Johns Hopkins, Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth, Carnegie Mellon, Georgetown, UT-Austin, Georgia Tech, Purdue, Ohio State, Florida, Georgia, Miami, Tennessee, Florida State, Cooper Union, U.S. Service Academies. Their reasons, and the submit-or-withhold arithmetic, are in Do test scores still matter?; the full college-by-college picture is on /test-scores.
| Test-optional college | Cycle | Applicants who sent a score | Admits who sent a score | Submitter advantage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cornell University — Arts & Sciences Cornell Office of Institutional Research & Planning |
Fall 2023 | 24% | 50% | 3.2× |
| University of Notre Dame Notre Dame Admissions |
Class of 2026 (REA) | 54% | 70% | 2.0× |
| University of Southern California USC Admission + Common Data Set 2024-25 |
Class of 2028 | 36% | 51% | 1.9× |
| Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt Undergraduate Admissions |
Class of 2025 | 56.3% | 61.1% | 1.2× |
What this means for your family
Test. Most families apply across state lines, and the list a student can apply to without a score is shorter than the word "optional" suggests. Start with a free mock SAT and a free mock ACT, prepare for the one where the percentile came out higher, plan 6 to 12 weeks before the first official date, and prepare for the whole test. Then decide college by college whether to send the score.
How much a score moves with preparation, by starting score: Test Prep Gurus results. What a score does for merit aid: Merit scholarships.
At a glance
JSON · For AI agentsAs of October 2026, 31 of the 226 public universities we checked across all 50 states require an SAT or ACT score from first-year applicants, 180 are test-optional, and 15 do not consider scores at all.
10 states have at least one public university that requires a score: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas.
10 states have public universities that will not look at a score: Alaska, California, Idaho, Illinois, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Utah, Virginia, Washington.
Among the 50 state flagships, 8 require a score, 41 are test-optional and 1 is test-blind.
Nationally, of 1,395 four-year colleges reporting a policy to the federal government (IPEDS, 2023), 115 require a score, 1,239 are test-optional and 41 are test-blind; weighted by enrollment that is 15%, 76% and 10% of students.
At the selective test-optional colleges that publish both shares, score submitters were admitted at 1.2 to 3.2 times the rate of non-submitters, by the colleges' own numbers.
Analysis: Test Prep Gurus (High School Reach), October 2026. Free for editorial use with attribution to Test Prep Gurus.
How we built this
For each state we took the flagship and the public universities with roughly 8,000 or more undergraduates, 226 in all, plus every statewide system or governing-board rule. Each policy label was read from the university's own first-year admissions page, or the state or system regulation, and recorded with a verbatim quote of 25 words or fewer, the entering term the page names, whether the Classic Learning Test is accepted, and the source URL. A second pass re-fetched every source and corrected or struck any entry it could not confirm. "Required" means a score is required of most first-year applicants (exemptions noted); "test-optional" means a score is considered if sent; "test-blind" means a score is not considered even if sent. Community colleges and private colleges are not covered. The national counts are the federal IPEDS policy flags for the 2023 cycle, which lag a university's own page; where the two disagree, the state page is current.
Published October 2026; refreshed each October. The dataset is free for editorial and research use with attribution to Test Prep Gurus (JSON). Corrections: nick.standlea@prepgurus.com.
Every state
Alabama · Alaska · Arizona · Arkansas · California · Colorado · Connecticut · Delaware · Florida · Georgia · Hawaii · Idaho · Illinois · Indiana · Iowa · Kansas · Kentucky · Louisiana · Maine · Maryland · Massachusetts · Michigan · Minnesota · Mississippi · Missouri · Montana · Nebraska · Nevada · New Hampshire · New Jersey · New Mexico · New York · North Carolina · North Dakota · Ohio · Oklahoma · Oregon · Pennsylvania · Rhode Island · South Carolina · South Dakota · Tennessee · Texas · Utah · Vermont · Virginia · Washington · West Virginia · Wisconsin · Wyoming
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