Test policy · 50 states · California

Do California's public universities require the SAT or ACT in 2026?

As of October 2026: No. California's public universities do not consider SAT or ACT scores at all (University of California, Berkeley, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly SLO) and 2 more).

Both of California's public university systems, the University of California and California State University, are test-blind: SAT/ACT scores are not required and are not considered in admission decisions even if submitted. UC's Academic Senate is actively reviewing whether to bring testing back for STEM/math, under a charge due to Academic Council by February 2027, but no change applies to fall 2027 applicants.

Analysis: Test Prep Gurus (High School Reach, highschoolreach.com), October 2026. Figures and the table may be quoted with attribution to Test Prep Gurus.

The statewide rule

Test-blind. Set by University of California Board of Regents and California State University Board of Trustees, covering fall 2027 first-year applicants.

“Students applying by November 30, 2026, for fall 2027 admission will not be required to submit SAT or ACT scores” — universityofcalifornia.edu

The UC Regents voted in May 2020 to suspend SAT/ACT use, conditioned on developing a replacement test; when that proved infeasible, UC eliminated test use entirely for freshman admissions beginning with fall 2021 applicants. CSU's Board of Trustees separately adopted a test-blind policy for the CSU system. Each system set its own policy; there is no single state law mandating this for both. ACTIVE REVIEW: on July 22, 2026 UC's Academic Council directed BOARS (the Board of Admissions and Relations with Schools) to conduct a faculty-led review of standardized testing in admissions, following a 2026 push by hundreds of UC faculty (including a large group at UC San Diego) to reinstate an SAT/ACT math requirement for STEM applicants, citing a sharp rise in students arriving under-prepared in math since test-blind admissions began. Per UC's own July 22, 2026 statement, BOARS must deliver its report to Academic Council by February 12, 2027, with the Board of Regents to receive a policy recommendation no later than June 2027; the same statement confirms no change has been made and fall 2027 applicants will not be required to submit scores.

University of California (UC): Blind, fall 2027 first-year applicants. UC's official 'How applications are reviewed' page (admission.universityofcalifornia.edu) also enumerates roughly 14 comprehensive-review factors with no SAT/ACT among them. The elimination of test scores is further confirmed in the UC Academic Senate's own June 2026 report recounting the May 2020 Regents vote. UC's current test-blind policy is under active BOARS/Academic Council review as of fall 2026 (see state_rule note); no change has been adopted as of the 2026-10-08 check date, confirmed in UC's own July 22, 2026 press statement. Source

California State University (CSU): Blind, current first-year admission cycle (no specific entering term stated on the page fetched). Quote is from an official CSU campus (Cal State Long Beach) admissions page stating CSU systemwide policy; calstate.edu's own admissions pages could not be fetched directly (they returned an automated 'Human Check' bot-detection page to this tool), so the systemwide csulb.edu statement and the consistent absence of any test-score requirement on multiple other CSU campuses' admission-eligibility pages (San Jose State, Cal Poly SLO, San Francisco State, Sonoma State -- none of which mention SAT/ACT as an admission factor) were used as corroboration. Per the page, students may still submit scores voluntarily after being admitted, for other uses such as placement. Source

University by university

The flagship and the state's largest public universities. Each label comes from the university's own admissions page, quoted; "applies to" is the entering term the page names. 0 required · 0 test-optional · 5 test-blind.

University	SAT / ACT	Applies to	CLT	Source
University of California, Berkeley Flagship Berkeley test scores eliminated systemwide beginning with fall 2021 applicants; became permanent after UC determined no replacement test was feasible 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.	Test-blind	same as UC systemwide policy	No	“we're not using SAT/ACT test scores for any part of our process, including evaluation/holistic review, selection, or scholarship processes” admissions.berkeley.edu
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Flagship Los Angeles test scores eliminated systemwide beginning with fall 2021 applicants 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.	Test-blind	same as UC systemwide policy	No	“UCLA will not consider SAT or ACT scores for admission or scholarship purposes.” admission.ucla.edu
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly SLO) San Luis Obispo 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.	Test-blind	current first-year admission cycle, following CSU systemwide policy	—	“While GPA and test scores (when applicable) are important, it is impossible to predict a candidate's chances by looking at these statistics alone.” calpoly.edu
California State University, Long Beach Long Beach Admission decided using the CSULB Index (GPA-based); test scores not used even if submitted.	Test-blind	current first-year admission cycle	No	“The CSU does not use standardized testing (SAT and/or ACT) for purposes of admission.” csulb.edu
San Diego State University San Diego Follows CSU's systemwide test-blind policy. If admitted, SAT/ACT scores may still be used for course placement.	Test-blind	current first-year admission cycle, following CSU systemwide policy	—	“SDSU no longer uses SAT or ACT exam scores from first-year applicants for determining admission eligibility.” admissions.sdsu.edu

Other public colleges in California with 5,000 or more students

Not individually checked for this report. The policy flag and the share of enrolled first-years who submitted a score are what each college reported to the federal government for the 2023 admissions cycle (IPEDS); check the college's own page before relying on it.

College	Students	Admit rate	Reported to IPEDS, 2023	Submitted SAT · ACT
California State University-Fullerton	38,546	87%	Test-blind	— · —
University of California-San Diego	34,948	27%	Test-blind	— · —
California State University-Northridge	32,691	93%	Test-blind	— · —
University of California-Davis	32,253	46%	Test-blind	— · —
University of California-Irvine	30,197	30%	Test-blind	— · —
California State University-Sacramento	28,350	94%	Test-blind	— · —
San Jose State University	27,601	80%	Test-blind	— · —
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona	25,042	74%	Test-blind	— · —
University of California-Santa Barbara	23,113	44%	Test-blind	— · —
University of California-Riverside	22,593	88%	Test-blind	— · —
Santa Ana College	22,485	—	—	— · —
California State University-Fresno	21,605	96%	Test-blind	— · —
Santa Monica College	21,440	—	—	— · —
California State University-Los Angeles	19,562	92%	Test-blind	— · —
San Francisco State University	18,639	96%	Test-blind	— · —
University of California-Santa Cruz	17,940	82%	Test-blind	— · —
Bakersfield College	17,280	—	—	— · —
San Diego Mesa College	16,098	—	—	— · —
Rio Hondo College	15,684	—	—	— · —
Modesto Junior College	15,109	—	—	— · —
California State University-San Bernardino	15,023	98%	Test-blind	— · —
California State University-San Marcos	14,877	96%	Test-blind	— · —
California State University-Chico	13,631	94%	Test-blind	— · —
Cypress College	13,354	—	—	— · —
California State University-Dominguez Hills	12,538	91%	Test-blind	— · —
Antelope Valley Community College District	11,534	—	—	— · —
Foothill College	11,137	—	—	— · —
MiraCosta College	10,278	—	—	— · —
California State University-East Bay	9,809	97%	Test-blind	— · —
California State University-Bakersfield	8,577	88%	Test-blind	— · —
California State University-Stanislaus	8,385	98%	Test-blind	— · —
University of California-Merced	8,372	95%	Test-blind	— · —
Solano Community College	8,061	—	—	— · —
Skyline College	7,620	—	—	— · —
West Los Angeles College	7,284	—	—	— · —
California State University-Monterey Bay	6,819	95%	Test-blind	— · —
Shasta College	6,128	—	—	— · —
California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt	5,612	99%	Test-blind	— · —
Sonoma State University	5,166	95%	Test-blind	— · —
California State University-Channel Islands	5,013	93%	Test-blind	— · —

What this means for your family

California's public universities will not look at a score. Most families still test, because nearly every private college and out-of-state university reads one, 115 colleges nationally require one, and merit scholarships are tied to it. Prepare for the whole test, 6 to 12 weeks before the first official date, and decide college by college whether to send it.

How much a score moves with preparation, by starting score: Test Prep Gurus results. The submit-or-withhold arithmetic: Do test scores still matter?

At a glance

JSON (all states) · For AI agents

As of October 2026: No. California's public universities do not consider SAT or ACT scores at all (University of California, Berkeley, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly SLO) and 2 more).

Statewide rule: University of California Board of Regents and California State University Board of Trustees — test-blind, fall 2027 first-year applicants.

University of California, Berkeley, the flagship, is test-blind for same as UC systemwide policy.

University of California, Berkeley: test scores eliminated systemwide beginning with fall 2021 applicants; became permanent after UC determined no replacement test was feasible.

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA): test scores eliminated systemwide beginning with fall 2021 applicants.

Checked against each university's own admissions page, October 2026. Analysis: Test Prep Gurus (High School Reach).

Questions families ask

Is California test-optional for its public universities in 2026? No. California's public universities do not consider SAT or ACT scores at all (University of California, Berkeley, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly SLO) and 2 more).

Does University of California, Berkeley require the SAT or ACT in 2026? Test-blind for 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. Source: admissions.berkeley.edu.

Should my child take the SAT or ACT if California's public universities do not require it? Yes. Most families apply to colleges in more than one state, 115 four-year colleges nationally require a score, and at test-optional colleges students who submit a score are admitted at higher rates than students who do not. A strong score also opens merit scholarships. Start with a free mock SAT and a free mock ACT, prepare for the whole test over 6 to 12 weeks, and decide college by college whether to send it.

Method: for each state, the flagship and the public universities with roughly 8,000 or more undergraduates. Each policy label was read from the university's own first-year admissions page (or the state or system regulation), quoted verbatim, and re-checked by a second pass, October 2026. "Required" means a score is required of most first-year applicants (exemptions in the notes); "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. Policies change: the page carries the term each page named, and the report is refreshed each October.

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