Test policy · 50 states · Colorado

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

As of October 2026: No. All 6 Colorado public universities we checked are test-optional: a score is considered if sent, but not required (University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado State University, Metropolitan State University of Denver and 3 more).

Colorado law leaves it up to each public four-year college whether to require SAT/ACT scores, and every public four-year institution in the state has chosen to go test-optional. For fall 2026 and fall 2027 first-year applicants, no Colorado public university requires a test score.

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-optional. Set by Colorado General Assembly / Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE), covering admission cycles since fall 2021, including fall 2026 and fall 2027.

“this bill makes it optional for Colorado's public four-year colleges and universities to require or not require national test scores” — msudenver.edu

HB 21-1067 (signed by Gov. Polis May 25, 2021) removed any statewide requirement; it does not itself mandate test-optional, but CDHE reports all 13 public four-year institutions have chosen test-optional. CDHE's own pages (cdhe.colorado.gov/college-use-of-national-test-scores, highered.colorado.gov/admissions-eligibility) returned HTTP 403 to automated fetch, so this quote is sourced from MSU Denver's official policy page, which quotes the bill.

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 · 6 test-optional · 0 test-blind.

University	SAT / ACT	Applies to	CLT	Source
University of Colorado Boulder Flagship Boulder Applicants may self-report scores if they want them considered. ACT Writing/Science sections not used as of April 2025.	Test-optional	2027 first-year application cycle	—	“SAT/ACT scores are not required and we take a holistic approach when reviewing your application” colorado.edu
Colorado State University Fort Collins Applies to domestic and international first-year applicants; scores reviewed only if submitted and carry minimal weight.	Test-optional	current freshman (first-year) admissions	—	“CSU does not require ACT or SAT scores.” admissions.colostate.edu
Metropolitan State University of Denver Denver	Test-optional	current first-year admissions	—	“It is up to the applicant if they want their test score to be considered in the admission process.” msudenver.edu
University of Colorado Colorado Springs Colorado Springs Page lists alternate criteria for applicants with test scores who do not meet GPA requirements, i.e. scores can help an applicant below the normal GPA bar.	Test-optional	current first-year admissions	—	“Test-Optional Admission” uccs.edu
University of Colorado Denver Denver	Test-optional	current first-year admissions	—	“Submitting test scores is optional, and won't negatively impact your application.” cudenver.edu
University of Northern Colorado Greeley optional since fall 2021 (Class of 2021 graduates) Listed under 'Optional Application Materials' on UNC's first-year page. 2021 announcement: 'High school students who are graduating next spring will not be required to submit a college entrance exam when applying to the University of Northern Colorado' (unco.edu/news/articles/act-sat-2021/).	Test-optional	current first-year admissions	—	“Standardized Test Scores” unco.edu

Other public colleges in Colorado 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
Front Range Community College	11,476	—	—	— · —
Pikes Peak State College	9,595	—	—	— · —
Colorado Mesa University	8,143	81%	Test-optional	49% · 10%
Colorado State University Global	6,563	—	—	— · —
Colorado School of Mines	6,155	60%	Test-optional	42% · 18%
Arapahoe Community College	5,383	—	—	— · —
Community College of Denver	5,096	—	—	— · —

What this means for your family

Optional describes the checkbox, not the outcome. At test-optional colleges that publish both numbers, students who sent a score were admitted at a higher rate than students who did not, and 115 colleges nationally still require one. Take 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 the score.

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. All 6 Colorado public universities we checked are test-optional: a score is considered if sent, but not required (University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado State University, Metropolitan State University of Denver and 3 more).

Statewide rule: Colorado General Assembly / Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) — test-optional, admission cycles since fall 2021, including fall 2026 and fall 2027.

University of Colorado Boulder, the flagship, is test-optional for 2027 first-year application cycle.

University of Northern Colorado: optional since fall 2021 (Class of 2021 graduates).

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

Questions families ask

Is Colorado test-optional for its public universities in 2026? No. All 6 Colorado public universities we checked are test-optional: a score is considered if sent, but not required (University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado State University, Metropolitan State University of Denver and 3 more).

Does University of Colorado Boulder require the SAT or ACT in 2026? Test-optional for 2027 first-year application cycle. Applicants may self-report scores if they want them considered. ACT Writing/Science sections not used as of April 2025. Source: colorado.edu.

Should my child take the SAT or ACT if Colorado'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.

Every state

Alabama · Alaska · Arizona · Arkansas · California · 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 · The 50-state report →