Test policy · 50 states · Georgia

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

As of October 2026: It depends on the campus. Of the 9 Georgia public universities we checked, 7 require a score (Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Georgia, Augusta University and 4 more); 2 are test-optional (University of West Georgia and Valdosta State University).

The University System of Georgia sets test policy centrally but it differs by institution. For fall 2026 (Academic Year 2026-27), seven USG institutions require an SAT or ACT score -- UGA, Georgia Tech, Georgia State, Augusta University, Kennesaw State, Georgia Southern, and Georgia College & State University -- while the other 18 USG institutions remain test-optional (generally above a GPA floor). Starting fall 2027, a CLT score may substitute for the SAT almost everywhere except Georgia Tech and UGA.

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

Varies by campus. Set by University System of Georgia (USG) Board of Regents, covering Academic Years 2025-26, 2026-27 and 2027-28 (i.e. fall 2025 through fall 2027 first-year applicants).

“SAT or ACT scores will be required for: University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, Georgia State University, Augusta University, Kennesaw State University, Georgia Southern University, Georgia College & State University.” — usg.edu

That sentence is USG's own stated list for Academic Year 2026-27 (fall 2026 entering class). For AY 2025-26, only Georgia Tech, UGA, and Georgia College & State University required scores; the other 22 institutions were test-optional (freshman-index formula or minimum-GPA test-optional path: 3.4 GPA at research universities Augusta/Georgia State, 3.2 at comprehensive universities Kennesaw State/Georgia Southern/West Georgia/Valdosta State, 3.0 at state universities, and state colleges remaining test-optional regardless of GPA). Beginning fall 2027, USG's own text reads: 'Classic Learning Test (CLT) scores may be substituted for SAT scores based on the CLT-SAT concordance tables at all test-optional and test-mandatory institutions, with the only exceptions being Georgia Tech and the University of Georgia.'

University System of Georgia: Varies by campus, fall 2026 (AY 2026-27) and fall 2027 (AY 2027-28) first-year applicants. The 'waiver' is the default; it is lifted (i.e. scores required) at the 7 campuses named above for AY2026-27. The remaining 18 USG four-year/state-college institutions may still require a score below their published minimum GPA. 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. 7 required · 2 test-optional · 0 test-blind.

University	SAT / ACT	Applies to	CLT	Source
Georgia Institute of Technology Flagship Atlanta required continuously through USG's test-optional waiver period Georgia Tech's own admissions page (admission.gatech.edu/first-year/standardized-tests) was reachable on re-check 2026-10-08 and independently confirms the requirement, replacing the prior 404. Georgia Tech and UGA are the only two USG institutions excluded from the fall 2027 CLT-substitution allowance (per the USG system page).	Required	fall 2026 (AY 2026-27) and fall 2027 (AY 2027-28)	No	“All first-year applicants must submit results from at least one SAT and/or ACT in order to be considered for admission.” admission.gatech.edu
University of Georgia Flagship Athens required continuously since before the USG test-optional waiver began; remained required through AY2025-26, AY2026-27 and will remain required into AY2027-28 UGA and Georgia Tech are the only two USG institutions excluded from the fall 2027 CLT-substitution allowance.	Required	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)	No	“All first-year and dual enrollment applicants are required to submit official test scores from either ACT or SAT.” admissions.uga.edu
Augusta University Augusta moved from test-optional (AY2025-26, 3.4 GPA floor, 'research university' tier) to required for AY2026-27 Not independently verified on Augusta University's own site; relies on the USG system page.	Required	fall 2026 (AY 2026-27)	—	“SAT or ACT scores will be required for: University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, Georgia State University, Augusta University, Kennesaw State University, Georgia Southern University, Georgia College & State University.” usg.edu
Georgia College & State University Milledgeville already required in AY2025-26 (along with UGA and Georgia Tech), continues required for AY2026-27 ~6,800 undergraduates (below the ~8,000 enrollment bar) but included because it is one of the 7 required campuses, which is the point of this page.	Required	fall 2026 (AY 2026-27); also required in AY2025-26	—	“SAT or ACT scores will be required for: University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, Georgia State University, Augusta University, Kennesaw State University, Georgia Southern University, Georgia College & State University.” usg.edu
Georgia Southern University Statesboro moved from test-optional (AY2025-26, 3.2 GPA floor) to required for AY2026-27 Not independently verified on Georgia Southern's own site; relies on the USG system page.	Required	fall 2026 (AY 2026-27)	—	“SAT or ACT scores will be required for: University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, Georgia State University, Augusta University, Kennesaw State University, Georgia Southern University, Georgia College & State University.” usg.edu
Georgia State University Atlanta moved from test-optional (AY2025-26, 3.4 GPA floor) to required for AY2026-27 Georgia State's own admissions page was reachable on re-check 2026-10-08 and independently confirms the requirement (for the Atlanta Campus), replacing the prior 404/reliance on the USG system page alone.	Required	fall 2026 (AY 2026-27)	—	“If you're applying to Georgia State's Atlanta Campus you'll need to submit SAT or ACT scores along with your application.” admissions.gsu.edu
Kennesaw State University Kennesaw moved from test-optional (AY2025-26, 3.2 GPA floor, 'comprehensive university' tier) to required for AY2026-27 Kennesaw's own admissions pages returned 404/redirect loops to automated fetch during this session; relies on the USG system page.	Required	fall 2026 (AY 2026-27)	—	“SAT or ACT scores will be required for: University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, Georgia State University, Augusta University, Kennesaw State University, Georgia Southern University, Georgia College & State University.” usg.edu
University of West Georgia Carrollton CORRECTED 2026-10-08: the previous quote ('The 22 institutions may use either a freshman index formula...') did not appear verbatim on the usg.edu source page; replaced with the page's actual AY2026-27 sentence for non-required institutions. West Georgia's own admissions page (westga.edu) returned a 404 to automated fetch on re-check -- still not independently confirmed on its own site.	Test-optional	fall 2026 (AY 2026-27), not on USG's required list	—	“All other institutions may require test scores based on the applicant's high school grade point average.” usg.edu
Valdosta State University Valdosta CORRECTED 2026-10-08: the previous quote ('The 22 institutions may use either a freshman index formula...') did not appear verbatim on the usg.edu source page; replaced with the page's actual AY2026-27 sentence for non-required institutions. Valdosta State's own admissions page (valdosta.edu) returned a 404 to automated fetch on re-check -- still not independently confirmed on its own site.	Test-optional	fall 2026 (AY 2026-27), not on USG's required list	—	“All other institutions may require test scores based on the applicant's high school grade point average.” usg.edu

Other public colleges in Georgia 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
University of North Georgia	16,146	72%	Test-optional	40% · 18%
Georgia Gwinnett College	11,344	96%	Test-optional	— · —
Middle Georgia State University	6,574	100%	Test-optional	20% · 9%
Albany State University	5,956	—	—	— · —
Columbus State University	5,625	99%	Test-optional	21% · 17%

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: It depends on the campus. Of the 9 Georgia public universities we checked, 7 require a score (Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Georgia, Augusta University and 4 more); 2 are test-optional (University of West Georgia and Valdosta State University).

Statewide rule: University System of Georgia (USG) Board of Regents — varies by campus, Academic Years 2025-26, 2026-27 and 2027-28 (i.e. fall 2025 through fall 2027 first-year applicants).

Georgia Institute of Technology, the flagship, is required for fall 2026 (AY 2026-27) and fall 2027 (AY 2027-28).

Georgia Institute of Technology: required continuously through USG's test-optional waiver period.

University of Georgia: required continuously since before the USG test-optional waiver began; remained required through AY2025-26, AY2026-27 and will remain required into AY2027-28.

Augusta University: moved from test-optional (AY2025-26, 3.4 GPA floor, 'research university' tier) to required for AY2026-27.

Georgia College & State University: already required in AY2025-26 (along with UGA and Georgia Tech), continues required for AY2026-27.

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

Questions families ask

Is Georgia test-optional for its public universities in 2026? It depends on the campus. Of the 9 Georgia public universities we checked, 7 require a score (Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Georgia, Augusta University and 4 more); 2 are test-optional (University of West Georgia and Valdosta State University).

Does Georgia Institute of Technology require the SAT or ACT in 2026? Required for fall 2026 (AY 2026-27) and fall 2027 (AY 2027-28). Georgia Tech's own admissions page (admission.gatech.edu/first-year/standardized-tests) was reachable on re-check 2026-10-08 and independently confirms the requirement, replacing the prior 404. Georgia Tech and UGA are the only two USG institutions excluded from the fall 2027 CLT-substitution allowance (per the USG system page). Source: admission.gatech.edu.

Should my child take the SAT or ACT if Georgia'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 · Colorado · Connecticut · Delaware · Florida · 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 →