Test policy · 50 states · Hawaii

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

As of October 2026: No. All 3 Hawaii public universities we checked are test-optional: a score is considered if sent, but not required (University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo and University of Hawaiʻi–West Oʻahu).

The University of Hawaiʻi System has no single system-wide testing mandate; each of its three four-year campuses sets its own policy, and all three (Mānoa, Hilo, West Oʻahu) currently do not require SAT/ACT scores for first-year admission, though Hilo requires a score if a student's GPA is below 2.7.

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 of Hawaiʻi (UH) System / Board of Regents, covering undergraduate first-year applicants, UH Mānoa, UH Hilo, UH West Oʻahu.

“There are no changes at UH Hilo and UH West Oʻahu where standardized tests are not used as a principal criteria in the application process.” — manoa.hawaii.edu

No UH System-wide board policy document requiring or waiving test scores was located; each campus sets its own admission standards. As of 2026 all three four-year UH campuses effectively do not require a test score for general admission, though UH Hilo requires one on a sliding scale if GPA is below 2.7. The cited comparison article (manoa.hawaii.edu/news/article.php?aId=10687) is dated May 25, 2020; its comparison of the three campuses' policies was independently re-confirmed as still accurate on 2026-10-08 by checking each campus's own current freshman admissions page directly (Mānoa, Hilo, West Oʻahu quotes below).

University of Hawaiʻi System: Varies by campus, undergraduate first-year applicants across Mānoa, Hilo, and West Oʻahu. UH System comprises 3 four-year campuses (Mānoa, Hilo, West Oʻahu) plus 7 community colleges (excluded per spec). Each four-year campus independently sets its own test policy. Source article is dated May 25, 2020; underlying claim re-confirmed current via each campus's own 2026 admissions page. 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 · 3 test-optional · 0 test-blind.

University	SAT / ACT	Applies to	CLT	Source
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Flagship Honolulu 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) 'Do no harm' policy: if submitted, scores that would hurt an application are excluded from review. Scholarships or department direct-entry programs may still require test scores. CORRECTED 2026-10-08: the cited news article is dated May 25, 2020, not 2021 as previously stated.	Test-optional	current first-year freshman applicants (page did not state a specific future entering term; snapshot data referenced was Fall 2025)	—	“UH Mānoa is test-optional, which means that students can choose whether or not to submit SAT or ACT scores for admission consideration.” manoa.hawaii.edu
University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo Hilo Applicants with a cumulative HS GPA of 2.7 or higher are not required to submit a test score; those below 2.7 may submit a score for sliding-scale consideration.	Test-optional	current first-year freshman applicants, Fall and Spring terms	—	“Cumulative GPA below 2.7 considered on a sliding scale with official ACT/SAT scores.” hilo.hawaii.edu
University of Hawaiʻi–West Oʻahu Kapolei Applicants who meet GPA/credit automatic-admission thresholds are not required to submit scores; scores are 'strongly encouraged' for GED applicants specifically.	Test-optional	current first-year freshman applicants	—	“If requested, SAT or ACT test scores will be accepted if on the high school transcript.” westoahu.hawaii.edu

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 3 Hawaii public universities we checked are test-optional: a score is considered if sent, but not required (University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo and University of Hawaiʻi–West Oʻahu).

Statewide rule: University of Hawaiʻi (UH) System / Board of Regents — varies by campus, undergraduate first-year applicants, UH Mānoa, UH Hilo, UH West Oʻahu.

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, the flagship, is test-optional for current first-year freshman applicants (page did not state a specific future entering term; snapshot data referenced was Fall 2025).

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa: 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).

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

Questions families ask

Is Hawaii test-optional for its public universities in 2026? No. All 3 Hawaii public universities we checked are test-optional: a score is considered if sent, but not required (University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo and University of Hawaiʻi–West Oʻahu).

Does University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa require the SAT or ACT in 2026? Test-optional for current first-year freshman applicants (page did not state a specific future entering term; snapshot data referenced was Fall 2025). 'Do no harm' policy: if submitted, scores that would hurt an application are excluded from review. Scholarships or department direct-entry programs may still require test scores. CORRECTED 2026-10-08: the cited news article is dated May 25, 2020, not 2021 as previously stated. Source: manoa.hawaii.edu.

Should my child take the SAT or ACT if Hawaii'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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