Test policy · 50 states · Indiana
Do Indiana's public universities require the SAT or ACT in 2026?
As of October 2026: It depends on the campus. Of the 5 Indiana public universities we checked, 1 requires a score (Purdue University (West Lafayette)); 4 are test-optional (Indiana University Bloomington, Ball State University, Indiana State University and University of Southern Indiana).
Indiana has no statewide testing mandate; each public university sets its own policy, producing a split: Indiana University (Bloomington and its other campuses) is test-optional, while Purdue University (West Lafayette) is 'test expected' and functions as a near-required policy, with Ball State, Indiana State, and University of Southern Indiana all test-optional.
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
No statewide rule. none does not set a testing requirement; each public university in Indiana sets its own policy.
No Indiana statute or Commission for Higher Education policy mandating or waiving SAT/ACT was found; each public university sets its own first-year testing policy independently, which is why Indiana's two flagship-tier universities (IU and Purdue) currently differ.
Indiana University: Optional, current first-year applicants, IU Bloomington and other IU campuses. Stated as an IU-wide admissions-standards page (not Bloomington-specific), suggesting the test-optional policy applies across IU's campuses, including IU Indianapolis; this was not independently verified on a separate IU Indianapolis 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. 1 required · 4 test-optional · 0 test-blind.
| University | SAT / ACT | Applies to | CLT | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Purdue University (West Lafayette)
Flagship
West Lafayette
Purdue allows applicants who were unable to take a test to still submit an application via the Common App as an exception. Per the same page, 98.3% of the fall 2026 admitted class provided a test score. Secondary sources describe this as a reinstatement after a prior test-optional period, but that change history was not independently confirmed on an official Purdue page.
|
Required | fall 2026 entering class and current cycle | Accepted | “Purdue University is test expected, meaning we expect applicants to submit SAT, ACT or CLT scores.” |
|
Indiana University Bloomington
Flagship
Bloomington
went test-optional (per secondary reporting, around 2021); not independently verified from an official dated announcement
Students who omit scores receive full consideration for admission and merit scholarships per secondary sources; this detail was not independently confirmed on the official page fetched.
|
Test-optional | current first-year applicants | — | “students can choose at the point of application whether to have SAT and/or ACT scores considered” |
|
Ball State University
Muncie
Fetched directly via curl with a browser user agent (bypassed the earlier 403). Test scores are required only for applicants whose high school does not provide grades; all other applicants choose whether to submit SAT, ACT, and/or CLT scores, and Ball State superscores whatever is sent. The page does not state the entering term or the year the policy began; secondary sources cite fall 2019, not independently confirmed on this official page.
|
Test-optional | current undergraduate first-year applicants (no specific entering term stated on the page) | Accepted | “Ball State University is a test-optional institution, which means you decide whether you want to provide your SAT, ACT, and/or CLT scores” |
|
Indiana State University
Terre Haute
Scores may still be required for certain merit-based scholarships.
|
Test-optional | current first-year applicants | — | “SAT and ACT scores are not required for admission. However, they may be required for certain merit-based scholarships.” |
|
University of Southern Indiana
Evansville
Certain specific programs may require scores for direct admission (per the same page's surrounding context).
|
Test-optional | current first-year applicants | — | “Students are not required to submit test scores for admission to the University. Each student can choose whether or not they want test scores considered.” |
Other public colleges in Indiana 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purdue University Global | 30,828 | — | — | — · — |
| Indiana University-Indianapolis | 13,830 | 81% | Test-optional | 37% · 5% |
| Purdue University Northwest | 5,671 | 71% | Test-optional | 67% · 5% |
| Purdue University Fort Wayne | 5,484 | 86% | Test-optional | 66% · 8% |
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 agentsAs of October 2026: It depends on the campus. Of the 5 Indiana public universities we checked, 1 requires a score (Purdue University (West Lafayette)); 4 are test-optional (Indiana University Bloomington, Ball State University, Indiana State University and University of Southern Indiana).
There is no statewide rule in Indiana; each public university sets its own policy.
Purdue University (West Lafayette), the flagship, is required for fall 2026 entering class and current cycle.
Indiana University Bloomington: went test-optional (per secondary reporting, around 2021); not independently verified from an official dated announcement.
The Classic Learning Test (CLT) is accepted at 2 of the 5: Purdue University (West Lafayette), Ball State University.
Checked against each university's own admissions page, October 2026. Analysis: Test Prep Gurus (High School Reach).
Questions families ask
Is Indiana test-optional for its public universities in 2026? It depends on the campus. Of the 5 Indiana public universities we checked, 1 requires a score (Purdue University (West Lafayette)); 4 are test-optional (Indiana University Bloomington, Ball State University, Indiana State University and University of Southern Indiana).
Does Purdue University (West Lafayette) require the SAT or ACT in 2026? Required for fall 2026 entering class and current cycle. Purdue allows applicants who were unable to take a test to still submit an application via the Common App as an exception. Per the same page, 98.3% of the fall 2026 admitted class provided a test score. Secondary sources describe this as a reinstatement after a prior test-optional period, but that change history was not independently confirmed on an official Purdue page. Source: admissions.purdue.edu.
Should my child take the SAT or ACT if Indiana'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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