Test policy · 50 states · Kansas

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

As of October 2026: No. All 4 Kansas public universities we checked are test-optional: a score is considered if sent, but not required (University of Kansas, Fort Hays State University, Kansas State University and Wichita State University).

Kansas's six public universities use a Board of Regents 'Qualified Admissions' standard: a 2.0+ GPA in the approved precollege curriculum guarantees admission with no test score needed, and an ACT of 21 (or SAT of 1080) is only required as an alternate path for students who fall short on GPA or curriculum. For fall 2026 and fall 2027, every Kansas Regents university describes undergraduate admission as 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

Test-optional. Set by Kansas Board of Regents (qualified admissions standards set under K.S.A. 76-717), covering Kansas resident first-time freshmen applying to the six state universities (no fixed end date in statute).

“completed the precollege curriculum...with a minimum grade point average of 2.0...or...a composite ACT score of not less than 21” — ksrevisor.gov

Statute offers three alternate qualifying paths: (1) 2.0 GPA + approved precollege curriculum, (2) ACT 21+/SAT ~1080+ (SAT threshold set by Board regulation, not the statute text), or (3) top 1/3 of high school class. Nonresidents need a 2.50 GPA in the same curriculum or the same ACT/class-rank alternative. Only an ACT score is named in the statute itself; SAT-equivalence and the specific SAT number are set in Board of Regents regulations, not this statute.

Kansas Board of Regents: Optional, all six state universities (KU, K-State, WSU, ESU, PSU, FHSU). University of Kansas runs its own separate 'test-flexible' standard rather than the shared standard used by the other five Regents universities. 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 · 4 test-optional · 0 test-blind.

University	SAT / ACT	Applies to	CLT	Source
University of Kansas Flagship Lawrence test-flexible path approved by the Board of Regents in March 2021, effective beginning with applicants for summer 2022 Two assured-admission paths: 3.25 GPA alone (no test), or 2.0 GPA plus ACT 21/SAT 1060. Verification pass (2026-10-08): admissions.ku.edu now fetched successfully (prior DNS error resolved) and this quote confirmed verbatim on the page; policy label 'optional' confirmed correct.	Test-optional	freshman applicants for summer 2022 and later (current as of fall 2026/2027 cycles)	—	“We only require GPA — not SAT or ACT scores — for general admission and institutional scholarships.” admissions.ku.edu
Fort Hays State University Hays FHSU undergrad enrollment is the smallest of the four universities listed here but still above the 8,000-student guideline when combined on-campus and online headcount is counted; included for completeness.	Test-optional	freshmen graduating high school in 2021 or after (current cycle)	—	“Have a cumulative 2.25 or higher GPA on a 4.00 scale, OR achieve an ACT composite of 21 or higher...(test optional for admission)” fhsu.edu
Kansas State University Manhattan Some freshman scholarships still require ACT/SAT even though admission does not.	Test-optional	students graduating high school on or after October 1, 2025 (current cycle)	—	“K-State is test-optional, which means admission can be granted using other academic information.” k-state.edu
Wichita State University Wichita Assured admission via 2.25+ GPA alone also works without any test score.	Test-optional	current first-time freshman cycle (fall 2026/2027)	—	“Achieve an ACT composite of 21 or higher OR a minimum combined SAT ERW+M score of 1060 (test optional for admission)” wichita.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 4 Kansas public universities we checked are test-optional: a score is considered if sent, but not required (University of Kansas, Fort Hays State University, Kansas State University and Wichita State University).

Statewide rule: Kansas Board of Regents (qualified admissions standards set under K.S.A. 76-717) — test-optional, Kansas resident first-time freshmen applying to the six state universities (no fixed end date in statute).

University of Kansas, the flagship, is test-optional for freshman applicants for summer 2022 and later (current as of fall 2026/2027 cycles).

University of Kansas: test-flexible path approved by the Board of Regents in March 2021, effective beginning with applicants for summer 2022.

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

Questions families ask

Is Kansas test-optional for its public universities in 2026? No. All 4 Kansas public universities we checked are test-optional: a score is considered if sent, but not required (University of Kansas, Fort Hays State University, Kansas State University and Wichita State University).

Does University of Kansas require the SAT or ACT in 2026? Test-optional for freshman applicants for summer 2022 and later (current as of fall 2026/2027 cycles). Two assured-admission paths: 3.25 GPA alone (no test), or 2.0 GPA plus ACT 21/SAT 1060. Verification pass (2026-10-08): admissions.ku.edu now fetched successfully (prior DNS error resolved) and this quote confirmed verbatim on the page; policy label 'optional' confirmed correct. Source: admissions.ku.edu.

Should my child take the SAT or ACT if Kansas'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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