Test policy · 50 states · Massachusetts

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

As of October 2026: No. All 5 Massachusetts public universities we checked are test-optional: a score is considered if sent, but not required (University of Massachusetts Amherst, Bridgewater State University, University of Massachusetts Boston and 2 more).

Every Massachusetts public university campus checked (four UMass campuses plus Bridgewater State) now lets first-year applicants choose whether to submit SAT/ACT scores; there is no state mandate requiring a score, and no campus checked states an end date for its policy. The Department of Higher Education's own minimum-standards reference page is out of date and does not reflect several of these campus policies.

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 Massachusetts Department of Higher Education (Board of Higher Education) minimum undergraduate admissions standards, covering first-year applicants to the state universities and UMass campuses.

“submission of an SAT or ACT score (Please refer to the list below of Fall 2019 State Universities and UMass Campuses with Test Optional Prgrams.” — mass.edu

The DHE formally requires SAT/ACT submission as part of a minimum GPA+test sliding scale UNLESS a campus runs its own test-optional program. The DHE's published list of which campuses are test-optional is dated 'Fall 2019' and is stale: it omits UMass Amherst entirely and understates the scope at UMass Boston, UMass Lowell and UMass Dartmouth, all of which now run full test-optional admission per their own current pages (checked below). In practice, every Massachusetts public university checked is currently test-optional for nearly all first-year applicants; homeschooled applicants are a recurring exception.

University of Massachusetts system: Varies by campus, first-year applicants; no stated end term at any of the four UMass campuses checked. Each UMass campus (Amherst, Boston, Lowell, Dartmouth) publishes its own test-optional policy; no single UMass system-wide testing statement or Board of Trustees policy document was found, but all four checked campuses are currently test-optional with no stated end date. 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 · 5 test-optional · 0 test-blind.

University	SAT / ACT	Applies to	CLT	Source
University of Massachusetts Amherst Flagship Amherst test-optional since the spring 2021 entering term; originally announced (July 2020, massachusetts.edu) as a 3-year pilot running through spring 2023, then continued past that date -- the current live policy page states no new sunset term Applies to all majors. If no score is submitted, GPA plays a larger role. Page states the state's GPA/test sliding scale does not affect UMass Amherst decisions because its standards already exceed it. Does NOT accept self-reported scores -- official scores must come directly from the testing agency (unlike several other MA campuses). Homeschooled applicants in an approved curriculum are explicitly NOT required to submit a score. DISPUTED-FACT RESOLUTION (2026-10-08): one earlier draft claimed this policy runs only 'through the Fall 2026 enrollment term.' Settled by fetching the live page directly over HTTP (not just via a text-extraction tool) and reading the full ~18,400-character body, including every FAQ item: there is no mention anywhere of Fall 2026, Fall 2027, or any sunset/expiration date; the only '2026' on the page is the site's copyright year. The page instead says plainly, 'Unlike previous years, standardized testing is no longer a requirement for first-year admissions.' A search for an official UMass or UMass system Board of Trustees document stating a 'through Fall 2026' end date found none; that figure traces only to third-party SEO/admissions-advice blogs, not an official UMass page. Conclusion: no end date is currently stated; treat the policy as open-ended for fall 2026 and fall 2027 applicants unless UMass publishes a new sunset date.	Test-optional	first-year applicants, all majors; no end date stated on the live policy page -- in effect for fall 2026 and fall 2027 applicants	—	“At UMass Amherst, standardized tests are optional for first-year entering applicants.” umass.edu
Bridgewater State University Bridgewater No Test Option available since fall 2017 BSU recommends submitting scores if recalculated GPA is below 3.0, citing the state's GPA/SAT-ACT sliding scale as a reference point, but does not require it. IEP/documented learning disability applicants are automatically exempt from any SAT/ACT requirement under state policy.	Test-optional	first-year applicants, all programs	—	“Bridgewater State University (BSU) offers the “No Test Option”, which allows prospective first-year applicants to choose whether to submit standardized test scores” bridgew.edu
University of Massachusetts Boston Boston Self-reported scores accepted if submitted; applicants with diagnosed learning disabilities are exempt from testing per statewide policy. No subject/major carve-out mentioned on this current page.	Test-optional	first-year applicants; available for Early Action I, Early Action II, and Regular Decision	—	“applicants may choose to apply without submitting standardized test scores.” umb.edu
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Dartmouth Page lists 'Optional: SAT/ACT score' among application items; a portfolio/audition is still required for Visual & Performing Arts applicants. This is broader than the stale state DHE list, which had said test-optional applied only to the Charlton College of Business and CVPA.	Test-optional	first-year applicants	—	“UMass Dartmouth is 100% test optional.” umassd.edu
University of Massachusetts Lowell Lowell Called the 'No-Test Option' on UML's site; optional essay offered in lieu of scores; merit scholarships still considered automatically without scores.	Test-optional	first-year applicants	—	“Most applicants can, but test scores are required for some home-schooled applicants.” uml.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 5 Massachusetts public universities we checked are test-optional: a score is considered if sent, but not required (University of Massachusetts Amherst, Bridgewater State University, University of Massachusetts Boston and 2 more).

Statewide rule: Massachusetts Department of Higher Education (Board of Higher Education) minimum undergraduate admissions standards — varies by campus, first-year applicants to the state universities and UMass campuses.

University of Massachusetts Amherst, the flagship, is test-optional for first-year applicants, all majors; no end date stated on the live policy page -- in effect for fall 2026 and fall 2027 applicants.

University of Massachusetts Amherst: test-optional since the spring 2021 entering term; originally announced (July 2020, massachusetts.edu) as a 3-year pilot running through spring 2023, then continued past that date -- the current live policy page states no new sunset term.

Bridgewater State University: No Test Option available since fall 2017.

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

Questions families ask

Is Massachusetts test-optional for its public universities in 2026? No. All 5 Massachusetts public universities we checked are test-optional: a score is considered if sent, but not required (University of Massachusetts Amherst, Bridgewater State University, University of Massachusetts Boston and 2 more).

Does University of Massachusetts Amherst require the SAT or ACT in 2026? Test-optional for first-year applicants, all majors; no end date stated on the live policy page -- in effect for fall 2026 and fall 2027 applicants. Applies to all majors. If no score is submitted, GPA plays a larger role. Page states the state's GPA/test sliding scale does not affect UMass Amherst decisions because its standards already exceed it. Does NOT accept self-reported scores -- official scores must come directly from the testing agency (unlike several other MA campuses). Homeschooled applicants in an approved curriculum are explicitly NOT required to submit a score. DISPUTED-FACT RESOLUTION (2026-10-08): one earlier draft claimed this policy runs only 'through the Fall 2026 enrollment term.' Settled by fetching the live page directly over HTTP (not just via a text-extraction tool) and reading the full ~18,400-character body, including every FAQ item: there is no mention anywhere of Fall 2026, Fall 2027, or any sunset/expiration date; the only '2026' on the page is the site's copyright year. The page instead says plainly, 'Unlike previous years, standardized testing is no longer a requirement for first-year admissions.' A search for an official UMass or UMass system Board of Trustees document stating a 'through Fall 2026' end date found none; that figure traces only to third-party SEO/admissions-advice blogs, not an official UMass page. Conclusion: no end date is currently stated; treat the policy as open-ended for fall 2026 and fall 2027 applicants unless UMass publishes a new sunset date. Source: umass.edu.

Should my child take the SAT or ACT if Massachusetts'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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