Test policy · 50 states · Michigan
Do Michigan's public universities require the SAT or ACT in 2026?
As of October 2026: No. All 6 Michigan public universities we checked are test-optional: a score is considered if sent, but not required (Michigan State University, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Central Michigan University and 3 more).
Michigan has no public university system or statewide admissions board; each public university's constitutionally independent board sets its own policy. Every Michigan public university checked, including flagship University of Michigan and Michigan State, is currently test-optional for first-year applicants.
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. each public university in Michigan sets its own policy.
Michigan's public universities are each governed by their own constitutionally independent board of trustees/governors/control (per the Michigan Constitution, Article VIII); there is no statewide higher-education board that sets a common admissions-testing standard. Policy is set campus by campus.
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 · 6 test-optional · 0 test-blind.
| University | SAT / ACT | Applies to | CLT | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Michigan State University
Flagship
East Lansing
Applicants choose whether scores are included; self-reported scores accepted; writing/science test sections recommended but not required; test-optional applicants still eligible for merit scholarships.
|
Test-optional | fall 2027 first-year applicants | — | “MSU is test optional, which means that prospective first-year students have the opportunity to apply for admission without submitting an ACT or SAT score.” |
|
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Flagship
Ann Arbor
Continuing test-optional policy; page explicitly reaffirmed for the 2026-2027 application cycle
Self-reported scores accepted and superscored. 'The university will review the policy on an ongoing basis.' AP/IB still considered regardless of test-optional choice. Original source_url (admissions.umich.edu) is blocked by a Cloudflare bot challenge to automated fetches; re-verified the same policy language via U-M's own TeamDynamix KB article instead, and swapped the source_url to that reachable official page. Original quote included the word "Continuing" which could not be confirmed verbatim; corrected.
|
Test-optional | fall 2027 first-year applicants (and continuing from prior cycles) | — | “For the 2027 application cycle, U-M will be test optional.” |
|
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant
GPA alone can earn admission and merit scholarships. Exception: 'If you are homeschooled or attend a high school that does not provide grades, an ACT/SAT test score is required.'
|
Test-optional | first-year (freshman) applicants | — | “Step 3 (Freshmen only): Submit your test scores (optional)” |
|
Oakland University
Rochester
Page's phrasing ties the no-test-required path to a 2.5+ recalculated GPA; applicants with cumulative GPA below 3.2 but above 2.5 are admitted after added review of academic preparation.
|
Test-optional | incoming first-year students | — | “SAT or ACT scores are no longer required for incoming first-year students, for those with a minimum high school GPA of 2.5.” |
|
Wayne State University
Detroit
Test-optional applicants must instead submit short essays and a full activities/experience list; test-optional status does not affect merit scholarship eligibility.
|
Test-optional | first-year applicants | — | “Submit your SAT or ACT score (optional) or complete the test-optional requirements” |
|
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo
Adopted test-optional in 2020
Scores superscored if submitted; self-reporting allowed.
|
Test-optional | first-year applicants, admission and scholarship consideration | — | “In 2020, Western Michigan University adopted a test-optional policy for students that applies to both admission and Office of Admissions scholarship consideration.” |
Other public colleges in Michigan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Valley State University | 18,854 | 95% | Test-optional | 59% · 5% |
| Eastern Michigan University | 10,055 | 81% | Test-optional | 71% · 6% |
| Henry Ford College | 8,643 | — | — | — · — |
| Ferris State University | 8,106 | 81% | Test-optional | 66% · 1% |
| Schoolcraft Community College District | 7,511 | — | — | — · — |
| Northern Michigan University | 6,556 | 70% | Test-optional | — · — |
| Saginaw Valley State University | 5,989 | 73% | Test-optional | 85% · 3% |
| Michigan Technological University | 5,955 | 88% | Test-optional | 68% · 21% |
| University of Michigan-Dearborn | 5,952 | 59% | Test-optional | 62% · 3% |
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: No. All 6 Michigan public universities we checked are test-optional: a score is considered if sent, but not required (Michigan State University, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Central Michigan University and 3 more).
There is no statewide rule in Michigan; each public university sets its own policy.
Michigan State University, the flagship, is test-optional for fall 2027 first-year applicants.
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor: Continuing test-optional policy; page explicitly reaffirmed for the 2026-2027 application cycle.
Western Michigan University: Adopted test-optional in 2020.
Checked against each university's own admissions page, October 2026. Analysis: Test Prep Gurus (High School Reach).
Questions families ask
Is Michigan test-optional for its public universities in 2026? No. All 6 Michigan public universities we checked are test-optional: a score is considered if sent, but not required (Michigan State University, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Central Michigan University and 3 more).
Does Michigan State University require the SAT or ACT in 2026? Test-optional for fall 2027 first-year applicants. Applicants choose whether scores are included; self-reported scores accepted; writing/science test sections recommended but not required; test-optional applicants still eligible for merit scholarships. Source: admissions.msu.edu.
Should my child take the SAT or ACT if Michigan'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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Read next on Test Prep Gurus
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