Test policy · 50 states · Montana

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

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

Montana's public universities are test-optional: the statewide Board of Regents policy lets applicants qualify with a 2.5 GPA or top-half class rank instead of an ACT/SAT score, and both flagships, the University of Montana and Montana State University, confirm no score is required for fall 2026/2027 admission.

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 Montana University System Board of Regents, covering fall 2026 and fall 2027 first-year applicants (Policy 301, most recently revised July 9, 2026, with the test-optional structure unchanged since it was made permanent May 27, 2021).

“A high school GPA of at least 2.5; or A ranking in the upper half of the school's graduating class.” — mus.edu

Regents' Policy 301, Section II.D ('General preparation') lets an applicant satisfy admission via ANY ONE of: ACT/SAT score, GPA of 2.5+, or top-half class rank -- so no four-year MUS campus requires a test score. A campus-specific university page (montana.edu) states this plainly: 'The Montana Board of Regents of Higher Education has ended the requirement that students provide ACT or SAT test scores for admission to its campuses.' Scores remain usable in place of a placement test for math/English course placement. A secondary source claimed ACT scores are still required for MUS Honors Scholarships, but this could not be confirmed in the Policy 301 text itself (Section VII, Scholarships, ties eligibility to completion of the 'rigorous high school core,' not explicitly to a test score) -- see gaps.

Montana University System: Optional, fall 2026 and fall 2027 first-year applicants to all four-year MUS campuses. Same statewide policy (Policy 301.II.D) governs every MUS four-year campus; the ACT/SAT composite cutoffs differ slightly only for Montana State University-Northern (20 ACT / 1050 SAT) versus the other campuses (22 ACT / 1120 SAT), but a test score is never the only path to admission at any of them. 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 · 2 test-optional · 0 test-blind.

University	SAT / ACT	Applies to	CLT	Source
Montana State University Flagship Bozeman test-optional since the Board of Regents' April 2020 temporary suspension; made permanent via the May 27, 2021 revision to Policy 301 A self-reported cumulative GPA is still required regardless of whether test scores are submitted. Scores, if submitted, can be used for math/English placement instead of a supplemental assessment.	Test-optional	page does not state a specific entering term; policy described as 'effective immediately and for the foreseeable future'	—	“Test scores are no longer required for admission or scholarship consideration at Montana State University.” montana.edu
University of Montana Flagship Missoula test-optional since the Board of Regents' April 2020 temporary suspension; made permanent via the May 27, 2021 revision to Policy 301 Admission can instead be met with a 2.5 GPA, top-half class rank, or (if submitted) a 22 ACT / 1120 SAT. Homeschooled students or those at unaccredited high schools without a qualifying ACT/SAT score are evaluated case-by-case. The separately-admitted Davidson Honors College may require SAT/ACT scores.	Test-optional	fall 2027 first-year applicants (page shows 'Fall 2027 Application Open Now'; same policy covered fall 2026)	—	“ACT/SAT test scores are not required for admission to the University of Montana.” umt.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 2 Montana public universities we checked are test-optional: a score is considered if sent, but not required (Montana State University and University of Montana).

Statewide rule: Montana University System Board of Regents — test-optional, fall 2026 and fall 2027 first-year applicants (Policy 301, most recently revised July 9, 2026, with the test-optional structure unchanged since it was made permanent May 27, 2021).

Montana State University, the flagship, is test-optional for page does not state a specific entering term; policy described as 'effective immediately and for the foreseeable future'.

Montana State University: test-optional since the Board of Regents' April 2020 temporary suspension; made permanent via the May 27, 2021 revision to Policy 301.

University of Montana: test-optional since the Board of Regents' April 2020 temporary suspension; made permanent via the May 27, 2021 revision to Policy 301.

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

Questions families ask

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

Does Montana State University require the SAT or ACT in 2026? Test-optional for page does not state a specific entering term; policy described as 'effective immediately and for the foreseeable future'. A self-reported cumulative GPA is still required regardless of whether test scores are submitted. Scores, if submitted, can be used for math/English placement instead of a supplemental assessment. Source: montana.edu.

Should my child take the SAT or ACT if Montana'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.

Every state

Alabama · Alaska · Arizona · Arkansas · California · Colorado · Connecticut · Delaware · Florida · Georgia · Hawaii · Idaho · Illinois · Indiana · Iowa · Kansas · Kentucky · Louisiana · Maine · Maryland · Massachusetts · Michigan · Minnesota · Mississippi · Missouri · Nebraska · Nevada · New Hampshire · New Jersey · New Mexico · New York · North Carolina · North Dakota · Ohio · Oklahoma · Oregon · Pennsylvania · Rhode Island · South Carolina · South Dakota · Tennessee · Texas · Utah · Vermont · Virginia · Washington · West Virginia · Wisconsin · Wyoming · The 50-state report →