Test policy · 50 states · New Hampshire

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

As of October 2026: It depends on the campus. Of the 3 New Hampshire public universities we checked, 2 are test-optional (University of New Hampshire and Keene State College); 1 does not consider scores (Plymouth State University).

New Hampshire's public universities set their own testing policy rather than following one statewide rule: the University of New Hampshire is test-optional, Plymouth State University is test-blind (scores are not used even if sent), and Keene State College says SAT/ACT scores are no longer needed, though its page does not say whether submitted scores are still looked at.

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 University System of New Hampshire (USNH), covering unknown - no system-wide USNH testing policy page was found; each campus (UNH, Plymouth State, Keene State) publishes its own policy on its own admissions site.

No official USNH Board of Trustees page stating a single system-wide SAT/ACT policy could be located. Policy is set per-institution; see the universities array.

University System of New Hampshire: Varies by campus, unknown - not stated on any system-level page checked. UNH = optional, Plymouth State = blind, Keene State = optional (page wording is ambiguous between optional and blind; see university note). 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 · 1 test-blind.

University	SAT / ACT	Applies to	CLT	Source
University of New Hampshire Flagship Durham Applicants choose whether to submit scores; scores can be withdrawn before a decision is made. Page states students who don't submit scores remain eligible for merit scholarships and Honors/Scholars Colleges, and that competitive majors (e.g. nursing) are not advantaged either way. International (non-native English speaking) applicants must submit TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo unless they score 500+ on SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing. No CLT mention found.	Test-optional	unknown - no entering term/class stated on the page; confirmed in effect as of check date 2026-10-08	—	“Our test-optional policy reflects our holistic review to the college application process, in which standardized test scores have never been a deciding factor.” admissions.unh.edu
Plymouth State University Plymouth Explicitly test-blind, including for merit-based scholarships. No exceptions (homeschool, nursing, honors) found stated on the page. No CLT mention found.	Test-blind	unknown - no entering term/class stated on the page; confirmed in effect as of check date 2026-10-08	—	“Plymouth State is also test-blind, meaning we will not ask for or use any standardized test scores when considering a student for admission or merit-based scholarships.” plymouth.edu
Keene State College Keene The College Board's BigFuture profile for Keene State (drawn from the college's own Common Data Set submission) states SAT/ACT scores are 'Considered if submitted,' which corroborates 'optional' over test-blind. No exceptions or CLT mention found on the official page.	Test-optional	unknown - no entering term/class stated on the page; confirmed in effect as of check date 2026-10-08	—	“SAT and ACT scores are no longer needed to be considered for acceptance.” keene.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: It depends on the campus. Of the 3 New Hampshire public universities we checked, 2 are test-optional (University of New Hampshire and Keene State College); 1 does not consider scores (Plymouth State University).

Statewide rule: University System of New Hampshire (USNH) — varies by campus, unknown - no system-wide USNH testing policy page was found; each campus (UNH, Plymouth State, Keene State) publishes its own policy on its own admissions site.

University of New Hampshire, the flagship, is test-optional for unknown - no entering term/class stated on the page; confirmed in effect as of check date 2026-10-08.

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

Questions families ask

Is New Hampshire test-optional for its public universities in 2026? It depends on the campus. Of the 3 New Hampshire public universities we checked, 2 are test-optional (University of New Hampshire and Keene State College); 1 does not consider scores (Plymouth State University).

Does University of New Hampshire require the SAT or ACT in 2026? Test-optional for unknown - no entering term/class stated on the page; confirmed in effect as of check date 2026-10-08. Applicants choose whether to submit scores; scores can be withdrawn before a decision is made. Page states students who don't submit scores remain eligible for merit scholarships and Honors/Scholars Colleges, and that competitive majors (e.g. nursing) are not advantaged either way. International (non-native English speaking) applicants must submit TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo unless they score 500+ on SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing. No CLT mention found. Source: admissions.unh.edu.

Should my child take the SAT or ACT if New Hampshire'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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