Test policy · 50 states · Pennsylvania
Do Pennsylvania's public universities require the SAT or ACT in 2026?
As of October 2026: No. All 4 Pennsylvania public universities we checked are test-optional: a score is considered if sent, but not required (Pennsylvania State University (Penn State, University Park), Temple University, University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) and West Chester University of Pennsylvania).
Pennsylvania has no single statewide testing rule: the ten PASSHE-governed public universities and the three separately governed 'state-related' universities (Penn State, Pitt, and Temple) each set their own admissions testing policy. Every Pennsylvania public university checked for fall 2026 first-year applicants is test-optional, meaning applicants choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores.
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 Pennsylvania sets its own policy.
Pennsylvania has no single board that governs all public four-year universities. PASSHE (Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education) governs 10 state-owned universities, while Penn State, the University of Pittsburgh, and Temple University are a separate legal category -- 'state-related' universities -- that receive state appropriations but are independently chartered and set their own admissions policies. There is no overarching state statute or single board requiring or prohibiting SAT/ACT submission across all of them.
Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education (PASSHE): Optional, fall 2026 first-year applicants (confirmed individually at multiple member universities; see note). PASSHE's system office (passhe.edu) does not publish one single unified 'systemwide testing policy' page or Board of Governors resolution that this research could locate -- its policies index states each university has its own institutional policies. The quote above is from PASSHE's own official 2026 Counselors Information Book (a system-published PDF), listed under Cheyney University's admissions line. Separately, Kutztown University's entry in the same PASSHE document is marked '(Test-optional)'. This research independently confirmed test-optional status, via each university's own official page, at: West Chester University (2026-2027 catalog), Indiana University of Pennsylvania/IUP (admissions page), and Shippensburg University (admissions page) -- see the 'universities' array and gaps below for which PASSHE campuses could and could not be individually verified. No PASSHE campus checked requires scores. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Pennsylvania State University (Penn State, University Park)
Flagship
University Park
state-related university (not part of PASSHE). Exception: applicants to the Accelerated Premedical-Medical (BS/MD) Program must submit SAT or ACT scores by that program's own deadline.
|
Test-optional | Spring, Summer, and Fall first-year application terms (page does not state an end date for the policy) | — | “First-year Penn State applicants for Spring, Summer, or Fall are able to choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores as part of their applications.” |
|
Temple University
Philadelphia
state-related university (not part of PASSHE). Admissions page states over 75% of applicants chose the test-optional route in the most recent cycle it references.
|
Test-optional | current first-year application cycle (page does not name a specific entering term or end date) | — | “Temple is a test-optional school. First-year students can apply without submitting standardized test scores by selecting test-optional on the Common Application.” |
|
University of Pittsburgh (Pitt)
Pittsburgh
extended through Fall 2028 (page does not state the original start date)
state-related university (not part of PASSHE).
|
Test-optional | test-optional program extended through the Fall 2028 entering class | — | “the university has extended the test-optional program through Fall 2028.” |
|
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
West Chester
catalog describes the policy as temporary, re-evaluated each admissions cycle (no original start date stated on this page)
PASSHE's largest individual university by undergraduate enrollment (~14,400 per Wikipedia/IPEDS-sourced figure, fall 2022) -- the only PASSHE campus confirmed at or above the ~8,000-undergrad inclusion threshold; other large PASSHE campuses checked (IUP ~7,432, Kutztown ~7,391, Shippensburg ~6,942, Millersville ~6,500) fall below it and were excluded per spec. Catalog also notes applicants who graduated high school more than two years ago are not required to submit scores.
|
Test-optional | 2026-2027 undergraduate catalog, first-year applicants | — | “Submitting SAT and/or ACT is currently optional for first year applicants.” |
Other public colleges in Pennsylvania 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania | 9,210 | 95% | Test-optional | 34% · 2% |
| Pennsylvania State University-World Campus | 7,877 | 80% | Test-optional | 12% · 3% |
| Pennsylvania Western University | 7,451 | 94% | Test-optional | 16% · 2% |
| Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania | 6,788 | 75% | Required | 25% · 4% |
| Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main Campus | 6,764 | 91% | Test-optional | 32% · 2% |
| Kutztown University of Pennsylvania | 6,180 | 95% | Test-optional | 13% · 0% |
| Millersville University of Pennsylvania | 5,728 | 89% | Test-optional | 26% · 0% |
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 4 Pennsylvania public universities we checked are test-optional: a score is considered if sent, but not required (Pennsylvania State University (Penn State, University Park), Temple University, University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) and West Chester University of Pennsylvania).
There is no statewide rule in Pennsylvania; each public university sets its own policy.
Pennsylvania State University (Penn State, University Park), the flagship, is test-optional for Spring, Summer, and Fall first-year application terms (page does not state an end date for the policy).
University of Pittsburgh (Pitt): extended through Fall 2028 (page does not state the original start date).
West Chester University of Pennsylvania: catalog describes the policy as temporary, re-evaluated each admissions cycle (no original start date stated on this page).
Checked against each university's own admissions page, October 2026. Analysis: Test Prep Gurus (High School Reach).
Questions families ask
Is Pennsylvania test-optional for its public universities in 2026? No. All 4 Pennsylvania public universities we checked are test-optional: a score is considered if sent, but not required (Pennsylvania State University (Penn State, University Park), Temple University, University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) and West Chester University of Pennsylvania).
Does Pennsylvania State University (Penn State, University Park) require the SAT or ACT in 2026? Test-optional for Spring, Summer, and Fall first-year application terms (page does not state an end date for the policy). state-related university (not part of PASSHE). Exception: applicants to the Accelerated Premedical-Medical (BS/MD) Program must submit SAT or ACT scores by that program's own deadline. Source: psu.edu.
Should my child take the SAT or ACT if Pennsylvania'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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