Test policy · 50 states · Tennessee

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

As of October 2026: It depends on the campus. Of the 9 Tennessee public universities we checked, 7 require a score (University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Austin Peay State University, Middle Tennessee State University and 4 more); 2 are test-optional (East Tennessee State University and Tennessee Technological University).

Tennessee has no single statewide testing mandate; each public university's own governing board sets its policy. For fall 2026, most Tennessee public universities (UT Knoxville, UT Chattanooga, UT Martin, Middle Tennessee State, University of Memphis, Tennessee State, Austin Peay) still require an SAT or ACT score, while Tennessee Tech and East Tennessee State are test-optional.

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. none - since the 2016 FOCUS Act, each Tennessee public university has its own institutional governing board; the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) coordinates but does not set a single system-wide admission-testing mandate does not set a testing requirement; each public university in Tennessee sets its own policy.

No THEC-wide testing policy page was found; each university's own admissions page governs. See universities[] for the policy and citation of each school.

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. 7 required · 2 test-optional · 0 test-blind.

University	SAT / ACT	Applies to	CLT	Source
University of Tennessee, Knoxville Flagship Knoxville	Required	fall 2026 and fall 2027 first-year applicants	—	“UT requires all first-year applicants to submit ACT/SAT scores as part of their application for admission.” admissions.utk.edu
Austin Peay State University Clarksville A 2.85+ GPA (or ACT 20 / qualifying SAT) satisfies one admission threshold, but the page separately requires satisfactory ACT/SAT scores in two of three core areas and no remedial placement from ACT/SAT -- so a test score is required of freshman applicants regardless of GPA, not a true GPA-only alternative.	Required	fall 2026 first-year applicants	—	“ACT/SAT scores earned within 5 years of the first day of the first semester or term of enrollment are required.” apsu.edu
Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro	Required	fall 2026 first-year applicants	—	“All students are required to submit an ACT/SAT score to be considered for admissions” mtsu.edu
Tennessee State University Nashville Minimum stated: ACT 19 or SAT 990, with a 2.5 GPA.	Required	fall 2026 first-year applicants	—	“TSU is not test-optional and we do not accept super scores.” tnstate.edu
University of Memphis Memphis Scores must be from within 5 calendar years of enrollment; no exceptions for homeschool/scholarship/honors were stated on this page.	Required	fall 2026 first-year applicants	—	“All students must provide a standardized exam result (typically the ACT and/or SAT) in support of their application for admission.” memphis.edu
University of Tennessee, Chattanooga Chattanooga Same UT-system boilerplate wording as UT Knoxville and UT Martin.	Required	fall 2026 first-year applicants	—	“All applicants are required to submit ACT/SAT scores, regardless of class rank or GPA.” utc.edu
University of Tennessee, Martin Martin	Required	fall 2026 first-year applicants	—	“All applicants are required to submit ACT/SAT scores, regardless of class rank or GPA.” utm.edu
East Tennessee State University Johnson City Scores become necessary for scholarship consideration and certain academic programs.	Test-optional	fall 2026 first-year applicants	—	“ACT/SAT scores are not required for admission to ETSU.” etsu.edu
Tennessee Technological University Cookeville test-optional (exact term it took effect not confirmed) Submission is voluntary; may help for certain programs/scholarships.	Test-optional	fall 2026 first-year applicants	—	“If submitted, test scores such as the ACT and SAT will be considered.” tntech.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 9 Tennessee public universities we checked, 7 require a score (University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Austin Peay State University, Middle Tennessee State University and 4 more); 2 are test-optional (East Tennessee State University and Tennessee Technological University).

There is no statewide rule in Tennessee; each public university sets its own policy.

University of Tennessee, Knoxville, the flagship, is required for fall 2026 and fall 2027 first-year applicants.

Tennessee Technological University: test-optional (exact term it took effect not confirmed).

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

Questions families ask

Is Tennessee test-optional for its public universities in 2026? It depends on the campus. Of the 9 Tennessee public universities we checked, 7 require a score (University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Austin Peay State University, Middle Tennessee State University and 4 more); 2 are test-optional (East Tennessee State University and Tennessee Technological University).

Does University of Tennessee, Knoxville require the SAT or ACT in 2026? Required for fall 2026 and fall 2027 first-year applicants. Source: admissions.utk.edu.

Should my child take the SAT or ACT if Tennessee'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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