Test policy · 50 states · Washington

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

As of October 2026: It depends on the campus. Of the 5 Washington public universities we checked, 3 are test-optional (University of Washington, Central Washington University and Western Washington University); 2 do not consider scores (Eastern Washington University and Washington State University).

Washington has no statewide SAT/ACT requirement — the state's minimum admission standard (set by the Washington Student Achievement Council) is a 2.0 GPA plus required high school coursework, with no test-score component. Every major Washington public university currently either ignores submitted scores entirely (Washington State, Eastern Washington) or is self-described test-optional (UW, Western, Central), though UW's practice is close to test-blind in effect.

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. Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) does not set a testing requirement; each public university in Washington sets its own policy.

WSAC's statewide minimum admission standards for public four-year colleges are a 2.0 GPA plus completion of the College Academic Distribution Requirements (CADRs, a set of required high school courses) — there is no statewide SAT/ACT requirement. Each public university then sets its own testing policy; all five checked here are either test-optional or test-blind, none require scores.

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 · 3 test-optional · 2 test-blind.

University	SAT / ACT	Applies to	CLT	Source
University of Washington Flagship Seattle SAT/ACT requirement permanently removed, announced June 11, 2020, effective for applicants starting fall 2021 UW explicitly self-labels this "technically test-optional," but its own FAQ says reviewers do not see submitted scores for most applicants ("you will not be disadvantaged for sending low scores or for not sending scores... reviewers will not see your test scores, if provided"); exceptionally high scores (SAT 1400+/ACT 31+) may be considered for a handful of applicants. Homeschooled applicants and applicants from schools with non-standard (non-letter/numeric) grading are still required to submit scores.	Test-optional	current freshman application cycle (policy permanent since fall 2021 cycle)	—	“The University of Washington permanently removed the SAT/ACT requirement for incoming students.” admit.washington.edu
Eastern Washington University Cheney Scores are not required for admission or for any automatic scholarships.	Test-blind	current freshman application cycle (page not tied to a specific term)	—	“We do not use test scores for admissions, scholarships, the Honors Program, or class placement.” ewu.edu
Washington State University Pullman	Test-blind	current freshman application cycle (page not tied to a specific term)	—	“WSU does not require students to submit SAT/ACT test scores as part of the application process and will not use them in our admission decisions.” admission.wsu.edu
Central Washington University Ellensburg CWU self-labels "test-optional" but its own FAQ only describes submitted scores being used for course/class placement, not for the admission decision itself — functionally close to test-blind for admission purposes; labeled 'optional' here per the institution's own self-description, with this nuance flagged.	Test-optional	current freshman application cycle (page not tied to a specific term)	—	“While we do not require SAT or ACT scores for admission, you can submit your official SAT or ACT scores to CWU for class placement.” cwu.edu
Western Washington University Bellingham Unlike WSU and EWU, WWU explicitly states submitted scores will be considered if sent — true test-optional, not test-blind.	Test-optional	current freshman application cycle (page not tied to a specific term)	—	“Western is test-optional. If you have strong scores and want them considered, you can include them in your application.” admissions.wwu.edu

Other public colleges in Washington 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
University of Washington-Bothell Campus	5,457	92%	Test-optional	4% · 1%
Pierce College District	5,313	—	—	— · —

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 5 Washington public universities we checked, 3 are test-optional (University of Washington, Central Washington University and Western Washington University); 2 do not consider scores (Eastern Washington University and Washington State University).

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

University of Washington, the flagship, is test-optional for current freshman application cycle (policy permanent since fall 2021 cycle).

University of Washington: SAT/ACT requirement permanently removed, announced June 11, 2020, effective for applicants starting fall 2021.

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

Questions families ask

Is Washington test-optional for its public universities in 2026? It depends on the campus. Of the 5 Washington public universities we checked, 3 are test-optional (University of Washington, Central Washington University and Western Washington University); 2 do not consider scores (Eastern Washington University and Washington State University).

Does University of Washington require the SAT or ACT in 2026? Test-optional for current freshman application cycle (policy permanent since fall 2021 cycle). UW explicitly self-labels this "technically test-optional," but its own FAQ says reviewers do not see submitted scores for most applicants ("you will not be disadvantaged for sending low scores or for not sending scores... reviewers will not see your test scores, if provided"); exceptionally high scores (SAT 1400+/ACT 31+) may be considered for a handful of applicants. Homeschooled applicants and applicants from schools with non-standard (non-letter/numeric) grading are still required to submit scores. Source: admit.washington.edu.

Should my child take the SAT or ACT if Washington'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 · Montana · 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 · West Virginia · Wisconsin · Wyoming · The 50-state report →