Test policy · 50 states · Wisconsin
Do Wisconsin's public universities require the SAT or ACT in 2026?
As of October 2026: No. All 6 Wisconsin public universities we checked are test-optional: a score is considered if sent, but not required (University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and 3 more).
The Universities of Wisconsin System's Board of Regents has authorized every UW campus, including the flagship UW-Madison, to waive the ACT/SAT requirement for first-year applicants through the spring 2028 term — covering both fall 2026 and fall 2027. UW-Madison does not differ from the rest of the system; all six campuses checked 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
Test-optional. Set by Universities of Wisconsin (UW System) Board of Regents, covering first-year applicants through the spring 2028 term (confirmed to cover spring 2027, fall 2027, and spring 2028 explicitly; by extension fall 2026 as well, per UW-Madison's framing of the policy as already in effect).
“received authorization from the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents to waive the requirement ... through the spring 2028 term” — admissions.wisc.edu
This system-wide authorization is described on both UW-Madison's and UW-Milwaukee's own admissions pages. UW-Madison's page states it 'received authorization from the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents to waive the requirement for first-year applicants to submit an ACT or SAT test score... through the spring 2028 term,' and separately confirms the waiver covers 'Spring 2027, Fall 2027, and Spring 2028' applicants, with the Board of Regents not yet having decided on any further extension beyond that. No separate standalone Board of Regents resolution document was located directly on wisconsin.edu; this conclusion rests on the two campus admissions pages both describing the same system-level authorization. CORRECTED: the previously cited quote ('UW System institutions, including UWM, are not requiring applicants...') does not actually appear on the cited admissions.wisc.edu/act_sat_faq/ page -- it is UW-Milwaukee's page text, not UW-Madison's. Replaced with UW-Madison's own verbatim authorization language, confirmed present on admissions.wisc.edu/act_sat_faq/ today.
Universities of Wisconsin (UW System): Optional, first-year applicants through spring 2028 (explicitly spring 2027, fall 2027, spring 2028). Applies uniformly across the system; UW-Madison does not have a separate or stricter policy than the rest of the UW System campuses checked (Milwaukee, Eau Claire, Oshkosh, Whitewater, La Crosse all independently confirmed test-optional). 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 · 6 test-optional · 0 test-blind.
| University | SAT / ACT | Applies to | CLT | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Flagship
Madison
test-optional since fall 2020/2021 cycle; most recently extended through spring 2028
Page explicitly says: 'Students who are applying for admission in Spring 2027, Fall 2027, and Spring 2028 will not be required to submit an ACT or SAT score.' Submitted scores ARE considered if included (not test-blind); ACT/SAT scores are not considered at all for transfer admission, even if submitted. Self-reported scores are not accepted — official scores only.
|
Test-optional | first-year applicants through the spring 2028 term, explicitly including fall 2027 | — | “ACT/SAT scores are optional through the spring 2028 term.” |
|
University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
Oshkosh
|
Test-optional | current freshman application cycle (page not tied to a specific term) | — | “ACT/SAT scores : optional” |
|
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Eau Claire
Page links to a dedicated 'Test-Optional Application Process FAQs' page for further detail.
|
Test-optional | current freshman application cycle (page not tied to a specific term) | — | “ACT or SAT scores (optional)” |
|
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
La Crosse
Listed as a secondary factor that may strengthen an application; middle-50% submitted-score ranges published (ACT 23-27, SAT 1130-1270) for students who choose to submit.
|
Test-optional | current freshman application cycle (page not tied to a specific term) | — | “Test Scores (optional)” |
|
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Milwaukee
If submitted, ACT/SAT performance is considered as one factor, including relevant sub-scores by intended major.
|
Test-optional | "this year" per the page (current freshman application cycle) | — | “UW System institutions, including UWM, are not requiring applicants to submit ACT or SAT scores as part of the application process this year.” |
|
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Whitewater
|
Test-optional | current freshman application cycle (page not tied to a specific term) | — | “Your ACT/SAT scores (optional)” |
Other public colleges in Wisconsin 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison Area Technical College | 10,073 | — | — | — · — |
| University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point | 7,306 | 90% | Test-optional | — · 54% |
| University of Wisconsin-Green Bay | 6,341 | 88% | Test-optional | — · 44% |
| University of Wisconsin-Stout | 5,842 | 85% | Test-optional | — · 39% |
| University of Wisconsin-Platteville | 5,837 | 87% | Test-optional | — · 33% |
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 6 Wisconsin public universities we checked are test-optional: a score is considered if sent, but not required (University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and 3 more).
Statewide rule: Universities of Wisconsin (UW System) Board of Regents — test-optional, first-year applicants through the spring 2028 term (confirmed to cover spring 2027, fall 2027, and spring 2028 explicitly; by extension fall 2026 as well, per UW-Madison's framing of the policy as already in effect).
University of Wisconsin-Madison, the flagship, is test-optional for first-year applicants through the spring 2028 term, explicitly including fall 2027.
University of Wisconsin-Madison: test-optional since fall 2020/2021 cycle; most recently extended through spring 2028.
Checked against each university's own admissions page, October 2026. Analysis: Test Prep Gurus (High School Reach).
Questions families ask
Is Wisconsin test-optional for its public universities in 2026? No. All 6 Wisconsin public universities we checked are test-optional: a score is considered if sent, but not required (University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and 3 more).
Does University of Wisconsin-Madison require the SAT or ACT in 2026? Test-optional for first-year applicants through the spring 2028 term, explicitly including fall 2027. Page explicitly says: 'Students who are applying for admission in Spring 2027, Fall 2027, and Spring 2028 will not be required to submit an ACT or SAT score.' Submitted scores ARE considered if included (not test-blind); ACT/SAT scores are not considered at all for transfer admission, even if submitted. Self-reported scores are not accepted — official scores only. Source: admissions.wisc.edu.
Should my child take the SAT or ACT if Wisconsin'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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