Are you in the Class of 2023 or 2024? You may be wondering if you need a test score to apply to college. In this blog, we’ll go over the press releases from colleges and universities regarding their testing policies for the Fall 2022 and Fall 2023 application season.
2022-2023 Admissions Cycle
As of March 2022, we found that 63.5% of the top 200 schools have announced test optional, test flexible, or test suggested policies for the next application round. Though test submission at many of these schools is strongly encouraged or likely to correlate with higher admissions rates, it is not a requirement of application. 5.5% of colleges have announced test required policies. Notable test required schools include Georgetown, UNC Chapel Hill, Georgia Tech, and Florida State University. 8.5% of top 200 universities, including all colleges in the University of California system, are currently test blind, so they will not accept SAT or ACT scores, though some may consider AP scores or other exams such as the TOEFL. Finally, 22.5% of colleges have not announced their testing policies yet.
As schools start to suggest that more students submit test scores, and fewer students have issues accessing the test, we are beginning to enter a phase where we see a difference in admit rates based on whether people submit test scores or not. While in the previous year, many students did not have access to tests, test availability has increased greatly. If you don’t explain why you don’t have a test score, and you’re not from a context where a test score doesn’t make sense, a lack of a test score might start to hurt you. Many schools now discriminate against students without test scores.
2023-2024 Admissions Cycle
Obviously, schools can change their test policies whenever they want. But, 38.5% of the top 200 schools have already announced they will continue their test optional, test blind, or test flexible policies through at least 2024. If you have a phobia of tests, you can still find a school that is test optional or test blind in the top 200 list. However, over half of schools have not announced their policies for the Class of 2024. So if you’re in that class, we still recommend that you prepare. Having a test score is also proving to correlate with much higher acceptance rates at many top 200 universities.
Even though we’ve given the stats, please be careful about the fine print. Some colleges may still require test scores if your GPA is below a certain level. Many schools also still use test scores to determine merit scholarships and placement in an honors college.
| College | SAT/ACT Required for freshman entering Fall 2024? | SAT/ACT Required for freshman entering Fall 2025? | Test Optional, Test Blind, or Test Flexible? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Princeton University | No | No | Test Optional | Extending Test Optional through Fall 2025 |
| Harvard University | No | Yes | Test Required | Test required for Class of 2029 (entering Harvard Fall 2025) |
| Columbia University | No | No | Test Optional | |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Yes | Yes | Test Required | |
| Yale University | No | Yes* | Test Flexible* | *Applicants must submit at least one of the following: SAT, ACT, IB, or AP scores |
| Stanford University | No | No | Test Optional | |
| University of Chicago | No | No | Test Optional | Permanently Test Optional since 2018 |
| University of Pennsylvania | No | Not announced | Test Optional | |
| California Institute of Technology | No | No | Test Blind | Caltech is in their last year of a moratorium on the requirement and consideration of SAT and ACT scores. |
| Johns Hopkins University | No | No | Test Optional | Extending Test Optional policy through 2026 |
| Northwestern University | No | No | Test Optional | Extending Test Optional policy through Fall 2025 |
| Duke University | No | Not Announced | Test Optional | |
| Dartmouth College | No | Yes | Test Required | |
| Brown University | No | Yes | Test Required | |
| Vanderbilt University | No | No | Test Optional | Extending Test Optional policy through Fall 2027 |
| Rice University | No | Not Announced | Test Optional | |
| Washington University in St. Louis | No | Not Announced | Test Optional | |
| Cornell University | No | No | Test Optional | Test Optional policy extended through Fall 2025 |
| University of Notre Dame | No | No | Test Optional | Test Optional policy extended through Fall 2025 |
| University of California, Los Angeles | No | No | Test Blind | The UCs are Test Blind through 2024 |
| Emory University | No | Not Announced | Test Optional | |
| University of California, Berkeley | No | No | Test Blind | The UCs are Test Blind through 2024 |
| Georgetown University | Yes | Yes | Test Required | Students who cannot access a testing center will be sent a form to expalin why they did not submit test scores. |
| University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | No* | No* | Test Flexible* | Students can submit AP or IB scores in place of SAT/ACT scores. U Michigan will be test optional starting Winter 2025. |
| University of Southern California | No | Not Announced | Test Optional | |
| Carnegie Mellon University | No | Not Announced | Test Optional | |
| University of Virginia | No | No | Test Optional | Test Optional policy extended through Fall 2025 |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | No | Not Announced | Test Optional | |
| Wake Forest University | No | No | Test Optional | Permanently Test Optional since 2008 |
| New York University | No | Not Announced | Test Optional | |
| Tufts University | No | No | Test Optional | Test Optional policy extended through Fall 2026. |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | No | No | Test Blind | The UCs are Test Blind through 2024 |
| University of Florida | Yes | Yes | Test Required | |
| University of Rochester | No | No | Test Optional | Permanently Test Optional since 2019 |
| Boston College | No | No | Test Optional | |
| Georgia Institute of Technology | Yes | Yes | Test Required | |
| University of California, Irvine | No | No | Test Blind | The UCs are Test Blind through 2024 |
| University of California, San Diego | No | No | Test Blind | The UCs are Test Blind through 2024 |
| University of California, Davis | No | No | Test Blind | The UCs are Test Blind through 2024 |
| William & Mary | No | No | Test Optional | Test Optional policy will continue indefinitely |
| Tulane University | No | Not Announced | Test Optional | |
| Boston University | No | No | Test Optional | Test Optional policy extended through Fall 2025. |
| Brandeis University | No | No | Test Optional | Permanently Test Optional since 2013 |
| Case Western Reserve University | No | No | Test Optional | |
| University of Texas at Austin | No | Yes | Test Required | |
| University of Wisconsin–Madison | No | No | Test Optional | Test Optional through Spring 2025 |
| University of Georgia | Yes | Yes | Test Required | |
| University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | No | No | Test Optional | |
| Lehigh University | No | No | Test Optional | Test Optional indefinitely |
| Northeastern University | No | No | Test Optional | Test Optional through 2026 |
| Pepperdine University | No | No | Test Optional | Test Optional indefinitely |
| University of Miami | No | No | Test Optional | Test Optional through Spring 2026 |
| Ohio State University | No | No | Test Optional | Test Optional extended through 2025 |
| Purdue University | Yes, unless test is cancelled due to pandemic | Yes, unless test is cancelled due to pandemic | Test Flexible* | *If you can take the SAT or the ACT, Purdue prefers you do so. |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | No | Not Announced | Test Optional | |
| Santa Clara University | No | No | Test Optional | |
| Villanova University | No | No | Test Optional | Test Optional through Fall 2026 |
| Florida State University | Yes | Yes | Test Required | |
| Syracuse University | No | Not Announced | Test Optional | |
| University of Maryland, College Park | No | No | Test Optional | Test Optional through 2025 |
| University of Pittsburgh | No | No | Test Optional | Test Optional through 2025 |
| University of Washington | No | No | Test Optional | Permanent since 2021 *"However, high test scores (1400 SAT/31 ACT or above) may be considered for a handful of students who may not otherwise be admitted. " |
| Pennsylvania State University | No | No | Test Optional | Test Optional through 2025 |
| Rutgers University–New Brunswick | No | No | Test Optional | Test Optional through 2025 |
| University of Connecticut | No | No | Test Optional | Test Optional through 2026 |
| Fordham University | No | No | Test Optional | Test Optional through Fall 2025 |
| George Washington University | No | No | Test Optional | Permanently Test Optional since 2015 |
| Loyola Marymount University | No | Not Announced | Test Optional | |
| Southern Methodist University | No | Not Announced | Test Optional | |
| Texas A&M University | No | Not Announced | Test Optional | |
| University of Massachusetts Amherst | No | Not Announced | Test Optional | |
| University of Minnesota, Twin Cities | No | No | Test Optional | Test Optional through 2025 |
| Worcester Polytechnic Institute | No | No | Test Blind | The Institute's Test Blind policy is an eight-year pilot program, beginning in 2020. |
| Clemson University | No | Not Announced | Test Optional | |
| Virginia Tech | No | No | Test Optional | Test Optional through Fall 2025 |
| American University | No | No | Test Optional | Permanently Test Optional since 2010 |
| Baylor University | No | No | Test Optional | Test Optional through Fall 2025 |
| Indiana University Bloomington | No | Not Announced | Test Optional | |
| Yeshiva University | No | No | Test Optional | Permanently Test Optional |
| Brigham Young University | No | No | Test Optional | Test Optional through Winter 2025 |
| Gonzaga University | No | No | Test Optional | Permanently Test Optional. |
| Howard University | No | Not Announced | Test Optional | |
| Michigan State University | No | No | Test Optional | Permanently Test Optional. |
| North Carolina State University | No | Not Announced | Test Optional | |
| Stevens Institute of Technology | *No | No | Test Optional | *Test scores required for accelerated Pre-Medicine and Pre-Law programs |
| Texas Christian University | No | No | Test Optional | Test Optional extended through 2025 |
| University of Denver | No | No | Test Optional | Permanently Test Optional since 2019 |
| State University of New York at Binghamton | No | No | Test Optional | SUNY is Permanently Test Optional |
| Colorado School of Mines | No | No | Test Optional | Permanently Test Optional. |
| Elon University | No | No | Test Optional | |
| Marquette University | No | No | Test Optional | Permanently Test Optional since 2020 |
| State University of New York at Stony Brook | No | No | Test Optional | SUNY is Permanently Test Optional |
| State University of New York at Buffalo | No | No | Test Optional | SUNY is Permanently Test Optional |
| University of California, Riverside | No | No | Test Blind | The UCs are Test Blind through 2024 |
| University of Iowa | No | Not Announced | Test Optional | |
| University of San Diego | No | No | Test Blind | |
| Auburn University | No, unless GPA is less than 3.6 | No, unless GPA is less than 3.6 | Test Preferred* | *Applicants with less than a 3.6 GPA are ineligible to apply as Test Optional. |
| University of Arizona | No | No | Test Optional | Permanently Test Optional. |
| University of California, Merced | No | No | Test Blind | Test Optional through 2024 |
| University of California, Santa Cruz | No | No | Test Blind | Test Optional through 2024 |
| University of Delaware | No | No | Test Optional | Permanently Test Optional since 2015 |
| University of Utah | No | No | Test Optional | |
| Arizona State University | No | No | Test Optional | Permanently Test Optional, but they recommend you take the test for scholarships |
| Clark University | No | No | Test Optional | Permanently Test Optional since 2011 |
| Miami University, Oxford | No | No | Test Optional | Test Optional through Spring 2026 |
| Saint Louis University | No | No | Test Optional | Permanently Test Optional. |
| Temple University | No | No | Test Optional | Permanently Test Optional. |
| University of Colorado Boulder | No | No | Test Optional | Permanently Test Optional. |
| University of Oregon | No | No | Test Optional | Permanently Test Optional. |
| University of San Francisco | No | No | Test Optional | Permanently Test Optional. |
| University of South Florida | Yes | Yes | Test Required | |
| Creighton University | No | No | Test Optional | Permanently Test Optional. |
| Loyola University Chicago | No | No | Test Optional | |
| Rochester Institute of Technology | No | No | Test Optional | Permanently Test Optional. |
| University of Illinois at Chicago | No | No | Test Optional | |
| University of Tennessee Knoxville | Yes | Yes | Test Required | University of Tennessee System will now require tests |
| Iowa State University | No | No | Test Optional | |
| New Jersey Institute of Technology | No | Not Announced | Test Optional | *Does not apply to Honors College or accelerated program students |
| Rutgers University-Newark | No | No | Test Optional | Permanently test optional |
| State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry | Not Announced | No | Test Optional | SUNY is permanently test optional. |
| University of South Carolina | No | Not Announced | Test Optional | |
| University of Vermont | No | No | Test Optional | Test Optional through 2026 |
| Chapman University | No | No | Test Optional | Permanently Test Optional. |
| Clarkson University | No | Not Announced | Test Optional | |
| DePaul University | No | No | Test Optional | Permanently Test Optional. |
| Drake University | No | No | Test Optional | If you choose not to submit test scores, you will be required to either submit an essay or schedule an interview. |
| Gallaudet University | Yes | Yes | Test Required | |
| Illinois Institute of Technology | No | No | Test Optional | |
| Seattle University | No | No | Test Optional | Permanently Test Optional. |
| University of Kansas | No | No | Test Optional | The schools of Business and Engineering have certain scholarships that require testing |
| University of Missouri | No | Not Announced | Test Optional | *If you choose to go Test Optional, you will need to submit 3 short essays |
| Drexel University | No | Not Announced | Test Optional | |
| The New School | No | No | Test Optional | Permanently Test Optional. |
| Seton Hall University | No | No | Test Optional | Test Optional through 2026 |
| Simmons University | No | No | Test Optional | |
| University of Dayton | No | No | Test Optional | Permanently Test Optional. |
| University of Kentucky | No | No | Test Optional | Test Optional through 2029 |
| University of Nebraska-Lincoln | No | No | Test Optional* | *All first-year applicants under the age of 23 are encouraged to submit an official ACT or SAT score. |
| University of Oklahoma | No | No | Test Optional | Test Optional through 2025 |
| University of St. Thomas - Minnesota | No | No | Test Optional | Permanently Test Optional. |
| University of the Pacific | No | No | Test Optional | Permanently Test Optional |
| The Catholic University of America | No | No | Test Blind | Permanently Test Blind. |
| Duquesne University | No | No | Test Optional | |
| George Mason University | No | No | Test Optional | Permanently Test Optional. |
| Samford University | No | Not Announced | Test Optional | |
| San Diego State University | No | No | Test Blind | |
| University of Alabama | No | No | Test Optional | Test optional through Fall 2025 |
| University of Cincinnati | No | Not Announced | Test Optional | |
| University of New Hampshire | No | No | Test Optional | Permanently Test Optional. |
| University of Texas at Dallas | No | Not Announced | Test Optional | |
| University of Tulsa | No | No | Test Optional* | *Early Careers in Community Medicine program requires a test score submission |
| Colorado State University | No | No | Test Optional | Permanently Test Optional. |
| Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge | No | No | Test Optional | Permanently Test Optional |
| Michigan Technological University | No | No | Test Optional | |
| Oregon State University | No | No | Test Optional | Permanently Test Optional. |
| Quinnipiac University | No | No | Test Optional* | *Permanently Test Optional. However, for certain dual degree programs and the School of Nursing, test scores are recommended or even required. |
| Rutgers University–Camden | No | No | Test Optional | |
| University of Alabama at Birmingham | No | Not Announced | Test Optional | |
| Belmont University | No | No | Test Optional | |
| Hofstra University | No | No | Test Optional | Permanently Test Optional |
| Mercer University | No | Not Announced | Test Optional | |
| State University of New York at Albany | No | No | Test Optional | SUNY is permanently Test Optional. |
| University of Arkansas | No | Not Announced | Test Optional/Flexible | Test optional for students with a GPA of 3.2 or higher. All admitted students are encouraged to provide test scores. |
| University of Central Florida | Yes | Yes | Test Required | |
| University of Maryland, Baltimore County | No | No | Test Optional | Test Optional through 2025 |
| University of Mississippi | No | Not Announced | Test Optional* | *"Although we are not requiring a standardized test score for admission for the 2024-2025 academic year, ACT/SAT scores are still very important for scholarships, some aid programs, and for academic placement." |
| Valparaiso University | No | No | Test Optional | |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | No | No | Test Optional | |
| Adelphi University | No | Not Announced | Test Optional | |
| Kansas State University | No | No | Test Optional | Permanently Test Optional. |
| St. John's University Queens Campus | No | No | Test Optional | Permanently Test Optional only for first-time freshman applicants. International students must submit test scores |
| University of Hawaii at Manoa | No | No | Test Optional | |
| University of Idaho | No | Not Announced | Test Optional | *Students with a GPA of 2.6 or higher don't need to submit a test score. |
| University of Rhode Island | No | No | Test Optional | |
| City College of New York | No | No | Test Optional | Test Optional through 2025 |
| Missouri University of Science and Technology | No | Not Announced | Test Optional | |
| Montclair State University | No | No | Test Optional | Permanently Test Optional since 2015 |
| Ohio University | No | No | Test Optional* | Permanently Test Optional for applicants to Athens campus |
| St. John Fisher College | No | No | Test Optional | |
| Thomas Jefferson University | No | No | Test Optional | Permanently Test Optional |
| University of Houston | No | Not Announced | Test Optional | |
| University of Louisville | No | Not Announced | Test Optional | |
| University of Massachusetts Lowell | No | No | Test Optional | Permanently Test Optional |
| University of St. Joseph | No | No | Test Optional | Permanently Test Optional |
| Washington State University | No | No | Test Optional | Permanently Test Optional |
| Biola University | No | No | Test Optional | |
| Chatham University | No | No | Test Optional | Permanently Test Optional |
| Florida International University | Yes | Yes | Test Required | |
| Oklahoma State University | No | No | Test Optional | Permanently Test Optional. Students are still encouraged to submit scores. |
| Pacific University | No | No | Test Optional | Test Optional policy is extended indefinitely |
| Rowan University | No | No | Test Optional | Permanently Test Optional. However, certain groups of students are still required to submit test scores |
| University of Detroit Mercy | No | No | Test Optional | |
| University of New Mexico | No | No | Test Optional | |
| University of North Carolina Wilmington | No | Not Announced | Test Optional | |
| Bethel University | No | Not Announced | Test Optional* | *Test Optional for students with a GPA of 3.0 or higher |
| California State University, Fresno | No | No | Test Blind | |
| Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis | No | No | Test Optional | Permanently Test Optional since 2021 |
| Loyola University New Orleans | No | No | Test Blind | Permanently Test Blind |
| Maryville University of St. Louis | No | No | Test Optional | Permanently Test Optional, except for a select few groups |
| Robert Morris University | No | No | Test Optional |
