List of Colleges Dropping & Reinstating ACT/SAT Requirements

During the Covid-19 pandemic, many colleges and universities dropped the SAT/ACT and became test optional or test free. Which schools have kept these changes in place, and which have changed their policies?

Published On:
May 3, 2024

During the Covid-19 pandemic, many colleges and universities dropped the SAT/ACT and became test optional or test free. Some schools have kept these changes in place, while others have shifted back toward requiring standardized testing. Notable schools that have reinstated the SAT/ACT include Brown, Dartmouth, Harvard, Yale, Georgetown, MIT, Caltech, and the entire public university systems of Florida and Georgia. 

Why are so many top schools reinstating the SAT/ACT? 

  • ACT or SAT scores are a strong predictor in assessing a student’s readiness in college. 
  • It helps admissions officers differentiate students. As Sian Leah Beilock, Dartmouth’s President, wrote in a letter to the Dartmouth community, “SAT/ACTs can be especially helpful in identifying students from less-resourced backgrounds who would succeed at Dartmouth but might otherwise be missed in a test-optional environment.” 
  • With more and more schools reinstating the SAT/ACT, it’s worth it for high schools to invest in a high-quality SAT or ACT readiness solution. Horizon Education offers solutions to help schools prepare their students for the SAT, ACT, or both.

Below is a list of colleges that dropped the ACT/SAT requirements during the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as colleges that have reinstated them in recent years. While this list is not exhaustive, it provides a clear picture of the trends in college admissions. (Data last updated July 2024)

To better understand the terms in the list, here is a quick guide:

Test considered: SAT/ACT scores are one of the many factors considered during the admissions process, along with GPA, essays, letters of recommendation, etc.

Test free: SAT/ACT scores are not required in the application process.

Test optional: Applicants can choose whether or not to submit their scores. Not submitting them won’t hurt their chances of admission.

Test preferred: Submitting ACT/SAT scores is not mandatory but is encouraged. Submitting them can strengthen an applicant’s chances.

Test recommended: Submitting ACT/SAT scores is advised but not mandatory.

Please note: Score ranges represent the scores of admitted applicants within the 25th and 75th percentile.

College SAT/ACT Requirements
College SAT/ACT Required During Covid (2020)? Is the SAT/ACT Required Now (2024)? Did they reinstate the SAT/ACT? If reinstated, when did/does it go into effect? Average SAT Score Average ACT Score Acceptance Rate
Ivy League Schools
Brown University No (test optional) Yes (test required) Yes Fall 2025 1490-1580 34-36 5%
Columbia University No (test optional) No (test optional) No 1470-1570 34-35 4%
Cornell University No (test optional) Yes (test required) Yes Fall 2026 1470-1570 33-35 6%
Dartmouth College No (test optional) Yes (test required) Yes Fall 2025 1500-1580 33-35 6%
Harvard University No (test optional) Yes (test required) Yes Fall 2025 1490-1580 34-36 3%
Princeton University No (test optional) No (test optional until at least 2025) No 1500-1580 34-35 6%
University of Pennsylvania No (test optional) No (test optional) No 1500-1570 34-35 7%
Yale University No (test optional) Yes (test required) Yes Fall 2025 1500-1580 33-35 5%
Top Private Universities
California Institute of Technology (Caltech) No (test optional) Yes (test required) Yes Fall 2025 1530-1570 35-36 3%
Duke University No (test optional) No (test optional) No 1490-1570 34-35 6%
Georgetown University No (test optional) Yes (test required) Yes Fall 2025 1390-1560 32-35 12%
Johns Hopkins University No (test optional) No (test optional through 2025-26 cycle) No 1520-1570 34-35 7%
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) No (test optional) Yes (test required) Yes Fall 2022 1520-1580 35-36 4%
Northeastern University No (test optional) No (test optional) No 1440-1550 33-35 7%
Northwestern University No (test optional) No (test optional) No 1490-1570 33-35 7%
Rice University No (test optional) No (test recommended) No 1490-1570 34-36 9%
Stanford University No (test optional) Yes (test required) Yes Fall 2026 1500-1580 33-35 4%
University of Chicago No (test optional, adopted in 2018) No (test optional) No 1500-1580 34-35 5%
Vanderbilt University No (test optional) No (test optional through Fall 2027) No Fall 2027 1490-1570 34-35 7%
Top Public Universities
Arizona State University No (test optional) No (test optional) No 1120-1370 19-27 90%
Auburn University No (test optional) No (test preferred) No 1240-1390 25-31 44%
Colorado State University No (test optional) No (test optional) No 1070-1290 23-29 91%
Fairmont State University No (test optional) Yes (test required) Yes 820-1050 18-23 98%
Florida State University (FSU) Yes (test required) Yes No, it was already required 1210-1370 26-31 25%
Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) Yes (test required) Still required No, it was already required 1370-1550 31-35 16%
Michigan State University No (test optional) No (test optional) No 1100-1340 24-30 88%
New Mexico State University No (test optional) No (test optional) No 900-1140 17-23 78%
Purdue University No (test optional) Yes (test required) Yes Fall 2024 1200-1470 27-34 53%
Stony Brook University No (test optional) No (test optional) No 1320-1500 28-34 49%
Texas A&M University No (test optional) No (test optional) No 1150-1390 25-31 63%
University of Alabama No (test optional) No (test optional until Fall 2025) No 1130-1410 25-31 80%
University of Arizona No (test optional) No (test optional) No 1140-1370 21-29 87%
University of Arkansas No (test optional) No (test optional for those with a 3.2 GPA or higher) No 1030-1220 21-29 79%
University of California Berkeley No (test free) No (test free) No 1340-1540 30-35 16%
University of Colorado Boulder No (test optional) No (test optional) No 1160-1390 26-31 79%
University of Florida Yes (test required) Still required No, already required 1300-1490 28-33 23%
University of Georgia Yes (test required) Still required No, already required 1220-1420 27-32 43%
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign No (test optional) No (test optional) No 1340-1530 29-34 45%
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor No (test optional) No (test optional) No 1350-1530 31-34 18%
The University of New Mexico No (test optional) No (test optional) No 1030-1250 18-25 96%
University of Tennessee, Knoxville No (test optional) Yes (test required) Yes Fall 2023 1170-1330 25-31 68%
University of Texas at Austin No (test optional) Yes (test required) Yes Fall 2025 1230-1500 29-34 31%
University of Wisconsin-Madison No (test optional) Yes (test optional until 2027) No Fall 2027 1350-1510 28-33 49%
West Virginia University No (test optional) No (test optional) No 1000-1220 20-26 77%

Note: Testing requirements are subject to change. It’s important for applicants to check each college’s admissions page before applying.

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