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?
- SAT/ACT 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 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.
