Most U.S. colleges no longer require SAT or ACT scores, but the details vary by school and program. Here is how the policies work and how to confirm what your chosen colleges actually expect.

Standardized testing has become one of the most confusing parts of applying to college, largely because the rules differ from campus to campus and they keep changing. Some schools want scores, some ignore them entirely, and most fall somewhere in between. The practical answer is that skipping the SAT or ACT is a realistic plan at a large share of American colleges, as long as you confirm each school’s current policy before you count on it.

Can you get into college without taking the SAT or ACT?

Yes. FairTest, the National Center for Fair & Open Testing, counts at least 1,825 bachelor-degree granting institutions, more than 80% of the nation’s four-year total, that will not make fall 2025 applicants submit ACT or SAT scores. New schools extend test-optional policies every week, so that number keeps climbing. Some of the best-known names in American higher education, including Columbia, Harvard, Princeton, Stanford and the University of Chicago, fall into this group, as do major public campuses in states such as Colorado, Illinois, Oregon and Washington.

What do test-optional, test-blind and test-required actually mean?

These labels describe what a college does with your scores, and the differences matter more than most applicants realize. Our glossary of college application terms defines the surrounding vocabulary, but the testing policies break down like this:

Policy	What it means for your application
Test optional	You decide whether to send scores. If you send them, the school considers them. If you do not, your application is reviewed without them and does not suffer for it.
Test blind (or test free)	The school will not look at your scores at all, even if you submit them. You are evaluated on other parts of your application.
Test flexible	The school wants some test result but lets you choose which one, and some schools accept AP or International Baccalaureate exam scores in place of the SAT or ACT.
Test required	You must submit SAT or ACT scores to be considered for admission.

The distinction between optional and blind is worth committing to memory. At a test-optional school, you hold the choice. At a test-blind school, the choice has already been made for you.

How common are these policies?

Test-optional admission is now the norm rather than the exception, though not a new invention. Bowdoin College became the first test-optional college in 1969, and colleges have been limiting their use of the SAT and ACT since the late 1960s. FairTest counted roughly 86 test-free campuses in September 2023. California’s two large public systems, the University of California and California State University, are on that list, and both are permanently test-blind.

That said, the picture is not one-directional. A smaller group of schools has reinstated testing requirements, and the College Board’s BigFuture site lists 21 private and 42 public colleges that require or will soon require SAT or ACT scores for admission. Both lists change frequently, which is why verification matters.

Where can scores still matter even when they are not required?

Several places. Colleges that are test optional for admission may still use SAT or ACT scores to award scholarships, place students into courses, or shape academic support and advising. Some competitive programs within a test-optional university, particularly in nursing or engineering, keep their own testing rules, so the campus policy may not apply to your intended major.

The reverse is also true. FairTest notes that getting admitted without a score, and winning scholarships without one, is a realistic possibility at colleges of every selectivity level in every state. If you are deciding whether to test at all, weigh how far your likely score would fall from the school’s typical range. FairTest estimates that a student sitting 300 SAT points or 12 ACT points below a college’s 25th percentile might need around 60 hours of preparation over six months to close that gap, so the time and cost of testing deserve honest thought.

Adviser’s tip: If you have strong scores, ask whether they figure into merit scholarships even at test-optional schools. If your scores are weak or missing, ask whether any aid you might qualify for requires them. The answer differs by school.

How do you check one school’s current policy?

Start with the admissions section of the school’s own website, because third-party lists can lag behind policy changes. FairTest itself cautions that it cannot perfectly track more than 2,300 different admissions policies and directs applicants to individual school sites to verify current rules.

While you are there, check the fine print. A policy can vary based on factors such as state residency, a minimum GPA, the specific program you are applying to, or whether you are a first-time, transfer or adult applicant. If the website leaves anything unclear, ask the admissions office direct questions and get the answers in writing before you build your application around an assumption.

What does your application need to show instead of scores?

Mostly, your academic record. Colleges consistently describe the classes you took and the grades you earned as the strongest signals in an application, and when a school cannot see test scores, your GPA and coursework carry more of the evaluation. Admissions officers at schools that de-emphasized testing have said that high school performance is the best available method for screening applicants, and that tests add little the transcript does not already show.

Beyond the transcript, the usual materials do the work: essays or personal statements, recommendation letters, extracurricular involvement and, at some test-blind schools, an interview. If you are applying without scores, put your effort into the pieces you control. A well-written statement and strong recommendations tell the school more about you than a mediocre score ever would.

Should you submit scores if you already have them?

It depends on the scores and the school. If your results are at or above the middle range for a test-optional college, sending them can strengthen your application. If your scores fall below that range, or if test anxiety produced a result that does not reflect your ability, withholding them is a legitimate choice that most test-optional schools explicitly allow without penalty.

Do the comparison school by school. Look up the middle range of scores at each college on your list, if it publishes one, and treat each application as its own decision rather than a single all-or-nothing choice.

What should adult and returning students know about testing?

Adults returning to school often have easier paths than they expect. Many on-campus and online programs admit students without SAT or ACT scores, particularly programs designed for working adults, and some schools weigh work experience and prior coursework instead. If your goal is finishing a credential you started years ago, our step-by-step guide to going back to finish a degree you started walks through the process.

Testing is not the only way to prove what you know, either. Credit for prior learning, including CLEP and DSST exams, military training and portfolio review, can turn experience into college credit at many schools, which is often more useful than an admissions test ever would be.

What questions should you ask an admissions office about scores?

Ask plainly and ask for specifics. Useful questions include:

• Is your school test optional, test blind or test required for the term I would enroll?
• Does the policy apply to my intended program, or does that program have separate requirements?
• Does it apply to applicants in my situation, such as transfers or adults returning after a break?
• Are scores used for scholarships, honors programs or course placement even if they are not required for admission?
• If your school is test flexible, which alternatives do you accept in place of the SAT or ACT?
• Is the current policy guaranteed for my application cycle, or could it change before I enroll?

Write down the answers, note who gave them and when, and keep the record with your application materials. A five-minute phone call now can save you a semester of scrambled test preparation for a requirement that never applied to you in the first place.

Readers ask

Do I have to explain why I did not submit test scores?

At most test-optional schools, no. Choosing not to submit scores does not count against your application, so a written explanation is generally not required.

Are the University of California and Cal State schools test optional?

No, they are test-blind, which is a step further. Their systems will not consider SAT or ACT scores in admissions decisions even if you submit them.

Do any colleges still require the SAT or ACT?

Yes. A smaller group of schools has reinstated testing requirements, and some programs within otherwise test-optional colleges still expect scores. Check each school’s admissions site for the current rule.

Can I get a scholarship without test scores?

Often, yes. FairTest notes that admission and scholarships without scores are realistic at colleges of every selectivity level, but some merit awards do use scores, so ask each school how its scholarships are decided.

Admission rules, accreditation status and licensing requirements change. This guide is general information for students in the U.S.; confirm the details with the school, its accreditor or your state licensing board before you enroll.