The anxiety behind "test-optional colleges" is usually one of two questions: do I even have to take the SAT or ACT, and if I do, should I send the score? The data answers the first question clearly and reframes the second. Using U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard data on 1,373 schools with at least 500 students that report a testing policy, this analysis shows how thoroughly the standardized test has moved from requirement to option.1

Test-Required Is Now the Exception

Sort colleges by their reported testing policy and the shift is stark.

Only 71 of the 1,373 schools in this data still require a standardized test, about one in twenty. The large majority, 925 schools, are test-optional, meaning they will consider a score if you submit one but do not require it. Another 377 report that scores are neither required nor recommended, effectively not using them at all. The default across American higher education is now that the SAT and ACT are optional.1

71 of 1,373

Number of colleges with 500+ students that still require an SAT or ACT score. Test-required has become the rare exception, not the norm.

https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/

This is not limited to less selective schools. Major public universities, including large and competitive ones, have adopted test-optional policies.

The University of Texas at Austin admits just 27% of applicants and is test-optional, proof that "optional" and "selective" now coexist. For most students applying to most schools, taking a test at all is a choice, not a requirement.

Look Up Any School's Testing Policy

The full dataset is below. Use the policy filter to see test-optional, not-used, or test-required schools, search for a specific college, and filter by state. Every school links to its profile, and the dataset is downloadable.

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Optional Doesn't Mean Ignored

Here is the distinction that trips up the most applicants: test-optional and test-blind are not the same thing, and the difference changes your strategy.

At a test-optional school, the majority of the schools above, a score is considered if you submit it. A strong score can still help your application, and choosing not to submit is a real decision with consequences either way. At a test-blind school, one that neither requires nor recommends scores, the number is not looked at even if you send it, so there's nothing to weigh. Knowing which kind of school you're applying to tells you whether your score matters at all.

For the far larger group of test-optional schools, the question becomes tactical: does your score help or hurt? The clean rule is to compare your score to the school's enrolled middle-50% range, which you can see on each school's profile. If your score sits inside or above that range, submitting it strengthens your application. If it sits well below, withholding it is usually the better move, letting the rest of your application speak. Test-optional exists precisely so a lower score doesn't have to sink an otherwise strong applicant.

Expert Tip

Treat "test-optional" as a strategy question, not permission to skip the test entirely. Take the SAT or ACT once, see your score, and then decide school by school: submit it where it lands in or above the enrolled middle-50% range, and withhold it where it falls below. A good score is an asset you can choose to use; not having one at all removes the choice.

When You Still Want a Score

Even in a test-optional world, a score can be worth having for reasons beyond a single admission decision. Some merit scholarships still use test scores to award money, so a strong score can lower your cost even where it isn't required for admission. Some specific programs, honors colleges, or majors maintain their own score expectations. And a small group of schools, 71 in this data, still require the test outright. If any school or scholarship on your list falls into these categories, you'll want a score in hand.

The practical takeaway is that the test has shifted from a gate you must pass to a tool you can deploy. For students who test well, it remains an advantage. For those who don't, the test-optional norm means a lower score no longer closes doors it once did.

How to Use This

Check each school's policy before you stress about the test. Use the filter above to see whether your target schools require, consider, or ignore scores. For most students, most schools will be optional.

Take the test once, then decide submission school by school. Compare your score to each school's enrolled middle-50% range and submit where you land inside or above it.

Keep a score if scholarships or specific programs need one. Test-optional admission doesn't always mean test-optional money; some merit aid still uses scores.

Don't let test-optional talk you out of a strong score. If you test well, that score is an asset almost everywhere. Optional means you get to choose whether to use it, not that it stopped mattering.

The Honest Caveats

Testing policies change frequently, and some schools that were temporarily test-optional after 2020 have since revisited their rules, so confirm the current policy on each school's admissions website before applying. The federal data groups policies into broad categories that can blur finer distinctions, such as test-flexible or program-specific requirements. And a school reporting "neither required nor recommended" may still accept scores for placement or scholarships even if it doesn't use them for admission. Treat the data as an accurate snapshot of the field, then verify the specifics with each school.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are most colleges test-optional now?

Yes. Of 1,373 schools with at least 500 students that report a policy, 925 are test-optional and 377 don't use scores at all, while only 71 still require a test.1 Test-optional is the norm across American higher education, including at many large, selective public universities.

Do I still need to take the SAT or ACT?

For most schools, no, it's optional. But it's usually worth taking once anyway: a strong score can help at test-optional schools, qualify you for merit scholarships, and cover the handful of schools and programs that still require it. Take it, see your score, then decide where to submit it.

What's the difference between test-optional and test-blind?

Test-optional means a school will consider your score if you submit it but doesn't require it, so a strong score can still help. Test-blind, sometimes reported as scores "neither required nor recommended," means the school doesn't use scores at all, even if you send them. The difference determines whether your score matters for that school.

Should I submit my test scores to a test-optional college?

Compare your score to the school's enrolled middle-50% range, shown on its profile. If your score is inside or above that range, submitting it strengthens your application. If it's well below, withholding it is usually smarter, which is exactly what test-optional policies are designed to allow.

Are any colleges still test-required?

Yes, but few. Only 71 of the 1,373 schools in this analysis still require an SAT or ACT score, about one in twenty.1 If a required-test school is on your list, you'll need a score regardless of the broader test-optional trend.

Does going test-optional hurt my chances?

Not at a genuinely test-optional school, where withholding a below-range score is an accepted choice that lets the rest of your application lead. What matters is the strength of your grades, coursework, essays, and activities. Submit a score where it helps and withhold it where it doesn't, and the optional policy works in your favor.

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Footnotes

  1. U.S. Department of Education. (2026). College Scorecard. National Center for Education Statistics. https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/ ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  2. National Center for Education Statistics. (2025). Digest of Education Statistics: Admissions Requirements. U.S. Department of Education. https://nces.ed.gov/ ↩