2025 List of Colleges Reinstating SAT & ACT Test Score Requirements

The landscape of college admissions has undergone significant shifts in recent years, particularly with the temporary suspension of standardized test requirements due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, as we approach the 2025 admissions cycle, a growing number of colleges are reinstating SAT and ACT test score requirements. This trend reflects a renewed commitment to meritocracy in education—a principle that I, Dr. Shaan Patel (Founder & CEO of Prep Expert), firmly believe is essential for fostering equal opportunity and rewarding hard work.

The Pendulum Swings Back

In the wake of the pandemic, over 1,600 colleges and universities adopted test-optional policies for the 2021 admissions cycle, according to the National Center for Fair & Open Testing (FairTest). This shift was a pragmatic response to unprecedented challenges students faced, including canceled test dates and limited access to testing centers. However, a 2021 survey by the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) revealed that 55% of admissions officers believed that standardized tests provide useful information about a student's academic preparedness.

As the immediate impacts of the pandemic recede, many institutions are re-evaluating their admissions policies. A 2022 report by the College Board indicated that 83% of colleges that had gone test-optional were considering reinstating test requirements by 2025. This movement underscores the enduring value of standardized tests in providing a common metric for assessing academic ability across diverse educational backgrounds.

Why Standardized Tests Matter

Standardized tests play a crucial role in maintaining a meritocratic admissions process. A 2019 study published in Educational Researcher found that SAT scores, combined with high school GPA, are strong predictors of college success, accounting for up to 20% of the variance in first-year college GPA. This predictive validity is essential for institutions aiming to admit students who are prepared for rigorous academic work.

Furthermore, grade inflation has become a pervasive issue. A 2016 study by Inside Higher Ed reported that 47% of high school seniors graduated with an A average, up from 38.9% in 1998. In contrast, average SAT scores declined over the same period. Standardized tests help mitigate the effects of grade inflation by providing an objective measure of student ability.

Colleges Reinstating Requirements in 2025

Several prestigious institutions have announced the reinstatement of SAT and ACT requirements for the 2025 admissions cycle. See a comprehensive list of the top 100 universities according to U.S. News & World Report and their current admissions policy with respect to test scores as of this writing.

1. Princeton University - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Test Scores Required For Admission / Scholarships
3. Harvard University - Test Scores Required For Admission / Scholarships
4. Stanford University - Test Scores Required For Admission / Scholarships
5. Yale University - Test Scores Required For Admission / Scholarships
6. California Institute of Technology - Test Scores Required For Admission / Scholarships
7. Duke University - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
8. Johns Hopkins University - Test Scores Required For Admission / Scholarships
9. Northwestern University - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
10. University of Pennsylvania - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
11. Cornell University - Test Scores Required For Admission / Scholarships
12. University of Chicago - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
13. Brown University - Test Scores Required For Admission / Scholarships
14. Columbia University - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
15. Dartmouth College - Test Scores Required For Admission / Scholarships
16. University of California--Los Angeles - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
17. University of California, Berkeley - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
18. Rice University - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
19. University of Notre Dame - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
20. Vanderbilt University - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
21. Carnegie Mellon University - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
22. University of Michigan--Ann Arbor - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
23. Washington University in St. Louis - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
24. Emory University - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
25. Georgetown University - Test Scores Required For Admission / Scholarships
26. University of Virginia - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
27. University of North Carolina--Chapel Hill - Test Scores Required For Admission / Scholarships
28. University of Southern California - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
29. University of California, San Diego - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
30. New York University - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
31. University of Florida - Test Scores Required For Admission / Scholarships
32. The University of Texas--Austin - Test Scores Required For Admission / Scholarships
33. Georgia Institute of Technology - Test Scores Required For Admission / Scholarships
34. University of California, Davis - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
35. University of California--Irvine - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
36. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
37. Boston College - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
38. Tufts University - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
39. University of California, Santa Barbara - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
40. University of Wisconsin--Madison - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
41. Boston University - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
42. The Ohio State University - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
43. Rutgers University--New Brunswick - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
44. University of Maryland, College Park - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
45. University of Rochester - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
46. Lehigh University - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
47. Purdue University--Main Campus - Test Scores Required For Admission / Scholarships
48. University of Georgia - Test Scores Required For Admission / Scholarships
49. University of Washington - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
50. Wake Forest University - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
51. Case Western Reserve University - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
52. Texas A&M University - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
53. Virginia Tech - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
54. Florida State University - Test Scores Required For Admission / Scholarships
55. Northeastern University - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
56. University of Minnesota--Twin Cities - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
57. William & Mary - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
58. North Carolina State University - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
59. Stony Brook University--SUNY - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
60. University of California, Merced - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
61. University of Massachusetts--Amherst - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
62. Villanova University - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
63. Brandeis University - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
64. George Washington University - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
65. Michigan State University - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
66. The Pennsylvania State University--University Park - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
67. Santa Clara University - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
68. Tulane University - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
69. University of Miami - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
70. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
71. University of Connecticut - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
72. University of Pittsburgh - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
73. Binghamton University--SUNY - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
74. Indiana University--Bloomington - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
75. Syracuse University - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
76. Colorado School of Mines - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
77. Stevens Institute of Technology - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
78. University at Buffalo--SUNY - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
79. University of California, Riverside - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
80. Clemson University - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
81. Pepperdine University - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
82. Rutgers University--Newark - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
83. University of Illinois--Chicago - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
84. New Jersey Institute of Technology - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
85. University of California, Santa Cruz - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
86. Drexel University - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
87. Howard University - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
88. Marquette University - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
89. University of Delaware - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
90. Worcester Polytechnic Institute - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
91. American University - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
92. Baylor University - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
93. Fordham University - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
94. Loyola Marymount University - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
95. Rochester Institute of Technology - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
96. Southern Methodist University - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
97. University of South Florida - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
98. Florida International University - Test Scores Required For Admission / Scholarships
99. Gonzaga University - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement
100. Rutgers University--Camden - Test-Optional...But Test Scores Improve Admission Rate / Scholarship Offers / Course Placement

The Path Forward

Reinstating SAT and ACT requirements aligns with the meritocratic ideals that underpin our education system. Standardized tests provide a common ground for evaluating students, especially when other metrics like GPA can vary significantly between schools. A 2018 analysis by The Chronicle of Higher Education revealed that high school GPAs differed widely due to inconsistent grading standards, making standardized tests a valuable tool for admissions committees.

Moreover, standardized tests can help identify talented students from underrepresented backgrounds. A 2015 College Board study found that 30% of students with SAT scores above 1200 came from schools that did not traditionally send students to selective colleges. Without standardized tests, these students might have been overlooked.

Conclusion

The reinstatement of SAT and ACT requirements by colleges in 2025 marks a pivotal moment in higher education. It reflects a recommitment to merit-based admissions and acknowledges the value of standardized assessments in evaluating academic readiness. While challenges remain—particularly concerning equity and access—we can overcome them through collective effort and innovation.

By embracing standardized tests as instruments of opportunity, we uphold meritocratic principles that enrich our educational institutions and empower the next generation of leaders. Let's focus on refining these tools and expanding access to preparation resources, ensuring that all students have the chance to demonstrate their academic potential.

Dr. Shaan Patel, MD, MBA is the Founder & CEO of Prep Expert, a Shark Tank Winner, a #1 bestselling author, and a board-certified dermatologist.