Is the University of California Bringing Back the SAT and ACT?

As of October 2026: No. As of October 2026, the University of California stays test-blind, and UC's own July 22, 2026 statement says students applying by November 30, 2026 for fall 2027 admission will not be required to submit SAT or ACT scores. A faculty review is under way: BOARS must report to the Academic Council by February 12, 2027, and the Regents get a policy recommendation no later than June 2027.

UC and the CSU remain test-blind for fall 2027. A faculty review could change that for later years. Here is what the official pages say, and what it means for your child.

By Nick Standlea, Test Prep Gurus. Figures may be quoted with attribution to Test Prep Gurus.

UC has not brought the tests back, and fall 2027 is already settled UC's own press statement says students applying by November 30, 2026, for fall 2027 admission will not be required to submit SAT or ACT scores. That sentence covers the class now filling out applications. All nine undergraduate UC campuses carry the same test-blind label in our table: Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz. Scores are not used for admission, for review, or for scholarships.

A faculty review has two hard dates on the calendar On July 22, 2026, UC's Academic Council directed BOARS to run a faculty-led review of testing in admissions. BOARS must deliver its report to the Academic Council by February 12, 2027. The Board of Regents is to receive a policy recommendation no later than June 2027. No change has been adopted as of the fall 2026 check. The push came from hundreds of UC faculty who want an SAT or ACT math score back for STEM applicants.

Grades now carry almost all of the weight at UC With no test scores in the file, the GPA band does the sorting. At UCLA, California residents in the 4.00 and above band were admitted at 15.1 percent, while the 3.70-3.99 band sat at 1.6 percent. At UC San Diego the same two bands were 45.2 percent and 9.3 percent. At UC Merced, every band from 3.00 up was admitted at 94.1 percent or better. The gap between a 3.9 and a 4.0 is larger than most families expect.

What do UC and CSU say about test scores, in their own words?

These seven rows come from UC and CSU pages and from UC's own press room. Each row carries the exact sentence the system or campus published.

System or campus	Policy	Applies to	What the page says	Source
University of California (UC)	blind	fall 2027 first-year applicants	Students applying by November 30, 2026, for fall 2027 admission will not be required to submit SAT or ACT scores	Source
California State University (CSU)	blind	current first-year admission cycle (no specific entering term stated on the page fetched)	The CSU does not use standardized testing (SAT and/or ACT) for purposes of admission.	Source
University of California, Berkeley	blind	same as UC systemwide policy	we're not using SAT/ACT test scores for any part of our process, including evaluation/holistic review, selection, or scholarship processes	Source
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)	blind	same as UC systemwide policy	UCLA will not consider SAT or ACT scores for admission or scholarship purposes.	Source
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly SLO)	blind	current first-year admission cycle, following CSU systemwide policy	While GPA and test scores (when applicable) are important, it is impossible to predict a candidate's chances by looking at these statistics alone.	Source
California State University, Long Beach	blind	current first-year admission cycle	The CSU does not use standardized testing (SAT and/or ACT) for purposes of admission.	Source
San Diego State University	blind	current first-year admission cycle, following CSU systemwide policy	SDSU no longer uses SAT or ACT exam scores from first-year applicants for determining admission eligibility.	Source

Cal Poly SLO's own selection-criteria page did not restate the CSU test-blind policy in the text we read. We label it blind based on the CSU systemwide policy, and we flag that as an open gap.

Which colleges are test-blind in 2026, and which only look test-blind?

All 24 rows from our 2026 policy table. The top group ignores scores. The rest are test-optional, conditional, or back to required, even though families often group them together.

College	State	Policy in 2026	Source
University of California (systemwide: Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz)	CA	blind	Source
California State University (systemwide, 23 campuses)	CA	blind	Source
Pitzer College	CA	blind (through fall 2027 entrants; college has announced a return to test-optional for fall 2028 entrants)	Source
Washington State University	WA	blind	Source
Northern Illinois University	IL	blind	Source
Reed College	OR	blind -- RESOLVED this session. Reed's own first-year applicant checklist lists self-reported scores as something it will not use in evaluation, settling the prior ambiguity in favor of test-blind rather than merely test-optional.	Source
Hampshire College	MA	blind	Source
Lewis & Clark College	OR	blind (test-free, starting with the fall 2025 entering class)	Source
Augsburg University	MN	blind (test-free, since the 2021/fall 2022 cycle)	Source
California State University Maritime Academy (Cal Maritime) -- now operating as Cal Poly Maritime Academy after its 2026 merger into Cal Poly, and still a CSU/Cal Poly campus	CA	blind	Source
Dickinson College	PA	optional (not blind -- test-optional since 1994)	Source
Catholic University of America	DC	optional (not blind -- was test-blind 2020 through the pandemic era, reverted to test-optional)	Source
Loyola University New Orleans	LA	optional (not blind -- was briefly test-blind in 2020 per contemporaneous press, current own page is test-optional)	Source
University of Washington (Seattle)	WA	optional (not blind)	Source
Western Washington University	WA	optional (not blind; permanently test-optional starting fall 2021)	Source
Eastern Washington University	WA	optional (not blind)	Source
Central Washington University	WA	optional (not blind)	Source
The Evergreen State College	WA	optional (not blind)	Source
Antioch College	OH	optional (not blind)	Source
Sarah Lawrence College	NY	optional (not blind)	Source
Whitman College	WA	optional (not blind)	Source
Southern Oregon University	OR	optional (not blind)	Source
University of Idaho	ID	conditional -- optional at GPA 3.00+; at GPA 2.60-2.99 a test score (or the Vandal Gateway Program) is required; not test-blind at any GPA tier	Source
Cornell University (all 8 undergraduate colleges)	NY	required -- no Cornell college remains score-free for fall 2026 or fall 2027 applicants	Source

Policy labels come from each college's own published page. Test-optional is not the same as test-blind: an optional college will read a score if your child sends one.

What were UC admit rates by residency in Fall 2025?

All 30 rows from the UC Information Center, first-year admissions by residency, Fall 2025. Systemwide totals come first, then each campus.

Campus	Residency	Applicants	Admits	Admit rate
Systemwide	CA resident	130,877	100,569	76.8%
Systemwide	International	32,087	21,923	68.3%
Systemwide	Out-of-state	42,406	26,183	61.7%
UC Berkeley	CA resident	72,685	9,852	13.6%
UC Berkeley	International	23,973	1,391	5.8%
UC Berkeley	Out-of-state	30,172	3,117	10.3%
UC Davis	CA resident	68,954	25,641	37.2%
UC Davis	International	20,844	11,700	56.1%
UC Davis	Out-of-state	13,185	8,332	63.2%
UC Irvine	CA resident	86,250	18,873	21.9%
UC Irvine	International	21,587	9,021	41.8%
UC Irvine	Out-of-state	16,386	7,764	47.4%
UC Merced	CA resident	43,040	41,448	96.3%
UC Merced	International	4,843	3,873	80.0%
UC Merced	Out-of-state	1,483	1,244	83.9%
UC Riverside	CA resident	61,331	53,276	86.9%
UC Riverside	International	6,377	5,235	82.1%
UC Riverside	Out-of-state	3,153	2,801	88.8%
UC San Diego	CA resident	87,574	21,542	24.6%
UC San Diego	International	24,224	7,144	29.5%
UC San Diego	Out-of-state	24,929	9,771	39.2%
UC Santa Barbara	CA resident	74,659	23,972	32.1%
UC Santa Barbara	International	18,644	8,885	47.7%
UC Santa Barbara	Out-of-state	16,870	9,237	54.8%
UC Santa Cruz	CA resident	52,587	37,344	71.0%
UC Santa Cruz	International	6,686	4,809	71.9%
UC Santa Cruz	Out-of-state	7,102	5,968	84.0%
UCLA	CA resident	89,349	8,589	9.6%
UCLA	International	24,137	1,526	6.3%
UCLA	Out-of-state	31,573	3,544	11.2%

Systemwide counts each student once, so they are smaller than the sum of the campus rows. Students apply to several campuses with one application.

What GPA do you need for each UC campus?

All 54 rows from the UC Information Center, Fall 2025 California residents, by weighted and capped GPA band. This is the closest thing UC publishes to a cutoff.

Campus	GPA band	Admits	Admit rate
UC Berkeley	0.00-2.99	14	0.7%
UC Berkeley	3.00-3.29	17	0.4%
UC Berkeley	3.30-3.69	107	0.8%
UC Berkeley	3.70-3.99	731	3.1%
UC Berkeley	4.00 and above	12,932	17.0%
UC Berkeley	Unknown - Missing	559	7.0%
UC Davis	0.00-2.99	18	0.7%
UC Davis	3.00-3.29	106	1.9%
UC Davis	3.30-3.69	1,599	10.3%
UC Davis	3.70-3.99	6,755	31.1%
UC Davis	4.00 and above	34,106	65.9%
UC Davis	Unknown - Missing	3,089	53.5%
UC Irvine	0.00-2.99	4	0.1%
UC Irvine	3.00-3.29	18	0.3%
UC Irvine	3.30-3.69	460	2.4%
UC Irvine	3.70-3.99	4,494	17.0%
UC Irvine	4.00 and above	28,841	46.3%
UC Irvine	Unknown - Missing	1,841	30.8%
UC Merced	0.00-2.99	736	36.2%
UC Merced	3.00-3.29	4,773	94.1%
UC Merced	3.30-3.69	10,115	96.3%
UC Merced	3.70-3.99	10,355	97.5%
UC Merced	4.00 and above	19,749	98.8%
UC Merced	Unknown - Missing	837	72.9%
UC Riverside	0.00-2.99	359	11.6%
UC Riverside	3.00-3.29	4,139	62.6%
UC Riverside	3.30-3.69	12,240	82.6%
UC Riverside	3.70-3.99	14,915	95.6%
UC Riverside	4.00 and above	28,446	97.7%
UC Riverside	Unknown - Missing	1,213	75.2%
UC San Diego	0.00-2.99	9	0.3%
UC San Diego	3.00-3.29	10	0.2%
UC San Diego	3.30-3.69	285	1.5%
UC San Diego	3.70-3.99	2,573	9.3%
UC San Diego	4.00 and above	32,880	45.2%
UC San Diego	Unknown - Missing	2,700	36.7%
UC Santa Barbara	0.00-2.99	6	0.2%
UC Santa Barbara	3.00-3.29	20	0.4%
UC Santa Barbara	3.30-3.69	463	2.8%
UC Santa Barbara	3.70-3.99	4,096	17.6%
UC Santa Barbara	4.00 and above	35,348	62.3%
UC Santa Barbara	Unknown - Missing	2,161	40.6%
UC Santa Cruz	0.00-2.99	17	0.6%
UC Santa Cruz	3.00-3.29	361	6.8%
UC Santa Cruz	3.30-3.69	5,702	43.8%
UC Santa Cruz	3.70-3.99	13,437	90.7%
UC Santa Cruz	4.00 and above	27,329	95.4%
UC Santa Cruz	Unknown - Missing	1,275	65.1%
UCLA	0.00-2.99	12	0.4%
UCLA	3.00-3.29	18	0.3%
UCLA	3.30-3.69	95	0.5%
UCLA	3.70-3.99	449	1.6%
UCLA	4.00 and above	12,548	15.1%
UCLA	Unknown - Missing	537	6.9%

GPA is weighted and capped in the UC way. The Unknown - Missing band holds files where UC did not record a GPA, so read it with care.

Is the University of California bringing back the SAT and ACT?

Not for now. UC's own statement says students applying by November 30, 2026, for fall 2027 admission will not be required to submit SAT or ACT scores. That is the plainest answer we can give a family right now, and it comes straight from the system.

The policy on the books is test-blind. That is stronger than test-optional. Under a test-blind policy, UC will not read a score even if your child sends one. UCLA's own page says UCLA will not consider SAT or ACT scores for admission or scholarship purposes. Berkeley's page says it is not using SAT or ACT scores for any part of its process, including review, selection, or scholarships.

What has changed is that the question is open again inside UC. On July 22, 2026, the Academic Council directed BOARS to run a faculty-led review of standardized testing in admissions. BOARS is the Board of Admissions and Relations with Schools. It is the faculty group that sets admissions rules for the system.

So two things are true at once. The current rule has not moved, and a review could move it later. The review has dates. BOARS must deliver its report to the Academic Council by February 12, 2027. The Board of Regents is to receive a policy recommendation no later than June 2027.

For a family, the near-term plan is simple. A senior applying this fall does not need a score for UC. A younger child may apply under a different rule, and we do not yet know which one.

Do UC schools require the SAT in 2026?

No. All nine undergraduate UC campuses carry a test-blind label in our 2026 table: Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz. None of them requires a score, and none of them reads one for admission.

The history matters because it explains why the policy held. The UC Regents voted in May 2020 to suspend SAT and ACT use. That vote came with a condition: UC would try to build a replacement test. When that proved not to be possible, UC dropped test use entirely for first-year admission, starting with fall 2021 applicants.

Berkeley uses its own word for this. Berkeley's page calls the policy test-free rather than test-optional or test-blind. The effect is the same. Scores do not enter the file.

Scores can still matter after a student enrolls. UCLA's note says submitted scores may still be used to satisfy the Entry Level Writing Requirement or for course placement. That is a placement use, not an admission use. A score will not help your child get in, and a low score will not hurt.

UC's own page on how applications are reviewed lists roughly 14 comprehensive-review factors, and the SAT and ACT are not among them. That list is the real map of what UC reads.

What exactly did the July 2026 faculty review say?

The July 22, 2026 statement says no change has been made, and that fall 2027 applicants will not be required to submit scores. It also sets the review in motion and puts dates on it.

The push came from UC faculty, not from outside groups. Hundreds of UC faculty, including a large group at UC San Diego, asked in 2026 for an SAT or ACT math requirement to come back for STEM applicants. Their reason was a sharp rise in students arriving under-prepared in math since test-blind admission began.

Note how narrow that ask is. It is a math requirement, and it is aimed at STEM applicants. It is not a call to bring back both full tests for every student. A review can go wider or narrower than the request that started it. We do not know yet.

The path is also clear. BOARS reports to the Academic Council by February 12, 2027. The Regents receive a policy recommendation no later than June 2027. The Regents, not the faculty, hold the final vote. Nothing becomes policy until they act.

If your child is a junior or younger, this is the timeline to watch. A decision in mid-2027 would land well before many of today's sophomores apply. We will update this page when BOARS reports.

Does the CSU look at SAT or ACT scores?

No. The CSU page we quote says the CSU does not use standardized testing (SAT and/or ACT) for purposes of admission. That covers the California State University system and its 23 campuses.

Three CSU campuses in our table say the same thing in their own words. Cal State Long Beach decides admission with the CSULB Index, which is built on GPA, and does not use scores even if a student sends them. San Diego State says it no longer uses SAT or ACT exam scores from first-year applicants for determining admission eligibility. Cal Maritime, now operating as Cal Poly Maritime Academy after its 2026 merger into Cal Poly, says the SAT and ACT are not part of the admission evaluation process.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is the one soft spot in our data. Its selection-criteria page says that GPA and test scores (when applicable) are important, but that it is impossible to predict a candidate's chances from those statistics alone. The page did not restate the CSU test-blind rule in the text we read. We label Cal Poly blind based on the systemwide policy, and we name that as an open gap rather than fill it.

Two separate boards set these rules. The UC Board of Regents and the CSU Board of Trustees each acted on their own. There is no single state law that binds both systems. That means one could change while the other does not.

If UC never sees the score, what does it read instead?

Grades carry most of the weight, and the GPA table shows it. At UCLA, California residents in the 4.00 and above band were admitted at 15.1 percent. The band just below, 3.70-3.99, was admitted at 1.6 percent.

That pattern repeats at the most selective campuses. UC Berkeley admitted 17.0 percent of the 4.00 and above band and 3.1 percent of the 3.70-3.99 band. UC San Diego admitted 45.2 percent at 4.00 and above and 9.3 percent at 3.70-3.99. UC Santa Barbara went from 62.3 percent to 17.6 percent across the same two steps.

The GPA in question is weighted and capped the UC way. Honors points count only for a set number of courses. A student with many advanced classes can still land in the 3.70-3.99 band after the cap is applied.

The lesson for a family is about course choices in tenth and eleventh grade, not test dates. A single semester grade can move a student from one band to the next. At UCLA, that step was the difference between 1.6 percent and 15.1 percent.

UC's review page also lists roughly 14 comprehensive-review factors. Grades sit at the center of that list, along with the rigor of the courses a student took.

Which UC campuses are realistic for my child?

It depends on the GPA band, and the spread across campuses is wide. UC Merced admitted 96.3 percent of California residents in Fall 2025, while UCLA admitted 9.6 percent of them.

Read the GPA table by campus, not by system. In the 3.30-3.69 band, UC Riverside admitted 82.6 percent and UC Santa Cruz admitted 43.8 percent, while UC San Diego admitted 1.5 percent. A student in that band has real paths inside UC, just not at every campus.

The middle of the system is where most families should spend their attention. UC Davis admitted 31.1 percent of the 3.70-3.99 band and 65.9 percent of the 4.00 and above band. UC Irvine admitted 17.0 percent and 46.3 percent in the same two bands.

At the bottom band, the numbers are small but not zero. UC Merced admitted 736 students in the 0.00-2.99 band, at a rate of 36.2 percent. UC Riverside admitted 359 students in that band, at 11.6 percent. Those two campuses do most of the system's work for students with lower grades.

A balanced UC list usually means two or three campuses where the GPA band rate is high, plus the reach campuses. The one application covers them all.

Are out-of-state students treated differently at UC?

Yes, and the direction surprises most parents. Systemwide in Fall 2025, California residents were admitted at 76.8 percent, out-of-state students at 61.7 percent, and international students at 68.3 percent.

But the campus rows flip that story. At UC Davis, out-of-state applicants were admitted at 63.2 percent while California residents were admitted at 37.2 percent. At UC Irvine it was 47.4 percent out-of-state against 21.9 percent in-state. At UC Santa Barbara it was 54.8 percent against 32.1 percent.

The two most selective campuses behave the other way. UC Berkeley admitted 13.6 percent of California residents and 10.3 percent of out-of-state applicants. UCLA admitted 9.6 percent of residents and 11.2 percent of out-of-state applicants, which is close to even.

The systemwide gap comes from how students apply. Systemwide counts each student once, so the totals are smaller than the sum of the campus rows. Californians apply across the full range of campuses, including the ones with low admit rates.

The test policy is the same for everyone. An out-of-state or international applicant gets no credit for a strong SAT at UC, because no campus reads one.

Should my child still take the SAT if they only apply to UCs?

We think yes, for most families, and the main reason is that lists change. A senior who swears in September that the list is UC-only often adds a private college or an out-of-state public by December.

Look at Cornell. All eight Cornell undergraduate colleges require scores for those applying to enroll for fall 2026 or beyond, and no Cornell college remains score-free for fall 2026 or fall 2027. A student with no score cannot add Cornell late.

Test-optional colleges also read scores when a student sends them. Dickinson has been test-optional since 1994. Loyola University New Orleans lets applicants choose whether scores count for admission and merit scholarship decisions. In those cases, a strong score can only help, because the student decides whether to send it.

There are conditional policies too. The University of Idaho is optional at a GPA of 3.00 and above, but at a GPA of 2.60-2.99 it requires a test score or the Vandal Gateway Program. It is not test-blind at any GPA tier. A student with a dip in grades may need a score to apply at all.

Then there is UC's own review. BOARS reports by February 12, 2027, and the Regents get a recommendation no later than June 2027. A family with a sophomore is planning into that uncertainty.

What is the difference between test-blind, test-optional, and test-free?

Test-blind means the college will not look at a score at all, which is the UC and CSU rule today. Test-optional means the college will look if the student sends one. Those are very different for planning.

Our table has 24 rows, and only ten of them are blind. The blind group includes the UC system, the CSU system, Pitzer College, Washington State University, Northern Illinois University, Reed College, Hampshire College, Lewis and Clark College, Augsburg University, and Cal Maritime.

Test-free is a third word that means the same thing as test-blind. Berkeley uses test-free for its own policy. Lewis and Clark calls itself test-free starting with the fall 2025 entering class. Augsburg has been test-free since the 2021 and fall 2022 cycle. Hampshire says it has not even accepted scores since 2014, and calls itself entirely test free.

The rest of the list is optional or stricter. The University of Washington in Seattle, Western Washington, Eastern Washington, Central Washington, Evergreen State, Whitman, Southern Oregon, Antioch, Sarah Lawrence, Dickinson, Catholic University, and Loyola New Orleans are all optional, not blind.

Two of those reverted after the pandemic. Catholic University was test-blind in 2020 and is now test-optional. Loyola New Orleans was briefly test-blind in 2020 and its current page is test-optional. Policies move, which is the whole point of checking each year.

Could a test-blind college go back to using scores?

Yes, and one in our table has already announced it. Pitzer College is test-blind through fall 2027 entrants and plans to return to a test-optional policy for students applying for entry in the fall of 2028.

Pitzer's own page is direct. It says the college will not use SAT or ACT scores for application evaluation from Fall 2022-2027, and plans to return to test-optional for fall 2028 entry. A family with a current sophomore in California reading that line gets a useful signal.

Cornell shows the other end of the swing. It moved from score-free during the pandemic to a requirement for all eight undergraduate colleges for fall 2026 and beyond. That shift happened in one announcement.

Reed College moved the other direction this session. Its first-year applicant checklist lists self-reported SAT or ACT scores as something it will not use in evaluation, which settles the earlier question in favor of test-blind rather than optional.

So the honest answer for UC is that no system has promised a permanent rule. UC has a review with a February 12, 2027 report date and a June 2027 recommendation date. A family planning three years out should treat the current policy as the rule for now, not as a guarantee.

Does a score help with scholarships at UC or CSU?

No at UC. UCLA's page says UCLA will not consider SAT or ACT scores for admission or scholarship purposes, and Berkeley's page says scores are not used for scholarship processes either.

That matters because at many colleges outside California, a score does feed merit aid. Northern Illinois University makes the point by saying it does not consider ACT or SAT scores for general admission or merit scholarships. Loyola New Orleans says applicants choose whether scores count for admission and merit scholarship decisions, which shows the other model.

At CSU, scores do not drive admission either. Cal State Long Beach decides with the CSULB Index, a GPA-based measure. Per the CSU page, students may still submit scores voluntarily after being admitted, for other uses such as placement.

So a California student chasing merit money inside the two state systems gains nothing from a test score. A student looking at private colleges or out-of-state publics may be in a different position, depending on the college's own published rule.

Our advice stays the same. Decide where your child is applying first, then decide whether a score serves that list. The list drives the test plan, not the reverse.

What should our family do this year?

Work on grades first, because at UCLA the 4.00 and above band was admitted at 15.1 percent and the 3.70-3.99 band at 1.6 percent. No other single factor in this data moves the odds that much.

Second, build a UC list that matches your child's GPA band. If the band is 3.30-3.69, UC Riverside at 82.6 percent and UC Santa Cruz at 43.8 percent look different from UC San Diego at 1.5 percent. One application covers all nine campuses, so the cost of adding a likely campus is low.

Third, decide about testing based on the full college list. If that list holds only UC and CSU campuses, a score adds nothing today. If it holds Cornell, where all eight undergraduate colleges require scores for fall 2026 and beyond, the test is required.

Fourth, keep an eye on two dates. BOARS reports to the Academic Council by February 12, 2027. The Regents receive a policy recommendation no later than June 2027. Families with a sophomore or younger child should check back after each one.

The deadline for the current cycle is fixed. Students applying by November 30, 2026, for fall 2027 admission will not be required to submit SAT or ACT scores. Plan around grades and courses, and treat any future test rule as news that has not arrived yet.

Questions parents ask

Is the University of California bringing back the SAT and ACT?
UC's own statement says students applying by November 30, 2026, for fall 2027 admission will not be required to submit SAT or ACT scores.

Do UC schools require the SAT in 2026?
All nine undergraduate UC campuses carry a test-blind label in our 2026 table: Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz.

When will UC decide whether to change the policy?
BOARS must deliver its report to the Academic Council by February 12, 2027, and the Board of Regents is to receive a policy recommendation no later than June 2027.

Does the CSU look at SAT or ACT scores?
The CSU page we quote says the CSU does not use standardized testing (SAT and/or ACT) for purposes of admission.

If UC does not see the score, what does it read instead?
At UCLA, California residents in the 4.00 and above band were admitted at 15.1 percent, and the band just below, 3.70-3.99, was admitted at 1.6 percent.

Should my child still take the SAT if they only apply to UCs?
A senior who swears in September that the list is UC-only often adds a private college or an out-of-state public by December.

What is the difference between test-blind and test-optional?
Test-blind means the college will not look at a score at all, which is the UC and CSU rule today, while test-optional means the college will look if the student sends one.

Can a test-blind college go back to using scores?
Pitzer College is test-blind through fall 2027 entrants and plans to return to a test-optional policy for students applying for entry in the fall of 2028.

Method and sources: Policy rows come from each system's or college's own published admissions page, plus UC's press room, as read for our 2026 Public University Test Policy Report and checked in fall 2026. Admit-rate rows come from the UC Information Center: first-year admissions by residency for Fall 2025, and freshman admissions by weighted and capped GPA band for Fall 2025 California residents. Transfer applicants, graduate programs, and private California colleges other than the ones listed are excluded. Policy rows are grouped with the UC and CSU systems first, then campuses; admit-rate rows are ordered by campus and then by residency or GPA band. One gap remains open: Cal Poly San Luis Obispo's own selection-criteria page did not restate the CSU test-blind rule in the text we read, so its label rests on the CSU systemwide policy, and calstate.edu's own admissions pages could not be read directly.