Does Case Western require the SAT or ACT in 2027?

As of November 2026: Case Western Reserve University does not require the SAT or ACT: it is test-optional for the current application cycle, its published policy as of November 2026 with no end date stated. The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored 1430 to 1540 in the fall 2023 class.

Case Western lets each applicant choose whether to send a score. Here is what the score bands say, when we tell families to send one, and what to do this month.

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

Case Western is test-optional for the current cycle. Case Western admitted 11,202 of its 39,033 applicants for fall 2023, an admit rate of 28.7 percent, so it is a selective college where a score is your family's choice.

The middle half of SAT submitters scored 1430 to 1540. On the ACT, the middle half of enrolled first-years who sent a score landed between 32 and 35.

Many students enroll without sending a score. In the fall 2023 class, 43 percent of enrolled first-years sent an SAT and 23 percent sent an ACT.

Case Western's testing policy

This is the policy Case Western publishes on its own admissions page.

College	Policy	Applies to	In the college's words	Source
Case Western Reserve University	optional	current application cycle	At the time of application, you choose whether you wish to apply with testing scores or as a test-optional candidate	Source

Optional means Case Western considers a score if one is sent. Policy as published in November 2026.

Case Western scores, odds and cost

Score bands describe enrolled first-years who sent that test in the fall 2023 class.

Measure	Value
applicants, fall 2023	39033
admits, fall 2023	11202
admit rate, percent	28.7
SAT 25th percentile, enrolled submitters	1430
SAT 75th percentile, enrolled submitters	1540
ACT 25th percentile, enrolled submitters	32
ACT 75th percentile, enrolled submitters	35
share of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT, percent	43
share who sent an ACT, percent	23
application fee, dollars	70
full price of a year, dollars	85851
average net price after aid, dollars	41190

Bands and admissions figures are from IPEDS, fall 2023. Prices are from the College Scorecard.

Does Case Western require the SAT or ACT in 2027?

No, Case Western does not require the SAT or ACT for the current application cycle. Case Western Reserve University is test-optional for the current application cycle, according to its own admissions page as of November 2026. That is the cycle high school seniors in the 2026-27 school year apply in, for fall 2027 entry.

The college puts it this way: "At the time of application, you choose whether you wish to apply with testing scores or as a test-optional candidate." In plain terms, sending a score is a choice your family makes. Case Western will consider a score if your child sends one, and an application without one is still complete.

For a closer look at the numbers, see our companion guide on the SAT or ACT score you need for Case Western at https://www.prepgurus.com/blog/sat-act-score-for-case-western.

Could the policy change before fall 2027?

Case Western's published policy as of November 2026 covers the current application cycle, with no end date stated. Seniors applying this school year can plan on it as written.

We do not guess at rules a college has not announced. Colleges usually announce changes for the next cycle in the spring. The families who should watch most closely are juniors, who will apply in the 2027-28 school year for fall 2028 entry.

Our advice to juniors is to plan as if a score could matter. Test prep takes time, and a score in hand keeps every choice open. Check Case Western's test-optional page yourself each spring; the link is in the sources below.

What scores do enrolled first-years carry?

The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored between 1430 and 1540, in the fall 2023 class. On the ACT, the middle half of submitters scored between 32 and 35. These are the latest federal numbers.

These bands describe students who enrolled and chose to send a score. They are not a cutoff, and they do not describe every student who was admitted. Some enrolled students scored below the band, and some scored above it.

Not everyone sends a score. In that class, 43 percent of enrolled first-years sent an SAT and 23 percent sent an ACT. So the bands tell you about the students who chose to share a score, not the whole class. For context, Case Western had 39,033 applicants and admitted 11,202 for fall 2023, an admit rate of 28.7 percent.

Should my child send a score to Case Western?

Our rule is that an SAT of 1430 or higher, or an ACT of 32 or higher, is a score to send to Case Western. We tell families that at a selective test-optional college like Case Western, it is nearly always good to have a score, because a strong score bolsters the odds of getting in and most merit scholarships are keyed to one.

A score below the band is one to think hard about. It is not an automatic no. If your child is below 1430 on the SAT or below 32 on the ACT, we would first look at whether more prep could lift it into the band before the deadline your child is aiming for.

Money is part of this too. The full price of a year at Case Western is $85,851, and the average net price after aid is $41,190. The application fee is $70. Like every US college, Case Western publishes a net price calculator, and we tell families to run it with their own numbers before senior fall.

What should we do this month?

Start with a free full-length mock SAT and a free full-length mock ACT at Test Prep Gurus; call 949.229.5359 or go to https://www.prepgurus.com/take-the-next-step to set them up.

Compare each result with the band: 1430 to 1540 on the SAT and 32 to 35 on the ACT. Pick the test where your child is inside the band or closest to it. That is the test to focus on.

We tell families to plan 6 to 12 weeks of prep before a test date that counts. Work back from the test date your child picks, and put the prep on the calendar now. Our students do best when they prepare for the whole test every sitting, not just the section that felt weakest last time. A score that rises on every part is the one we want to send.

If your child is a senior with a deadline coming soon, call us this week so we can map out a plan that fits.

Questions parents ask

Does Case Western require the SAT or ACT?
No, Case Western does not require the SAT or ACT for the current application cycle.

Is Case Western test-optional?
Case Western Reserve University is test-optional for the current application cycle, according to its own admissions page as of November 2026.

What SAT scores do Case Western students have?
The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored between 1430 and 1540, in the fall 2023 class.

Should my child send a score to Case Western?
We tell families that at a selective test-optional college like Case Western, it is nearly always good to have a score, because a strong score bolsters the odds of getting in and most merit scholarships are keyed to one.

How long should my child prepare for the SAT or ACT?
We tell families to plan 6 to 12 weeks of prep before a test date that counts.

Ready to plan the next test date? Free mock SAT and free mock ACT at Test Prep Gurus, then a plan built on the result: prepgurus.com/take-the-next-step or 949.229.5359.

Method and sources: The policy shown is the one Case Western publishes on its own test-optional admissions page, which names the current application cycle as the term it covers. The SAT and ACT bands describe enrolled first-years who sent that test in the fall 2023 class, the latest federal file from IPEDS; they do not describe admitted students or every applicant. Prices come from the College Scorecard and are averages, not a quote for any one family.