Does Clemson require the SAT or ACT in 2027?

As of November 2026: Clemson is test-optional for fall, spring, and summer first-year applicants, and that is its published policy as of November 2026, with no end date stated. Among enrolled first-years who sent an SAT in fall 2023, the middle half scored 1230 to 1390.

Clemson does not require a test score, but a strong one still helps. Here is the policy, the score band, and what we tell families to do now.

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

Clemson is test-optional. Clemson does not require the SAT or ACT from first-year applicants, and it admitted 38.1 percent of applicants in fall 2023.

The middle half of SAT senders scored 1230 to 1390. On the ACT, the middle half of enrolled first-years who sent a score landed between 28 and 32.

39 percent of enrolled first-years sent an SAT. In fall 2023, 39 percent of enrolled first-years sent an SAT and 21 percent sent an ACT.

Does Clemson require the SAT or ACT?

This is Clemson's policy in its own words, as of November 2026.

College	Policy	Applies to	In Clemson's words	Source
Clemson University	Test-optional	fall, spring, and summer first-year applicants (page does not state a specific admit year)	Clemson has adopted a test-optional policy. Applicants are not required to submit a standardized test score to be considered for admission	Source

Test-optional means Clemson reads a score if your child sends one, and does not require it.

Clemson: score bands, who sends a score, how many get in, what it costs

Scores describe enrolled first-years who sent that test in fall 2023. Prices are for a year at Clemson.

Measure	Value
applicants, fall 2023	60122
admits, fall 2023	22906
admit rate, percent	38.1
SAT 25th percentile, enrolled submitters	1230
SAT 75th percentile, enrolled submitters	1390
ACT 25th percentile, enrolled submitters	28
ACT 75th percentile, enrolled submitters	32
share of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT, percent	39
share who sent an ACT, percent	21
application fee, dollars	70
full price of a year, dollars	35015
average net price after aid, dollars	22253

The bands show the middle half of enrolled first-years who sent a score. They are not a cutoff.

Clemson deadlines for fall 2027 entry

Clemson's fall 2027 application dates are not listed here. Check the college's admissions page for current dates.

College	Where to check dates
Clemson University	Source

Application dates for fall 2027 are not listed.

Does Clemson require the SAT or ACT in 2027?

No -- Clemson is test-optional, and its own admissions page says applicants are not required to submit a standardized test score to be considered for admission. That is the published policy as of November 2026, with no end date stated.

Yes, Clemson is test-optional for fall, spring, and summer first-year applicants. The page does not name a specific admit year. That covers high school seniors in the 2026-27 school year, who start college in fall 2027. It is also the rule on the page today for juniors who are planning ahead.

Clemson superscores the SAT and ACT when scores are submitted. For the score side of this question, see our page What SAT or ACT score do you need for Clemson? at https://www.prepgurus.com/blog/sat-act-score-for-clemson.

Could the policy change before fall 2027?

Clemson's published policy as of November 2026 has no end date stated, so test-optional is the rule on the page today. We cannot promise what the rule will be for later cycles, and we will not guess. Colleges usually announce changes for the next cycle in the spring.

Our advice is to reread Clemson's first-year admissions page yourself before each test date and again before your child applies. If the wording changes, the new wording is the one to follow. Planning as if a score will matter costs little and keeps every door open.

What scores do enrolled first-years carry?

Among enrolled first-years at Clemson who sent an SAT in fall 2023, the middle half scored 1230 to 1390. On the ACT, the middle half of senders scored 28 to 32. These are students who enrolled and chose to send a score, so read the band as a picture of the class, not a cutoff.

Not everyone sent a score. In fall 2023, 39 percent of enrolled first-years sent an SAT and 21 percent sent an ACT. That same year, Clemson had 60,122 applicants and admitted 22,906 of them, an admit rate of 38.1 percent.

Should my child send a score to Clemson?

Our rule is simple: an SAT of 1230 or higher, or an ACT of 28 or higher, is a score to send to Clemson. That score sits inside or above the middle half of enrolled first-years who sent a score. A score below that band is one to think hard about, since Clemson does not require it.

At a selective test-optional college like Clemson, we tell families 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. That is our advice, not a Clemson rule.

Cost matters too. The full price of a year is $35,015, and the average net price after aid is $22,253. The application fee is $70. Clemson publishes a net price calculator, and we tell families to run it with their own numbers.

When are the deadlines?

Clemson's first-year page gives Nov 1 for Early Action and Jan 10 for Regular Decision as the last days to change a test-optional choice. Those are the dates by which your child can switch between sending a score and applying without one.

Clemson's fall 2027 application deadlines are not listed here. Check https://www.clemson.edu/admissions/ for the current dates. Then work backward, so a strong score is in hand well before Nov 1 if your child applies Early Action.

What should we do this month?

Sit a full-length mock SAT and a full-length mock ACT this month, both free at Test Prep Gurus, and compare each result with Clemson's band of 1230 to 1390 on the SAT or 28 to 32 on the ACT. Pick the test that fits your child better and stick with it.

Then plan 6 to 12 weeks of prep before a test date that counts. Even though Clemson superscores, we tell our students to prepare for the whole test every sitting. A plan built around single sections tends to leave points on the table.

To book a free mock SAT or a free mock ACT, call us at 949.229.5359 or visit https://www.prepgurus.com/take-the-next-step. We will go over the results with you and build a plan around your child's dates.

Questions parents ask

Does Clemson require the SAT or ACT for fall 2027?
No -- Clemson is test-optional, and its own admissions page says applicants are not required to submit a standardized test score to be considered for admission.

Is Clemson test-optional?
Yes, Clemson is test-optional for fall, spring, and summer first-year applicants.

What SAT scores do enrolled Clemson first-years have?
Among enrolled first-years at Clemson who sent an SAT in fall 2023, the middle half scored 1230 to 1390.

Should my child send a score to Clemson?
At a selective test-optional college like Clemson, we tell families 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.

Does Clemson superscore?
Clemson superscores the SAT and ACT when scores are submitted.

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 comes from Clemson University's own first-year admissions page, which names fall, spring, and summer first-year applicants and does not state a specific admit year. The SAT and ACT bands describe the middle half of enrolled first-years who submitted that test in fall 2023, the latest federal file, along with applicants, admits and the share who sent each test. Prices come from the College Scorecard. A band describes enrolled students who chose to send a score, not a rule for who gets in.