Does Florida State require the SAT or ACT in 2027?

As of November 2026: Florida State requires an SAT or ACT score for the current freshman admission cycle, the published policy as of November 2026, with no end date stated, except for students earning a high school diploma and an Associate in Arts degree at the same time. The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored 1240 to 1390.

Florida State requires a test score from first-year applicants, with an exception for students earning a high school diploma and an Associate in Arts degree at the same time. Here is the score band, the deadlines and our advice.

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

Florida State requires a test score. Florida State requires a test score for the current freshman admission cycle, with no end date stated as of November 2026. The exception is students admitted under Board of Governors Regulation 6.005.

The SAT band is 1240 to 1390. The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT in fall 2023 scored 1240 to 1390. On the ACT, the band was 27 to 31.

Florida State admitted 25.4 percent of applicants. In fall 2023, Florida State admitted 18,806 of 74,038 applicants.

Does Florida State require the SAT or ACT?

This is the policy Florida State publishes on its own admissions page as of November 2026.

College	Policy	Applies to	In the university's words	Exception	Source
Florida State University	Required	current freshman admission cycle	At least one test score must be submitted before the material deadline	Exception: FTIC students earning a simultaneous HS diploma + Associate in Arts degree (admitted under BOG Reg 6.005) are not required to submit ACT/CLT/SAT, but are then ineligible for first-year merit scholarships.	Source

'Required' means a score must be sent. 'Optional' means the college reads a score if one is sent. 'Blind' means scores are not read at all.

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

Bands describe enrolled first-years who sent that test in fall 2023. Prices are for a year of study.

Measure	Value
applicants, fall 2023	74038
admits, fall 2023	18806
admit rate, percent	25.4
SAT 25th percentile, enrolled submitters	1240
SAT 75th percentile, enrolled submitters	1390
ACT 25th percentile, enrolled submitters	27
ACT 75th percentile, enrolled submitters	31
share of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT, percent	66
share who sent an ACT, percent	32
application fee, dollars	30
full price of a year, dollars	25720
average net price after aid, dollars	11297

Bands describe enrolled first-years who submitted that test in the fall 2023 class, not all applicants.

Florida State deadlines for fall 2027 entry

These are the application deadlines Florida State lists on its own page for fall 2027 entry.

Early Decision	Early Action	Regular Decision	Source
2026-10-15	2026-10-15	2026-12-01	Source

Dates are application deadlines as the university lists them.

Does Florida State require the SAT or ACT in 2027?

Yes, Florida State requires a test score for the current freshman admission cycle, the published policy as of November 2026, with no end date stated. The university's own admissions page says, "At least one test score must be submitted before the material deadline." This is the rule for high school seniors in the 2026-27 school year, who start college in fall 2027. Juniors should plan around it too.

No, Florida State is not test-optional; a score is required unless a student qualifies for the dual-diploma exception. That exception covers first-time-in-college students earning a high school diploma and an Associate in Arts degree at the same time, admitted under Board of Governors Regulation 6.005. They are not required to submit an ACT, CLT or SAT. Those students are then ineligible for first-year merit scholarships.

For the score your child should aim for, see our companion page, What SAT or ACT score do you need for Florida State?

Could the policy change before fall 2027?

As of November 2026, Florida State's published policy covers the current freshman admission cycle and gives no end date. We will not guess at a rule the university has not stated. Colleges usually announce changes for the next cycle in the spring.

Our rule is simple. Juniors should plan as if a score will be required, and families can recheck the university's admissions page each spring. If the rule ever loosens, a strong score is still in your child's hands.

What scores do enrolled first-years carry?

The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored between 1240 and 1390, and the middle half who sent an ACT scored between 27 and 31. These figures describe the fall 2023 class, the latest federal figures. A quarter of those students scored below the band, and a quarter scored above it.

In that class, 66 percent of enrolled first-years sent an SAT and 32 percent sent an ACT. Florida State admitted 18,806 of 74,038 applicants for fall 2023, an admit rate of 25.4 percent.

The full price of a year is $25,720, and the average net price after aid is $11,297. Florida State publishes a net price calculator, as every US college must, so you can see an estimate for your own family.

Should my child send a score to Florida State?

Every applicant to Florida State sends a score unless they qualify for the dual-diploma exception, so the real question is how strong that score is. We tell families that a score inside or above the 1240 to 1390 SAT band, or the 27 to 31 ACT band, is a strong one to send.

A score below the band still gets sent, because the test is required. We tell families to treat it as a sign to keep preparing and to sit again before the deadline if the calendar allows.

If your child is on the dual-diploma path, skipping the test means giving up first-year merit scholarships. Our advice is to sit the test anyway.

When are the deadlines?

For fall 2027 entry, Florida State's Early Decision and Early Action deadlines were October 15, 2026, and the Regular Decision deadline is December 1, 2026. As of November 2026, the early dates have passed, so seniors applying now are aiming at December 1. The application fee is $30.

The university says at least one test score must be submitted before the material deadline. We tell families to send scores as soon as they have them and to check that deadline on the university's own page.

What should we do this month?

Start with a full-length mock SAT and a full-length mock ACT, both free at Test Prep Gurus. Compare each result with the band: 1240 to 1390 on the SAT and 27 to 31 on the ACT. Then pick the test where your child is stronger.

Plan 6 to 12 weeks of prep before a test date that counts. Our students prepare for the whole test every sitting, not just the section that went badly last time.

Call us at 949.229.5359 or visit https://www.prepgurus.com/take-the-next-step to book the free mock SAT and free mock ACT.

Questions parents ask

Does Florida State require the SAT or ACT?
Yes, Florida State requires a test score for the current freshman admission cycle, the published policy as of November 2026, with no end date stated.

Is Florida State test-optional?
No, Florida State is not test-optional; a score is required unless a student qualifies for the dual-diploma exception.

What SAT and ACT scores do Florida State students have?
The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored between 1240 and 1390, and the middle half who sent an ACT scored between 27 and 31.

When is the Florida State application deadline for fall 2027?
For fall 2027 entry, Florida State's Early Decision and Early Action deadlines were October 15, 2026, and the Regular Decision deadline is December 1, 2026.

What happens if a dual-diploma student skips the test?
Those students are then ineligible for first-year merit scholarships.

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 Florida State's own admissions page, which names the current freshman admission cycle and states the dual-diploma exception. The SAT and ACT bands describe enrolled first-years who submitted that test in fall 2023, the latest federal file, so they do not describe all applicants or admitted students. Applicant, admit and score-share figures come from IPEDS, and prices come from the College Scorecard.