Does Penn State require the SAT or ACT in 2027?

As of November 2026: No. Penn State is test-optional for Spring, Summer, and Fall first-year applicants, under 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 1220 to 1400.

Penn State is test-optional for first-year applicants. Here is what the score bands say, when to send a score, and what to do this month.

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

Test-optional, with 33 percent sending an SAT Penn State is test-optional for first-year applicants as of November 2026. In the fall 2023 class, 33 percent of enrolled first-years sent an SAT and 6 percent sent an ACT.

The SAT middle half runs 1220 to 1400 The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored 1220 to 1400. On the ACT, the middle half scored 27 to 32.

Penn State admitted 54.2 percent of applicants Penn State drew 85,956 applicants for fall 2023 and admitted 46,588 of them. The admit rate was 54.2 percent.

Does Penn State require the SAT or ACT?

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

College	Policy	Applies to	In the college's words	Source
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus	Test-optional	Spring, Summer, and Fall first-year application terms (page does not state an end date for the policy)	First-year Penn State applicants for Spring, Summer, or Fall are able to choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores as part of their applications.	Source

Test-optional means the college reads a score if one is sent. The BS/MD program is the exception and requires a score.

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

Bands describe enrolled first-years who sent that test in the fall 2023 class. Prices are for a year at Penn State.

Measure	Value
applicants, fall 2023	85956
admits, fall 2023	46588
admit rate, percent	54.2
SAT 25th percentile, enrolled submitters	1220
SAT 75th percentile, enrolled submitters	1400
ACT 25th percentile, enrolled submitters	27
ACT 75th percentile, enrolled submitters	32
share of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT, percent	33
share who sent an ACT, percent	6
application fee, dollars	65
full price of a year, dollars	39694
average net price after aid, dollars	32875

The bands describe enrolled first-years who sent a score, not admitted students and not every applicant.

Penn State deadlines for fall 2027 entry

These are the dates Penn State lists on its own admissions page.

College	Early action	Priority date	In the college's words	Source
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus	2026-11-01	2026-12-01	Apply by November 1 in order to receive a decision by December 24	Source

A regular deadline is not listed here. Check the Penn State admissions page for the latest dates.

Does Penn State require the SAT or ACT in 2027?

No, Penn State does not require the SAT or ACT for Spring, Summer, or Fall first-year applicants, under its published policy as of November 2026, with no end date stated. Its own admissions page says first-year applicants for those terms 'are able to choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores as part of their applications.'

Yes, Penn State is test-optional, which means it reads a score if one is sent and lets each first-year applicant choose whether to send one. This is the rule for high school seniors in the 2026-27 school year, who start college in fall 2027. Juniors can plan around it too.

There is one exception. Yes, applicants to the Accelerated Premedical-Medical (BS/MD) Program must send SAT or ACT scores by that program's own deadline.

For the full score picture, see our companion page, What SAT or ACT score do you need for Penn State? at https://www.prepgurus.com/blog/sat-act-score-for-penn-state.

Could the policy change before fall 2027?

Penn State's published policy as of November 2026 covers Spring, Summer, and Fall first-year terms and states no end date. We will not guess at what any college does next. Colleges usually announce changes for the next cycle in the spring, so families of juniors should check the Penn State admissions page again then.

Our advice does not hinge on the policy anyway. A student with a strong score can send it under any rule. So we tell families to build the score first and decide later.

What scores do enrolled first-years carry?

The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored 1220 to 1400, and the middle half who sent an ACT scored 27 to 32, in the fall 2023 class. That is the latest class with federal figures. In that class, 33 percent of enrolled first-years sent an SAT and 6 percent sent an ACT.

These bands describe only enrolled first-years who sent a score. They do not describe every applicant or every admitted student. A band is a range, not a minimum. Some enrolled first-years scored above it and some scored below it.

For fall 2023, Penn State had 85,956 applicants and admitted 46,588, an admit rate of 54.2 percent. The application fee is $65. The full price of a year is $39,694, and the average net price after aid is $32,875. Penn State publishes a net price calculator, as every US college must, and we tell families to run it with their own numbers.

Should my child send a score to Penn State?

Send it if it falls inside or above the SAT band of 1220 to 1400 or the ACT band of 27 to 32. If it falls below the band, think hard before sending it, since Penn State is test-optional and the choice is yours.

At a selective test-optional college like Penn State, 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. So the real question is not whether to test. Our rule is to test, prepare well, and then decide with a real score in hand.

For BS/MD applicants, sending is not a choice. Every one of them sends a score, so the only question is how strong it is.

When are the deadlines?

Penn State's early action date for fall 2027 entry was November 1, 2026, and its page says applicants who apply by then receive a decision by December 24. Penn State also lists a priority date of December 1, 2026.

We do not have a regular deadline to share, so check the Penn State admissions page for the latest dates. If your child plans to send a score, pick a test date early enough for the score to arrive by the date you are aiming for.

What should we do this month?

Test Prep Gurus offers a free mock SAT and a free mock ACT, and this month is the time to sit both. Take each one full-length, then compare the results with the bands of 1220 to 1400 and 27 to 32. Call us at 949.229.5359 or start at https://www.prepgurus.com/take-the-next-step.

Then pick the test that fits your child better. Plan 6 to 12 weeks of prep before a test date that counts. Prepare for the whole test every sitting, not just the section that felt weak last time. That is how our students walk in ready.

Questions parents ask

Does Penn State require the SAT or ACT?
No, Penn State does not require the SAT or ACT for Spring, Summer, or Fall first-year applicants, under its published policy as of November 2026, with no end date stated.

Is Penn State test-optional?
Yes, Penn State is test-optional, which means it reads a score if one is sent and lets each first-year applicant choose whether to send one.

What SAT and ACT scores do enrolled Penn State first-years have?
The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored 1220 to 1400, and the middle half who sent an ACT scored 27 to 32, in the fall 2023 class.

Does the Penn State BS/MD program require the SAT or ACT?
Yes, applicants to the Accelerated Premedical-Medical (BS/MD) Program must send SAT or ACT scores by that program's own deadline.

When is the Penn State early action date?
Penn State's early action date for fall 2027 entry was November 1, 2026, and its page says applicants who apply by then receive a decision by December 24.

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 Penn State's own admissions page, which names Spring, Summer, and Fall first-year terms and states no end date. The SAT and ACT bands describe enrolled first-years who sent that test in fall 2023, the latest federal file, and do not describe admitted students or all applicants. Applicant and admit counts come from IPEDS, and prices come from the College Scorecard.