Does Princeton require the SAT or ACT in 2027?

As of November 2026: No. Princeton is test-optional for students applying in the 2026-27 admission cycle for fall 2027 entry, which is the published policy as of November 2026. The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored 1500 to 1580.

Princeton is test-optional for seniors applying now, but its testing rule changes for today's juniors. Here is what the policy says, what the score bands show, and what we tell families to do this month.

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

Princeton is test-optional for fall 2027 entry. That is the published policy as of November 2026 for the 2026-27 admission cycle. Princeton has also stated that testing will be required beginning with the 2027-28 cycle, for fall 2028 entry.

The middle half of SAT senders scored 1500 to 1580. On the ACT, the middle half of enrolled first-years who sent a score landed at 34 to 35. These are students who enrolled and chose to send that test.

57 percent of enrolled first-years sent an SAT. Another 20 percent sent an ACT. Princeton admitted 4.5 percent of applicants for fall 2023, so every part of an application carries real weight for our students.

Princeton's published testing policy

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

College	Policy	Applies to	Stated change	In the college's words	Source
Princeton University	optional	fall 2027 entry (2026-27 admission cycle)	standardized testing will be required beginning with the 2027-28 admission cycle (fall 2028 entry)	Princeton remains test optional.	Source

Optional means a student may apply with or without a score. Required means a score must be sent.

Princeton scores, odds and price

Score bands describe enrolled first-years who sent that test in the fall 2023 class. Prices are for one year.

Measure	Value
applicants, fall 2023	39644
admits, fall 2023	1784
admit rate, percent	4.5
SAT 25th percentile, enrolled submitters	1500
SAT 75th percentile, enrolled submitters	1580
ACT 25th percentile, enrolled submitters	34
ACT 75th percentile, enrolled submitters	35
share of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT, percent	57
share who sent an ACT, percent	20
application fee, dollars	70
full price of a year, dollars	84040
average net price after aid, dollars	6128

Bands describe enrolled first-years who submitted that test, not every student who applied or was admitted.

Does Princeton require the SAT or ACT in 2027?

No, Princeton does not require the SAT or ACT for students applying in the 2026-27 school year, who start college in fall 2027. That is the published policy as of November 2026, and the college's testing page says it plainly: "Princeton remains test optional." Test-optional means your child may apply with a score or without one.

This answer is for high school seniors in the 2026-27 school year. If your child is a junior right now, read the next section closely, because the rule is different for them.

A full year at Princeton lists at $84,040, and the average net price after aid is $6,128. The application fee is $70. Like every US college, Princeton publishes a net price calculator, and we tell families to run it together at home. For the score side of this question, see our companion page, What SAT or ACT score do you need for Princeton? at https://www.prepgurus.com/blog/sat-act-score-for-princeton.

Could the policy change before fall 2027?

Princeton has stated that standardized testing will be required beginning with the 2027-28 admission cycle, for fall 2028 entry. That change is set for the cycle after this one. For seniors applying now, the published policy as of November 2026 is test-optional.

The juniors we work with are in a different spot. A student who is a junior in the 2026-27 school year will apply in the 2027-28 cycle and start college in fall 2028. For that student, Princeton's page says a score will be required. We tell those families to plan on testing now, not later.

Colleges usually announce changes for the next cycle in the spring. Our habit is to recheck Princeton's testing page each spring and again before your child hits submit, so there are no surprises.

What scores do enrolled first-years carry?

The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored 1500 to 1580. On the ACT, the middle half of enrolled first-years who sent a score landed at 34 to 35. These numbers come from the fall 2023 class, the latest federal data.

Keep in mind who these students are. They enrolled, and they chose to send that test. Of the enrolled first-years, 57 percent sent an SAT and 20 percent sent an ACT. The band shows where the middle half of submitters sat. It is not a cutoff, and it does not describe students who applied without a score.

Princeton admitted 4.5 percent of applicants for fall 2023. With odds that tight, we want our students to give every part of the application their best effort, and a score is one part your child can work on directly.

Should my child send a score to Princeton?

Our rule for Princeton is simple: a score inside or above the 1500 to 1580 SAT band, or the 34 to 35 ACT band, is one to send. A score below the band is one to think hard about before sending, since Princeton is test-optional this cycle.

We tell families that at a selective test-optional college 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 even when sending is a choice, we want our students to have a strong score ready.

For juniors who will apply for fall 2028 entry, every applicant sends one. The question for them is only how strong the score is, so the time to start building it is now.

What should we do this month?

Have your child sit a free full-length mock SAT and a free full-length mock ACT at Test Prep Gurus, then compare each result with the 1500 to 1580 SAT band and the 34 to 35 ACT band. That tells you which test fits your child better and how far there is to go.

Next, pick a real test date and plan 6 to 12 weeks of prep before a test date that counts. Our students prepare for the whole test every sitting, not just one section, because each sitting is a full test.

To book the free mock SAT and 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 map out the weeks ahead.

Questions parents ask

Does Princeton require a score for fall 2027 entry?
No, Princeton does not require the SAT or ACT for students applying in the 2026-27 school year, who start college in fall 2027.

Will Princeton require the SAT or ACT for fall 2028?
Princeton has stated that standardized testing will be required beginning with the 2027-28 admission cycle, for fall 2028 entry.

What SAT scores do enrolled Princeton first-years have?
The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored 1500 to 1580.

Is it a good idea to have a score for Princeton even though it is test-optional?
We tell families that at a selective test-optional college 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.

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 Princeton's own admissions page, which names fall 2027 entry (the 2026-27 admission cycle) as the term it covers and states that testing will be required beginning with the 2027-28 cycle. The SAT and ACT bands describe enrolled first-years who submitted that test in the fall 2023 class, the latest federal file, so they say nothing about students who applied without a score. Applicant, admit and score figures come from IPEDS, and prices come from the College Scorecard.