Does Stony Brook require the SAT or ACT in 2027?

As of November 2026: Stony Brook University is test-optional for the Fall 2027 and Spring 2027 entry terms, according to its published policy as of November 2026. The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored between 1320 and 1490.

Stony Brook does not require a score from most applicants. Here is what the score bands say, when we tell families 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.

Stony Brook is test-optional for fall 2027. The admissions page says, 'Stony Brook is test optional for applicants,' for the Fall 2027 and Spring 2027 entry terms. Scores are still required for the Scholars for Medicine and Scholars for Dental Medicine programs.

The SAT band runs from 1320 to 1490. That is the middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT in the fall 2023 class. On the ACT, the middle half of submitters scored between 28 and 33.

Only some students sent a score. Among enrolled first-years, 36 percent sent an SAT and 3 percent sent an ACT. Stony Brook admitted 24,667 of its 50,341 applicants for fall 2023.

Does Stony Brook require the SAT or ACT?

This is the policy Stony Brook publishes on its own admissions page, in its own words.

College	Policy	Applies to	In the college's words	Note	Source
Stony Brook University	Test-optional	Fall 2027 and Spring 2027 entry terms, as stated on the source page	Stony Brook is test optional for applicants.	Part of SUNY; one of SUNY's four 'university center' campuses. Exception: SAT or ACT scores are required for its Scholars for Medicine and Scholars for Dental Medicine programs.	Source

Test-optional means the university reads a score if one is sent.

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

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

Measure	Value
applicants, fall 2023	50,341
admits, fall 2023	24,667
admit rate, percent	49
SAT 25th percentile, enrolled submitters	1,320
SAT 75th percentile, enrolled submitters	1,490
ACT 25th percentile, enrolled submitters	28
ACT 75th percentile, enrolled submitters	33
share of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT, percent	36
share who sent an ACT, percent	3
application fee, dollars	50
full price of a year, dollars	30,539
average net price after aid, dollars	18,784

Bands describe enrolled first-years who sent a score, not every admitted student.

Does Stony Brook require the SAT or ACT in 2027?

No, most applicants to Stony Brook University do not have to send an SAT or ACT score for fall 2027 entry. Yes, Stony Brook is test-optional for fall 2027 and spring 2027 entry. The admissions page says it plainly: 'Stony Brook is test optional for applicants.' Test-optional means the university reads a score if your child sends one, and your child may apply without one.

There is an exception. Yes, scores are required for the Scholars for Medicine and Scholars for Dental Medicine programs. If your child plans to apply to either program, an SAT or ACT score is part of the plan from the start.

This page is for high school seniors in the 2026-27 school year, who start college in fall 2027, and for juniors planning ahead. Stony Brook is part of SUNY and is one of SUNY's four university center campuses. For a closer look at scores, see our companion page, What SAT or ACT score do you need for Stony Brook? (https://www.prepgurus.com/blog/sat-act-score-for-stony-brook).

Could the policy change before fall 2027?

Stony Brook's admissions page names the Fall 2027 and Spring 2027 entry terms as test-optional, and that is the published policy as of November 2026. We will not promise any rule beyond what the university has written down.

Colleges usually announce changes for the next cycle in the spring. Our advice is simple. Read the Stony Brook admissions page yourself each spring, and again in the fall before your child applies. Seniors applying now can plan on the policy as it stands. Juniors should check it again before they apply, since the page names only the 2027 terms.

What scores do enrolled first-years carry?

The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored between 1320 and 1490. On the ACT, the middle half of submitters scored between 28 and 33. These numbers come from the fall 2023 class, the latest federal figures.

Keep in mind that a quarter of the students who sent a score sat below the band. The band is not a floor. It shows where the middle of the class landed among students who chose to send a score.

Not every student sent a score. Among enrolled first-years, 36 percent sent an SAT and 3 percent sent an ACT. For fall 2023, Stony Brook had 50,341 applicants and admitted 24,667, an admit rate of 49 percent.

Should my child send a score to Stony Brook?

Our rule is to send the score if it lands inside or above the 1320 to 1490 SAT band, or the 28 to 33 ACT band. At a selective test-optional college like Stony Brook, 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.

If the score sits below the band, our rule is to think hard before sending it. In that case, we tell families to look at whether more prep could lift the score into the band before the application goes in.

For the Scholars for Medicine and Scholars for Dental Medicine programs, every applicant sends a score, so the only question there is how strong it is.

What does a year at Stony Brook cost?

A full year at Stony Brook is listed at $30,539, and the average net price after aid is $18,784. The application fee is $50.

Your own price may be different. Stony Brook publishes a net price calculator, as every US college must, so you can enter your own numbers at home and see an estimate for your family.

What should we do this month?

Start with a free full-length mock SAT and a free full-length mock ACT from Test Prep Gurus. Compare each result with the Stony Brook bands: 1320 to 1490 on the SAT and 28 to 33 on the ACT. Then pick the test where your child does better.

Plan 6 to 12 weeks of prep before a test date that counts. Our students prepare for the whole test every sitting, not just a favorite section, because every part feeds the final score.

Call us at 949.229.5359 or visit https://www.prepgurus.com/take-the-next-step to set up the free mock tests and talk through a plan.

Questions parents ask

Is Stony Brook test-optional?
Yes, Stony Brook is test-optional for fall 2027 and spring 2027 entry.

Does Stony Brook require an SAT or ACT score?
No, most applicants to Stony Brook University do not have to send an SAT or ACT score for fall 2027 entry.

Does any Stony Brook program require a score?
Yes, scores are required for the Scholars for Medicine and Scholars for Dental Medicine programs.

What SAT scores do enrolled first-years at Stony Brook have?
The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored between 1320 and 1490.

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 Stony Brook's own admissions page, which names the Fall 2027 and Spring 2027 entry terms as test-optional. The SAT and ACT bands describe enrolled first-years who sent that test in fall 2023, the latest federal file; they do not describe all admitted students or all applicants. Applicant and admit counts come from the same fall 2023 federal data, and prices come from the College Scorecard.