Does Syracuse require the SAT or ACT in 2027?

As of November 2026: No -- Syracuse University is test-optional for fall 2027 admission, and its published policy as of November 2026 says SAT/ACT scores will not be required for students applying for Fall 2026, Spring 2027, Fall 2027 or Spring 2028 admission. The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored between 1260 and 1430.

Syracuse has named fall 2027 in its test-optional policy. Here is what the score bands say, whether your child should 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.

Syracuse is test-optional for fall 2027 Syracuse's own policy says SAT and ACT scores will not be required for Fall 2026, Spring 2027, Fall 2027 or Spring 2028 admission. The term your child cares about is named in writing.

The SAT band is 1260 to 1430 The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored in this range. On the ACT, the middle half of submitters scored between 28 and 32.

Only 24 percent sent an SAT In the fall 2023 class, 24 percent of enrolled first-years sent an SAT and 9 percent sent an ACT. The bands describe the students who chose to send a score, not the whole class.

Does Syracuse require the SAT or ACT?

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

College	Policy	Applies to	In the college's words	Source
Syracuse University	optional	fall 2027 admission (named explicitly)	SAT/ACT scores will not be required for students applying for Fall 2026, Spring 2027, Fall 2027 or Spring 2028 admission.	Source

Optional means a family may send a score or leave it off. Required means a score must be sent. Blind means scores are not read at all.

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

Applicants, admits and score bands are for the fall 2023 class, the latest federal figures. Prices come from the College Scorecard.

Measure	Value
applicants, fall 2023	42089
admits, fall 2023	17551
admit rate, percent	41.7
SAT 25th percentile, enrolled submitters	1260
SAT 75th percentile, enrolled submitters	1430
ACT 25th percentile, enrolled submitters	28
ACT 75th percentile, enrolled submitters	32
share of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT, percent	24
share who sent an ACT, percent	9
application fee, dollars	85
full price of a year, dollars	84517
average net price after aid, dollars	38793

Bands describe enrolled first-years who sent that test in the fall 2023 class. They do not describe admitted students or students who sent no score.

Does Syracuse require the SAT or ACT in 2027?

No, Syracuse University does not require the SAT or ACT for fall 2027 admission. Its admissions page says, in its own words: "SAT/ACT scores will not be required for students applying for Fall 2026, Spring 2027, Fall 2027 or Spring 2028 admission." Yes, Syracuse is test-optional for fall 2027 admission, under its published policy as of November 2026.

That covers high school seniors in the 2026-27 school year, who start college in fall 2027. Students who plan to start in spring 2027 or spring 2028 fall under the same words. Test-optional means your child may send a score or leave it off.

If you want to know what a strong score looks like at Syracuse, see our companion guide, What SAT or ACT score do you need for Syracuse? at https://www.prepgurus.com/blog/sat-act-score-for-syracuse.

Could the policy change before fall 2027?

Syracuse has already named Fall 2027 in its written policy, so the rule for that term is set as of November 2026. The same sentence also names Spring 2028, which is the latest term it covers.

Colleges usually announce changes for the next cycle in the spring. We tell families to reread the Syracuse admissions page each spring and again in the week your child submits. It takes very little time, and it means no surprises.

If your child is a junior who would start in fall 2028, that term is not named yet. Our advice for juniors is to keep a score within reach either way, so the choice stays in your hands.

What scores do enrolled first-years carry?

The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored between 1260 and 1430. On the ACT, the middle half of submitters scored between 28 and 32. These figures come from the fall 2023 class, the latest federal figures.

Keep in mind who these students are. In that class, 24 percent of enrolled first-years sent an SAT, and 9 percent sent an ACT. So the bands describe the students who chose to send a score, not the whole class. Some enrolled students who sent a score were below the band, and some were above it. The band is a picture of who enrolled, not a line your child must clear.

For context on the odds, Syracuse had 42,089 applicants for fall 2023 and admitted 17,551. That is an admit rate of 41.7 percent.

Should my child send a score to Syracuse?

Our rule is simple: if your child's SAT is inside or above the 1260 to 1430 band, or the ACT is inside or above 28 to 32, send it. At a selective test-optional college like Syracuse, 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.

A score below the band at a test-optional college is one to think hard about. Look at the whole application your child is sending. If grades, classes and activities are strong and the score sits below the band, leaving it off can be a fair choice. If the score is close, more prep may move it into the band.

Money matters here too. A full year at Syracuse lists at $84,517, and the average net price after aid is $38,793. Syracuse publishes a net price calculator, as every US college must, so run your own numbers at home. The application fee is $85.

What should we do this month?

Sit a full-length mock SAT and a full-length mock ACT this month, then compare each result with the Syracuse bands of 1260 to 1430 and 28 to 32. A mock under real timing shows where your child stands today, and that is the honest starting point.

Pick the test where your child lands closer to the band or above it. Then 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 feels weakest. Our students do best when they treat every sitting as the real one.

We offer a free mock SAT and a free mock ACT at Test Prep Gurus. Call us at 949.229.5359 or start at https://www.prepgurus.com/take-the-next-step, and we will help you read the results and build a plan.

Questions parents ask

Does Syracuse require the SAT or ACT for fall 2027?
No, Syracuse University does not require the SAT or ACT for fall 2027 admission.

Is Syracuse test-optional for fall 2027?
Yes, Syracuse is test-optional for fall 2027 admission, under its published policy as of November 2026.

What SAT score do enrolled Syracuse students have?
The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored between 1260 and 1430.

How hard is it to get into Syracuse?
That is an admit rate of 41.7 percent.

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 Syracuse University's own first-year requirements page, which names Fall 2026, Spring 2027, Fall 2027 and Spring 2028 admission as test-optional. The SAT and ACT bands describe enrolled first-years who submitted that test in fall 2023, the latest federal file (IPEDS), and they leave out students who sent no score. Applicant, admit and score-sending figures come from the same federal source, and prices come from the College Scorecard.