Does Tufts require the SAT or ACT in 2027?

As of November 2026: Tufts University is test-optional for all undergraduate applicants in the current cycle, fall 2027, which is its published policy as of November 2026. The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored 1460 to 1550.

Tufts does not require a score for fall 2027 entry. 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.

Tufts is test-optional, and it admitted 10.1 percent Tufts University is test-optional for all undergraduate applicants for fall 2027. For fall 2023, it admitted 3,434 of 34,003 applicants, an admit rate of 10.1 percent.

The SAT band for enrolled submitters is 1460 to 1550 The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored 1460 to 1550. On the ACT, the middle half of submitters scored 33 to 35.

36 percent of enrolled first-years sent an SAT In the fall 2023 class, 36 percent of enrolled first-years sent an SAT and 18 percent sent an ACT. We tell families that a strong score still helps at a college this selective.

Does Tufts require the SAT or ACT?

This is the policy Tufts states on its own admissions page, in its own words.

College	Policy	Applies to	In the college's words	Source
Tufts University	optional	all undergraduate applicants (current cycle, fall 2027)	Tufts University is test-optional for all undergraduate applicants.	Source

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

Tufts: 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 the latest federal figures.

Measure	Value
applicants, fall 2023	34003
admits, fall 2023	3434
admit rate, percent	10.1
SAT 25th percentile, enrolled submitters	1460
SAT 75th percentile, enrolled submitters	1550
ACT 25th percentile, enrolled submitters	33
ACT 75th percentile, enrolled submitters	35
share of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT, percent	36
share who sent an ACT, percent	18
application fee, dollars	75
full price of a year, dollars	88300
average net price after aid, dollars	39998

Bands describe enrolled first-years who sent that test, not all admitted students.

Does Tufts require the SAT or ACT in 2027?

No -- Tufts University is test-optional for all undergraduate applicants, and that covers high school seniors in the 2026-27 school year who start college in fall 2027. That is the published policy as of November 2026, with no end date stated. In plain terms, your child may apply with an SAT score, an ACT score, or no score at all.

Test-optional is not the same as test-blind. At a test-blind college, scores are not read at all. At a test-optional college, a score is read if one is sent, so the choice to send one is your family's to make.

For a closer look at the scores our students aim for, see our companion page, What SAT or ACT score do you need for Tufts?, at https://www.prepgurus.com/blog/sat-act-score-for-tufts.

Could the policy change before fall 2027?

Tufts names fall 2027 as the current cycle for its test-optional policy, and it states no end date. We do not guess at rules a college has not announced. Colleges usually announce changes for the next cycle in the spring, so the spring of 2027 is a good time to look again.

This matters most for juniors planning ahead. A junior today applies in the 2027-28 school year for fall 2028 entry, and the policy Tufts publishes today names the fall 2027 cycle. Our advice is to plan as if a score will help, because a student with a strong score is ready for any policy.

Check the Tufts admissions page yourself each spring. It states the policy in the college's own words.

What scores do enrolled first-years carry?

The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored 1460 to 1550, and the middle half who sent an ACT scored 33 to 35. These figures describe the fall 2023 class, the latest federal file. A quarter of those submitters scored below the bottom of each band, and a quarter scored above the top.

Not everyone sent a score. Among enrolled first-years, 36 percent sent an SAT and 18 percent sent an ACT. We read each of those figures on its own.

The odds are steep. For fall 2023, Tufts had 34,003 applicants and admitted 3,434, an admit rate of 10.1 percent. That makes Tufts a selective college by any measure.

Should my child send a score to Tufts?

Our rule for Tufts is that an SAT of 1460 or higher, or an ACT of 33 or higher, is a score to send, because it sits inside or above the band. A score below the band is one to think hard about before your child sends it.

At a selective test-optional college like Tufts, 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. That is our advice, not a Tufts policy.

Cost belongs in this choice too. The full price of a year at Tufts is $88,300, and the average net price after aid is $39,998. Tufts publishes a net price calculator, as every US college must, so run your own family's numbers. The application fee is $75.

What should we do this month?

This month, have your child sit a full-length mock SAT and a full-length mock ACT, then compare each result with the Tufts bands of 1460 to 1550 and 33 to 35. Test Prep Gurus offers a free mock SAT and a free mock ACT, so the first step costs nothing.

Once you know which test fits, plan 6 to 12 weeks of prep before a test date that counts. Prepare for the whole test every sitting, not just one section, so each score your child sends shows their best work.

To book a free mock test or talk through a plan, call us at 949.229.5359 or visit https://www.prepgurus.com/take-the-next-step.

Questions parents ask

Does Tufts require the SAT or ACT for fall 2027?
No -- Tufts University is test-optional for all undergraduate applicants, and that covers high school seniors in the 2026-27 school year who start college in fall 2027.

What SAT and ACT scores do enrolled Tufts first-years have?
The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored 1460 to 1550, and the middle half who sent an ACT scored 33 to 35.

Should my child send a test score to Tufts?
At a selective test-optional college like Tufts, 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.

Could the Tufts policy change before fall 2027?
Tufts names fall 2027 as the current cycle for its test-optional policy, and it states no end date.

How long should my child prep before a test date?
Once you know which test fits, plan 6 to 12 weeks of prep before a test date that counts.

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 is taken from Tufts' own admissions page, which names the current cycle as fall 2027 and quotes the rule in the college's words. The SAT and ACT bands describe enrolled first-years who sent that test in the fall 2023 class, the latest federal file, so they do not describe all admitted students. Applicant and admit counts come from the same federal file, and prices come from the College Scorecard; a family's own net price can differ from the average.