Does UNC Chapel Hill require the SAT or ACT in 2027?

As of November 2026: UNC Chapel Hill requires an SAT or ACT score only from applicants whose weighted GPA is below 2.8, who must send an ACT of 17 or higher or an SAT of 930 or higher; at or above 2.8 a score is optional, under the policy it names for the 2026-2027 academic year and beyond, published as of November 2026. The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored between 1370 and 1530.

A plain answer for parents of seniors starting college in fall 2027 and juniors planning ahead: who must test, what scores enrolled students sent, and what to do now.

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

A score is required only below a 2.8 weighted GPA. Applicants below a 2.8 weighted GPA must send an ACT of 17 or higher or an SAT of 930 or higher. At or above 2.8, sending a score is optional.

Enrolled SAT senders scored 1370 to 1530 in the middle half. For the ACT, the middle half of enrolled first-years who sent a score landed between 30 and 34.

UNC Chapel Hill admitted 18.7 percent of applicants for fall 2023. The university drew 57,902 applicants and admitted 10,828.

UNC Chapel Hill test policy

This is the policy the university publishes today and the term it names.

College	Policy	Applies to	In the university's words	Who must send a score
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	Required	2026-2027 academic year and beyond	ACT score of 17 or higher or an SAT score of 930 or higher	Follows the UNC System policy: required below 2.8 weighted GPA, optional at or above. Testing is 'one factor among many' when submitted; no cutoff score for automatic admission or denial.

Published policy as of November 2026, with no end date stated.

UNC Chapel Hill scores, odds and price

Score bands describe enrolled first-years who sent that test in fall 2023.

Measure	Value
applicants, fall 2023	57902
admits, fall 2023	10828
admit rate, percent	18.7
SAT 25th percentile, enrolled submitters	1370
SAT 75th percentile, enrolled submitters	1530
ACT 25th percentile, enrolled submitters	30
ACT 75th percentile, enrolled submitters	34
share of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT, percent	29
share who sent an ACT, percent	34
application fee, dollars	85
full price of a year, dollars	26055
average net price after aid, dollars	11655

Bands are the middle half of enrolled first-years who sent a score, not a cutoff.

UNC Chapel Hill deadlines for fall 2027 entry

Dates the university lists for students starting in fall 2027.

Early action	Regular decision	Deadlines page
2026-10-15	--	Source

A blank date is not listed, which does not mean the round is not offered.

Does UNC Chapel Hill require the SAT or ACT in 2027?

UNC Chapel Hill requires an SAT or ACT score only from applicants whose weighted GPA is below 2.8. A student with a weighted GPA below 2.8 must send an ACT of 17 or higher or an SAT of 930 or higher. A student at or above 2.8 may apply with or without a score.

This follows the UNC System policy. The university names it as the rule for the 2026-2027 academic year and beyond. It is the published policy as of November 2026, with no end date stated. It covers high school seniors in the 2026-27 school year, who start college in fall 2027.

For the scores our students aim for, see our companion page, What SAT or ACT score do you need for UNC Chapel Hill? at https://www.prepgurus.com/blog/sat-act-score-for-unc-chapel-hill.

Could the policy change before fall 2027?

The published policy covers the 2026-2027 academic year and beyond, so as written it already reaches students who start in fall 2027. No end date is stated.

Colleges usually announce changes for the next cycle in the spring. We tell families to reread the UNC Chapel Hill first-year admissions page in the spring and again right before they apply. If your child is a junior, that habit keeps the plan current without guesswork.

What scores do enrolled first-years carry?

The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored between 1370 and 1530. For the ACT, the middle half of submitters scored between 30 and 34. These numbers describe the fall 2023 class, the latest federal numbers.

Among enrolled first-years, 29 percent sent an SAT and 34 percent sent an ACT. These bands are not a cutoff. They describe students who enrolled and chose to send a score.

UNC Chapel Hill drew 57,902 applicants for fall 2023 and admitted 10,828, an admit rate of 18.7 percent. That makes it a selective school, and it shapes our advice on scores.

Should my child send a score to UNC Chapel Hill?

If your child's weighted GPA is below 2.8, every applicant in that group sends a score, so the only question is how strong it is. That score must be an ACT of 17 or higher or an SAT of 930 or higher.

If your child's weighted GPA is 2.8 or higher, we tell families it is nearly always good to have a score, because at a selective college a strong score bolsters the odds of getting in and most merit scholarships are keyed to one.

Our rule is simple. A score inside or above the 1370 to 1530 SAT band, or the 30 to 34 ACT band, is one to send. When sending is optional, a score below the band is one to think hard about.

Price matters too. The full price of a year is $26,055, and the average net price after aid is $11,655. UNC Chapel Hill publishes a net price calculator, and we tell families to run it with their own numbers.

When are the deadlines?

The early action deadline for fall 2027 entry was October 15, 2026. As of November 2026, that date has passed.

We do not have a regular decision date to print. We tell families to open the university's deadlines page today and put every date on the family calendar. The application fee is $85.

If your child is a junior, check that same page the summer before senior year. An early date gives your child an earlier answer, so plan testing to finish before it.

What should we do this month?

This month, have your child sit a free full-length mock SAT and a free full-length mock ACT with Test Prep Gurus. Then compare each result with the 1370 to 1530 SAT band and the 30 to 34 ACT band.

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 weakest last time. Our students who do this go into test day calm and ready.

To book the free mock SAT or free mock ACT, call us at 949.229.5359 or start at https://www.prepgurus.com/take-the-next-step.

Questions parents ask

Does UNC Chapel Hill require a score from every applicant?
UNC Chapel Hill requires an SAT or ACT score only from applicants whose weighted GPA is below 2.8.

What score must a student below a 2.8 GPA send to UNC Chapel Hill?
A student with a weighted GPA below 2.8 must send an ACT of 17 or higher or an SAT of 930 or higher.

What SAT scores do enrolled first-years at UNC Chapel Hill have?
The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored between 1370 and 1530.

Should my child send a score if their GPA is 2.8 or higher?
If your child's weighted GPA is 2.8 or higher, we tell families it is nearly always good to have a score, because at a selective college 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 comes from UNC Chapel Hill's own first-year admissions page, which names the 2026-2027 academic year and beyond as its term; High School Reach records it. The SAT and ACT bands describe enrolled first-years who submitted that test in fall 2023, the latest federal file from IPEDS, along with applicant and admit counts. Prices come from the College Scorecard and are averages, not a quote for your family.