Does Georgia require the SAT or ACT in 2027?

As of November 2026: The University of Georgia requires an SAT or ACT score from all first-year and dual-enrollment applicants for fall 2026 and fall 2027 entry, and this is the published policy as of November 2026. Enrolled first-years who sent an SAT score had a middle half of 1160 to 1390.

Georgia requires a score from every first-year applicant for fall 2027. Here is the rule, the score bands, and the steps a family can take this month.

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

Georgia requires a score for fall 2027. Every first-year and dual-enrollment applicant to the University of Georgia sends an official SAT or ACT score, and the published policy names applicants for both fall 2026 and fall 2027.

The middle SAT band is 1160 to 1390. That range covers the middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT in fall 2023, and on the ACT the band is 25 to 32.

Georgia admitted 37.2 percent of applicants. In fall 2023, 43,419 students applied to Georgia and 16,152 were admitted.

Does Georgia require the SAT or ACT?

Here is the policy as the University of Georgia publishes it.

College	Policy	Who it covers	In the college's words	Source
University of Georgia	Required	current first-year and dual-enrollment applicants (fall 2026 and fall 2027; UGA is one of the two USG schools excluded from the fall-2027 CLT substitution)	All first-year and dual enrollment applicants are required to submit official test scores from either ACT or SAT.	Source

Required means a score must be sent with the application.

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

Bands describe enrolled first-years who sent that test in the fall 2023 class.

Measure	Value
applicants, fall 2023	43419
admits, fall 2023	16152
admit rate, percent	37.2
SAT 25th percentile, enrolled submitters	1160
SAT 75th percentile, enrolled submitters	1390
ACT 25th percentile, enrolled submitters	25
ACT 75th percentile, enrolled submitters	32
share of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT, percent	61
share who sent an ACT, percent	38
application fee, dollars	70
full price of a year, dollars	27993
average net price after aid, dollars	13936

Bands are the middle half of enrolled first-years who sent that test, not a cutoff. Prices come from the College Scorecard.

Does Georgia require the SAT or ACT in 2027?

Yes, the University of Georgia requires an SAT or ACT score from every first-year and dual-enrollment applicant, including those applying for fall 2027. The college's own admissions page says it plainly: 'All first-year and dual enrollment applicants are required to submit official test scores from either ACT or SAT.' This is the published policy as of November 2026, and it names applicants for both fall 2026 and fall 2027.

No, Georgia is not test-optional for fall 2027 applicants. That covers high school seniors in the 2026-27 school year, who start college in fall 2027. It is also the rule juniors should plan around now.

No, Georgia does not take a CLT score in place of the SAT or ACT for fall 2027. It is one of the two University System of Georgia schools left out of that allowance, and the other is Georgia Tech. If you want to see where your child's score would land, our companion page, What SAT or ACT score do you need for Georgia?, walks through it.

Could the policy change before fall 2027?

Georgia's published policy already names fall 2027 applicants, so the rule for seniors applying in the 2026-27 school year is set as of November 2026. Colleges usually announce changes for the next cycle in the spring. We tell families to read the Georgia admissions page again each spring, which is a step you can take on your own.

We would not plan around any change that has not been announced. Our rule is simple: prepare as if the score will be read, because at Georgia every applicant sends one.

What scores do enrolled first-years carry?

Enrolled first-years at Georgia who sent an SAT score had a middle half of 1160 to 1390, and those who sent an ACT had a middle half of 25 to 32. These bands describe enrolled first-years who sent a score in fall 2023, the most recent year the federal government reports. They are not a cutoff. The middle half of submitters sits inside the band, so some students scored below 1160 and some scored above 1390.

In fall 2023, 61 percent of enrolled first-years sent an SAT and 38 percent sent an ACT. Either test meets the requirement, so we tell families to pick the one their child does better on.

Georgia admitted 37.2 percent of its 43,419 applicants in fall 2023. The application fee is $70. The full price of a year is $27,993, and the average net price after aid is $13,936. The college publishes a net price calculator, and we suggest families run it to see their own number.

Should my child send a score to Georgia?

Yes, your child must send an SAT or ACT score, because Georgia requires one from every first-year applicant. Since every applicant sends one, the question is only how strong it is.

A score inside or above the 1160 to 1390 SAT band, or the 25 to 32 ACT band, places your child with or above the middle half of enrolled first-years who sent a score. A score below the band still has to be sent. We tell families to treat that as a signal to keep preparing and to plan another sitting before applications are due.

Our rule is to choose one test, prepare for the whole thing, and keep working until the score is where your child wants it. Our students do best when they settle on one test early instead of splitting their time between the two.

What should we do this month?

Sit a full-length mock SAT and a full-length mock ACT this month, both free at Test Prep Gurus, and compare each result with Georgia's bands. Our students take both because the two tests reward different strengths, and the mocks show which one fits.

Once you know where your child stands, we tell families to 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 that every part of the score is ready on test day.

To book a free mock SAT or a 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 help you set a plan.

Questions parents ask

Does Georgia require the SAT or ACT for fall 2027?
Yes, the University of Georgia requires an SAT or ACT score from every first-year and dual-enrollment applicant, including those applying for fall 2027.

Is Georgia test-optional?
No, Georgia is not test-optional for fall 2027 applicants.

Can my child send a CLT score to Georgia instead?
No, Georgia does not take a CLT score in place of the SAT or ACT for fall 2027.

What SAT and ACT scores do students at Georgia have?
Enrolled first-years at Georgia who sent an SAT score had a middle half of 1160 to 1390, and those who sent an ACT had a middle half of 25 to 32.

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 the University of Georgia's own first-year admissions page, which names first-year and dual-enrollment applicants for fall 2026 and fall 2027. The SAT and ACT bands describe the middle half of enrolled first-years who submitted that test in fall 2023, the latest federal file, along with applicant and admit counts from IPEDS. Prices come from the College Scorecard and are averages, not any one family's cost.