Does Vanderbilt require the SAT or ACT in 2027?

As of November 2026: Vanderbilt University is test-optional for students applying to enter in fall 2027 and fall 2028, which is the published policy as of November 2026, and it states that testing will be required starting with applicants for fall 2029 entry. In fall 2023, the middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored 1510 to 1560.

Vanderbilt does not require a score for fall 2027 entry. Here is what the score bands show, whether 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.

Vanderbilt does not require the SAT or ACT for fall 2027 entry. The published policy as of November 2026 covers fall 2027 and fall 2028 applicants. Vanderbilt says testing will be required for students who apply to start in fall 2029.

The middle half of SAT submitters scored 1510 to 1560. On the ACT, the middle half of enrolled first-years who sent a score landed at 34 to 35. These figures describe the fall 2023 class.

Vanderbilt admitted 6.3 percent of applicants in fall 2023. Of 45,313 applicants, 2,855 were admitted. With odds like these, we tell families that a strong score is a real asset.

Does Vanderbilt require the SAT or ACT?

Here is Vanderbilt's testing policy as its own admissions page states it in November 2026.

College	Policy	Applies to	What comes next	In the college's words	Source
Vanderbilt University	optional	fall 2027 and fall 2028 applicants	testing will be required starting with applicants for fall 2029 entry	Scores from the ACT or SAT exams will not be required for students applying to enter the university for fall 2027 and 2028	Source

Optional means your child may send a score or leave it out.

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

These are the score bands, admit figures and prices for Vanderbilt.

Measure	Value
applicants, fall 2023	45313
admits, fall 2023	2855
admit rate, percent	6.3
SAT 25th percentile, enrolled submitters	1510
SAT 75th percentile, enrolled submitters	1560
ACT 25th percentile, enrolled submitters	34
ACT 75th percentile, enrolled submitters	35
share of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT, percent	25
share who sent an ACT, percent	26
application fee, dollars	50
full price of a year, dollars	89590
average net price after aid, dollars	15846

The bands describe enrolled first-years in the fall 2023 class who sent that test. Prices come from the College Scorecard.

Does Vanderbilt require the SAT or ACT in 2027?

No, Vanderbilt does not require the SAT or ACT for students applying to enter in fall 2027. Its admissions page says: "Scores from the ACT or SAT exams will not be required for students applying to enter the university for fall 2027 and 2028." This is the published policy as of November 2026.

This covers high school seniors in the 2026-27 school year, who start college in fall 2027. It also covers juniors this year, who would start in fall 2028. Test-optional means your child may send a score or leave it out.

For a closer look at scores, see our companion page on Vanderbilt scores at https://www.prepgurus.com/blog/sat-act-score-for-vanderbilt.

Could the policy change before fall 2027?

The published rule covers fall 2027 and fall 2028 applicants, and Vanderbilt states that testing will be required starting with applicants for fall 2029 entry. So as of November 2026, the plan for fall 2027 is in writing.

Colleges usually announce changes for the next cycle in the spring. We tell families to check the Vanderbilt testing page each spring, so nothing catches them off guard.

The fall 2029 date matters most for younger students. High school sophomores in the 2026-27 school year would start college in fall 2029. For them, a score is part of the application. Our rule for those families is simple: plan on testing, and start early enough to have a strong score by the fall of senior year.

What SAT and ACT scores do Vanderbilt's enrolled first-years carry?

The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored 1510 to 1560, and the middle half who sent an ACT scored 34 to 35. These numbers come from the fall 2023 class, which is the latest federal count.

Not every student sent a score. In that class, 25 percent of enrolled first-years sent an SAT and 26 percent sent an ACT. The band shows only the students who chose to send a score. So read it as a picture of submitters, not of everyone.

Getting in is hard. Vanderbilt admitted 2,855 of 45,313 applicants in fall 2023, an admit rate of 6.3 percent. The application fee is $50.

The full price of a year is $89,590, and the average net price after aid is $15,846. Vanderbilt publishes a net price calculator. We tell families to run it before they build their college list.

Should my child send a score to Vanderbilt?

At a selective test-optional college like Vanderbilt, 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 Vanderbilt rule. The choice to send a score is your child's.

Our rule for the choice itself is plain. A score inside or above the band, 1510 to 1560 on the SAT or 34 to 35 on the ACT, is one to send. A score below the band is one to think hard about, because at a test-optional college your child can leave it out.

For most of our students, the real goal is to raise a score into the band before the deadline. That takes time and steady practice. The plan below is how we start.

What should we do this month?

Start with a full-length mock SAT and a full-length mock ACT, both free at Test Prep Gurus. Have your child take each one the way the real test runs, start to finish.

Then compare the results with the bands: 1510 to 1560 on the SAT and 34 to 35 on the ACT. Pick the test where your child scores higher and feels more at ease.

Next, 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 went worst last time. Prep in a steady block, then sit the real test while the skills are fresh.

To book the free mock SAT or free mock ACT, call us at 949.229.5359 or go to https://www.prepgurus.com/take-the-next-step. We will go over the results with you and help you build the plan.

Questions parents ask

Does Vanderbilt require the SAT or ACT for fall 2027?
No, Vanderbilt does not require the SAT or ACT for students applying to enter in fall 2027.

Will Vanderbilt require the SAT or ACT in later years?
The published rule covers fall 2027 and fall 2028 applicants, and Vanderbilt states that testing will be required starting with applicants for fall 2029 entry.

What SAT and ACT scores do Vanderbilt students have?
The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored 1510 to 1560, and the middle half who sent an ACT scored 34 to 35.

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

How hard is it to get into Vanderbilt?
Vanderbilt admitted 2,855 of 45,313 applicants in fall 2023, an admit rate of 6.3 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 shown is Vanderbilt's own admissions testing page as of November 2026, which names fall 2027 and fall 2028 applicants as the term it covers and states that testing will be required starting with fall 2029 entry. The SAT and ACT bands describe enrolled first-years who submitted that test in fall 2023, the latest federal file, and they do not describe all applicants or all admitted students. Applicant and admit counts come from the same federal file, and prices come from the College Scorecard.