What SAT or ACT score do you need for Indiana University?

As of November 2026: Indiana University is test-optional for current first-year applicants, and the middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored between 1170 and 1400. On the ACT, the middle half of enrolled first-years who sent that test scored between 27 and 32.

Indiana University lets your child choose whether to send a score. Here is where enrolled students landed, how many sent a score, what it costs, and the dates that matter for fall 2027.

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

Indiana University is test-optional, and the SAT band is 1170 to 1400. Students choose at the point of application whether to have SAT or ACT scores considered. The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored between 1170 and 1400.

Only 41 percent of enrolled first-years sent an SAT. Another 16 percent sent an ACT. Many students enrolled without sending either test, so applying without a score is a normal choice here.

Indiana University admitted 80.4 percent of applicants for fall 2023. That year 54,279 students applied and 43,640 were offered a place.

Does Indiana University require the SAT or ACT?

The policy as the university states it for current first-year applicants.

College	Policy	Applies to	In the university's words	Source
Indiana University-Bloomington	Test-optional	current first-year applicants	students can choose at the point of application whether to have SAT and/or ACT scores considered	Source

Test-optional means the university reads a score if one is sent, and sending one is the student's choice.

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

Score bands describe enrolled first-years who sent that test in fall 2023. Prices are for a year of study.

Measure	Value
applicants, fall 2023	54279
admits, fall 2023	43640
admit rate, percent	80.4
SAT 25th percentile, enrolled submitters	1170
SAT 75th percentile, enrolled submitters	1400
ACT 25th percentile, enrolled submitters	27
ACT 75th percentile, enrolled submitters	32
share of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT, percent	41
share who sent an ACT, percent	16
application fee, dollars	65
full price of a year, dollars	28801
average net price after aid, dollars	16264

Bands describe enrolled first-years who sent that test, not every student who applied or was admitted.

Indiana University deadlines for fall 2027 entry

The dates as the university lists them for students starting college in fall 2027.

Early action	Regular decision	In the university's words	Source
2026-11-01	2027-02-01	Early Action (Non-binding): November 1 ... Regular Decision: February 1	Source

No early decision or priority date is listed.

Does Indiana University require the SAT or ACT?

No, Indiana University is test-optional for current first-year applicants. The university's admissions page says that "students can choose at the point of application whether to have SAT and/or ACT scores considered." In plain terms, a score is read if your child sends one, and sending one is a choice your family makes.

This covers high school seniors in the 2026-27 school year, who apply this fall and winter and start college in fall 2027. If your child is in that group, the policy on this page is the one that applies to them.

Because the choice belongs to your family, the real question is not whether a score is required. It is whether your child's score helps their application. The rest of this page gives you the numbers to decide.

What SAT score do enrolled first-years at Indiana University carry?

The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT to Indiana University scored between 1170 and 1400. These are students who started in fall 2023 and chose to send an SAT. It is the most recent year the federal government reports.

Some enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored below 1170, and some scored above 1400. So the band is not a cutoff. It is a picture of where the middle of the group landed.

We use the band as a yardstick with our students. A score at or above 1400 sits at the top of the group. A score near 1170 sits at the bottom edge of the middle half. A score below 1170 is one to look at closely before you send it.

What ACT score do enrolled first-years at Indiana University carry?

The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an ACT scored between 27 and 32. As with the SAT, some students scored below 27 and some scored above 32.

The university's own words say students may choose to have SAT and/or ACT scores considered. That means your child can send whichever test shows them at their best. We tell families to compare a mock SAT and a mock ACT side by side, then focus on the test where your child's score sits higher in its band.

Fewer enrolled students sent the ACT than the SAT, as the next section shows. We do not treat that as a reason to skip the ACT. If your child is stronger on it, that is the test we would prepare for.

How many Indiana University students send a score?

Among enrolled first-years at Indiana University, 41 percent sent an SAT and 16 percent sent an ACT. Some students may have sent both tests, so the two shares should not be read as one total. At a selective test-optional college like this one, we tell families it is nearly always good to have a score: a strong one bolsters the odds of getting in, and most merit scholarships are keyed to a score.

What these numbers do show is that many enrolled first-years started college here without sending either test. Applying without a score is a normal choice at Indiana University. Sending a strong score is also a normal choice.

For parents, this takes some pressure off. Your child does not have to send a score just because others do. The decision should rest on how their own score compares with the band.

Should my child send a score to Indiana University?

Our rule is simple: a score inside or above the band is one to send, and a score below the band is one to think hard about. On the SAT, that band is 1170 to 1400. On the ACT, it is 27 to 32.

If your child's best score lands inside or above the band, we tell families to send it. If it lands below, pause and think. Ask whether more prep could lift it into the band before the deadline your child is aiming for.

We also tell families that a strong score is good to have in hand. It keeps more doors open, because at many colleges merit scholarships are keyed to a score. A score your child is proud of is one more way to show the work they have done.

How hard is it to get into Indiana University?

Indiana University admitted 80.4 percent of applicants for fall 2023. That year 54,279 students applied and 43,640 were offered a place.

That is a welcoming rate. Even so, we tell our students to build the strongest application they can, because a good result is never a sure thing for any one student. Grades, courses, essays and, if your child chooses, a score all help tell their story.

If your child's score sits inside or above the band, it can add weight to that story. If it does not, the test-optional policy gives your family room to apply without it.

What does it cost to apply and attend Indiana University?

The application fee at Indiana University is $65. The full price of a year is $28,801, and the average net price after aid is $16,264.

Net price is what families pay on average after grants and scholarships. Your own number may be higher or lower than the average. It depends on your income, your savings and the aid your child receives.

The university publishes a net price calculator, as every US college must. We tell families to run it with their own tax figures before senior year gets busy, so the cost is clear before any decision is made.

When are the Indiana University deadlines for fall 2027?

The early action deadline for fall 2027 entry is November 1, 2026, and the regular decision deadline is February 1, 2027. The university lists early action as non-binding, so a student who applies early is not locked in.

As of November 2026, the early action date has passed. Seniors who have not yet applied are now aiming at the February 1, 2027 date. No early decision or priority date is listed.

If your child wants a new score to count, plan the test date backward from the deadline. Leave time for scores to come back before the application goes in.

What should we do this month?

Start with a free mock SAT and a free mock ACT at Test Prep Gurus. Have your child sit a full-length version of each, then compare the results with the band: 1170 to 1400 on the SAT and 27 to 32 on the ACT.

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. That is how our students build scores they are glad to send.

Call us at 949.229.5359 or visit https://www.prepgurus.com/take-the-next-step to book your child's free mock SAT and free mock ACT. We will walk you through the results and help you choose the right test and the right date.

Questions parents ask

Does Indiana University require the SAT or ACT?
No, Indiana University is test-optional for current first-year applicants.

What SAT score do students at Indiana University have?
The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT to Indiana University scored between 1170 and 1400.

What ACT score do students at Indiana University have?
The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an ACT scored between 27 and 32.

Should my child send a score to Indiana University?
Our rule is simple: a score inside or above the band is one to send, and a score below the band is one to think hard about.

How hard is it to get into Indiana University?
Indiana University admitted 80.4 percent of applicants for fall 2023.

When are the Indiana University deadlines?
The early action deadline for fall 2027 entry is November 1, 2026, and the regular decision deadline is February 1, 2027.

Method and sources: The policy comes from Indiana University's own admissions page and applies to current first-year applicants. The SAT and ACT bands describe enrolled first-years who sent that test in fall 2023, the latest federal file, so they say nothing about students who did not send a score. Applicant and admit counts come from the same federal file, and prices come from the College Scorecard.