What SAT or ACT score do you need for NC State?

As of November 2026: For applicants in fall 2026 and beyond, NC State is test optional for students with a weighted GPA of 2.8 or above and requires a score below that, and the middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored 1300 to 1460. On the ACT, that middle half scored 28 to 32.

The policy, the score bands, the odds and the price at NC State, with our plain advice on whether your child should send a score.

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

The policy turns on a 2.8 weighted GPA. NC State is test optional for applicants with a weighted GPA of 2.8 or above. Below that line a score is required, with a floor of a 17 on the ACT or a 930 on the SAT.

The SAT band runs from 1300 to 1460. The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored in that range. On the ACT, the middle half of senders scored 28 to 32.

NC State admitted 39.8 percent of applicants. For fall 2023, 40,049 students applied and 15,940 were admitted. We treat that as a selective college, so a strong score matters.

Does NC State require the SAT or ACT?

This is the current policy as the university publishes it on its own admissions page.

College	Policy	Applies to	In the university's words	How it works	Source
North Carolina State University at Raleigh	Required	current policy as published; follows UNC System Policy 700.1.1 (fall 2026 and beyond)	As a part of the UNC System, NC State is test optional for applicants with a weighted GPA of 2.8 or above.	Follows the UNC System policy: optional at or above 2.8 weighted GPA, required (with the 17 ACT/930 SAT floor) below it.	Source

Optional means a student may choose to send a score. Required means a score must be sent.

NC State: 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 full year.

Measure	Value
applicants, fall 2023	40049
admits, fall 2023	15940
admit rate, percent	39.8
SAT 25th percentile, enrolled submitters	1300
SAT 75th percentile, enrolled submitters	1460
ACT 25th percentile, enrolled submitters	28
ACT 75th percentile, enrolled submitters	32
share of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT, percent	21
share who sent an ACT, percent	28
application fee, dollars	85
full price of a year, dollars	26425
average net price after aid, dollars	17303

The bands show the middle half of enrolled first-years who sent each test. They are not cutoffs.

Does NC State require the SAT or ACT?

NC State is test optional for applicants with a weighted GPA of 2.8 or above, and a score is required for applicants below that line.

This follows UNC System Policy 700.1.1, which covers students applying for fall 2026 and beyond. For students below a 2.8 weighted GPA, the UNC System sets a score floor of a 17 on the ACT or a 930 on the SAT.

The university's own admissions page says it plainly: "As a part of the UNC System, NC State is test optional for applicants with a weighted GPA of 2.8 or above." The first step for your family is easy. Find your child's weighted GPA on the transcript and see which side of 2.8 it falls on.

What SAT score do enrolled first-years at NC State carry?

The middle half of enrolled first-years at NC State who sent an SAT scored between 1300 and 1460.

These are students who started in fall 2023, the latest federal data. The band only describes students who enrolled and chose to send an SAT. It does not describe every student who was admitted, and it is not a cutoff.

Some students who enrolled scored below 1300, and some scored above 1460. We read 1300 as the low edge of the band and 1460 as the high edge. A score at or above 1460 sits above the middle half of senders.

What ACT score do enrolled first-years at NC State carry?

The middle half of enrolled first-years at NC State who sent an ACT scored between 28 and 32.

Like the SAT band, this range comes from the fall 2023 class and only counts students who enrolled and sent an ACT. It is a picture of the students who chose to share a score, not a minimum.

Our students often take one practice test of each kind before they pick. If your child does better on the ACT, a 28 to 32 is the range to aim for. If the SAT feels more natural, aim for the 1300 to 1460 band.

How many NC State first-years send a score?

Only 21 percent of enrolled first-years at NC State sent an SAT, and 28 percent sent an ACT.

These are two separate shares, so they should not be added together. Each share is well under half of the class.

This matters when you read the bands. The ranges describe the students who chose to send a test, not the whole class. Keep that in mind before you compare your child's score.

Should my child send a score to NC State?

Our rule for NC State is simple: if your child's score is inside or above the 1300 to 1460 SAT band or the 28 to 32 ACT band, send it.

At a selective test-optional college like NC State, 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. If your child's score is below the band and the weighted GPA is 2.8 or above, think hard before sending it. Often the better move is more prep and another sitting.

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. In that case the score must meet the floor of a 17 on the ACT or a 930 on the SAT, and we would still aim as high as the band.

How hard is it to get into NC State?

NC State admitted 39.8 percent of applicants for fall 2023.

That fall, 40,049 students applied and 15,940 were admitted. We call that a selective college. Many strong students apply, so every part of the application counts.

A score inside or above the band is one clear way your child can stand out. That is why we push families to plan the test early rather than leave it to the last month.

What does it cost to apply to and attend NC State?

The application fee at NC State is $85.

The full price of a year is listed at $26,425. The average net price after aid is $17,303. Your own price may be higher or lower, based on your family's money and the aid your child is offered.

Every US college must publish a net price calculator, and NC State does too. We tell families to run it together at the kitchen table so there are no surprises later.

What should we do this month?

Start with a free full-length mock SAT and a free full-length mock ACT from Test Prep Gurus.

Compare each result with the NC State bands: 1300 to 1460 on the SAT and 28 to 32 on the ACT. Pick the test where your child does better. Then plan 6 to 12 weeks of prep before a test date that counts.

Our rule is to prepare for the whole test every sitting, not just one section. If your child is a high school senior in the 2026-27 school year, who starts college in fall 2027, set that test date soon. You can book the free mock SAT and free mock ACT at https://www.prepgurus.com/take-the-next-step or call us at 949.229.5359.

Questions parents ask

Is NC State test-optional?
NC State is test optional for applicants with a weighted GPA of 2.8 or above, and a score is required for applicants below that line.

What SAT score do NC State students have?
The middle half of enrolled first-years at NC State who sent an SAT scored between 1300 and 1460.

What ACT score do NC State students have?
The middle half of enrolled first-years at NC State who sent an ACT scored between 28 and 32.

Should my child send a score to NC State?
At a selective test-optional college like NC State, 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 NC State?
NC State admitted 39.8 percent of applicants for fall 2023.

How much is the NC State application fee?
The application fee at NC State is $85.

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 current policy as published on NC State's own admissions page, which follows UNC System Policy 700.1.1 for fall 2026 and beyond. The SAT and ACT bands show the middle half of enrolled first-years who sent that test in fall 2023, the latest federal data, so they do not describe every admitted student. Applicant, admit and score-share figures come from the same federal data, and prices come from the College Scorecard.