As of October 2026. Every number below is sourced; the list is at the end.
As of October 2026, the answer depends on your student's grade. Notre Dame is test-optional for seniors applying now, and required for the class behind them. Among first-years who enrolled and did send a score, the middle half scored 1440 to 1540 on the SAT and 33 to 35 on the ACT (IPEDS, 2023). Notre Dame's own admissions page now shows an SAT middle 50% of 1460 to 1540.
Optional this year, required next year
Notre Dame's testing policy page states it in one line: "Notre Dame will reinstate a standardized testing requirement for undergraduate applicants, beginning with the 2027-2028 admissions cycle. First-year and transfer applicants seeking to enroll in Fall 2028 will need to submit either ACT or SAT scores. The University will remain test optional for those applying for Fall 2027."
Put that in family terms. Seniors applying this fall choose. Juniors do not. For a junior, the SAT or ACT is now a requirement with a known deadline, which is the best kind of problem, because you can plan for it.
Read the band correctly
Be careful with 1440 to 1540. That band describes enrolled first-years who submitted a score. It is not the score of admitted students, and it is not a cutoff. Of enrolled first-years, 29% submitted an SAT and 29% submitted an ACT (IPEDS, 2023), so most of the class is not in that band at all.
Notre Dame admitted 12.4% of 28,353 applicants (IPEDS, 2023). It also says there are "no minimum test score requirements for admission," and that each score is read in the context of the student's circumstances.
How a senior decides whether to send
Start with the band, not with a feeling. If your student's best score sits at or above the bottom of the middle half, sending it adds something the transcript cannot: an outside measure the reader already understands. If it sits well below, the application is stronger on coursework, rigor and writing, and Notre Dame will read it that way.
Two details make the decision easier. Notre Dame superscores, so a student is read on the best section scores across sittings. And on the ACT, the Science and Writing sections are optional there.
Decide college by college. The same score can be a help at one school on the list and silent at another.
If your student is under the band
A 1380 is a strong score, and it is under Notre Dame's band. Moving it takes 6 to 12 weeks of work, and it means preparing for the whole SAT or ACT every sitting, never one section at a time.
Here is what our own students average. Students who start above 1350 gain 120 points (1400 to 1520). Students who start at 1350 or below gain 190 (1210 to 1400). Among the students who start at 1350 or below, 63% gain 200 points or more. Published research puts a typical retest-with-prep gain near 30 SAT points (Briggs, 2009). The cohorts and the method are on our results page.
An average is not a promise. But a 1380 reaching Notre Dame's band in one season is ordinary work, and for a junior that season is already on the calendar.
On cost, Notre Dame averages $26,780 a year for families receiving aid against a full price of $83,271, and its own pledge covers tuition for families earning under $150,000. The bands, the policy and the cost sit together on Notre Dame's Reach page.
The move
This month, have your student sit one full-length practice SAT and one full-length practice ACT before choosing which exam to prepare for, because the better fit is usually obvious once both are on paper. Both mocks are free: prepgurus.com/take-the-next-step. Then block 6 to 12 weeks on the calendar and work the whole test. Juniors should aim their first official sitting at spring. Or call 949.229.5359 and we will help you map the year.
Questions parents ask
Is Notre Dame test-optional for my child?
It depends on the grade. Notre Dame will remain test optional for those applying for Fall 2027, and first-year applicants seeking to enroll in Fall 2028 will need to submit either ACT or SAT scores.
What SAT score is high enough for Notre Dame?
Enrolled first-years who submitted a score had an SAT middle half of 1440 to 1540 and an ACT middle half of 33 to 35 (IPEDS 2023). Notre Dame also says there are no minimum test score requirements for admission.
Should my senior send a score that is a little low?
If the best score sits at or above the bottom of the middle half, sending it adds an outside measure the reader already understands. If it sits well below, the application is stronger on coursework, rigor and writing.
Written by Nick Standlea, founder of Test Prep Gurus. Updated October 2026.
Sources
- Reach, Notre Dame college data: https://highschoolreach.com/colleges/university-of-notre-dame.json
- University of Notre Dame, Standardized Testing Policy: https://admissions.nd.edu/apply/standardized-testing-policy/
- University of Notre Dame, Apply: https://admissions.nd.edu/apply/
- Reach, Test Prep Gurus score-improvement results: https://highschoolreach.com/test-prep-results