What SAT or ACT score do you need for Stony Brook?

As of November 2026: Stony Brook University is test-optional for the Fall 2027 and Spring 2027 entry terms, and the middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored 1320 to 1490. On the ACT, that middle half of submitters scored 28 to 33.

Stony Brook's test policy, its SAT and ACT bands, how many students send a score, and what we tell families to do next.

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

Stony Brook is test-optional for Fall 2027 entry Enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored 1320 to 1490 in the middle half, and those who sent an ACT scored 28 to 33.

Only 36 percent of enrolled first-years sent an SAT Just 3 percent sent an ACT, so going without a score is a common path at Stony Brook.

Stony Brook admitted 49 percent of applicants It admitted 24,667 of 50,341 applicants for fall 2023.

Does Stony Brook require the SAT or ACT?

Stony Brook's test policy, in the university's own words, for the terms it names.

College	Policy	Applies to	In the university's words	Note	Source
Stony Brook University	Test-optional	Fall 2027 and Spring 2027 entry terms, as stated on the source page	Stony Brook is test optional for applicants.	Part of SUNY; one of SUNY's four 'university center' campuses. Exception: SAT or ACT scores are required for its Scholars for Medicine and Scholars for Dental Medicine programs.	Source

Test-optional means a family chooses whether to send a score.

Stony Brook: 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 college.

Measure	Value
applicants, fall 2023	50341
admits, fall 2023	24667
admit rate, percent	49.0
SAT 25th percentile, enrolled submitters	1320
SAT 75th percentile, enrolled submitters	1490
ACT 25th percentile, enrolled submitters	28
ACT 75th percentile, enrolled submitters	33
share of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT, percent	36
share who sent an ACT, percent	3
application fee, dollars	50
full price of a year, dollars	30539
average net price after aid, dollars	18784

The bands cover only enrolled first-years who sent a score. Students who did not send a score are not in them.

Does Stony Brook require the SAT or ACT?

No, most applicants to Stony Brook do not have to send an SAT or ACT score for the Fall 2027 and Spring 2027 entry terms. The university's own admissions page says it in plain words: "Stony Brook is test optional for applicants." That covers high school seniors in the 2026-27 school year, who start college in fall 2027.

Stony Brook is test-optional for applicants entering in Fall 2027 and Spring 2027. Test-optional means your family decides whether a score goes with the application. There is an exception. The Scholars for Medicine and Scholars for Dental Medicine programs require SAT or ACT scores. If your child is aiming at either program, plan on testing.

Stony Brook is part of SUNY. It is among SUNY's four university center campuses, so families often compare it with the other big SUNY schools. We tell families to look up each campus on its own, because each campus has its own bands.

What SAT score do enrolled first-years carry?

The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored between 1320 and 1490. These are students from the fall 2023 class, the latest federal numbers there are. A quarter of those students scored below 1320, and a quarter scored above 1490.

Read that band with care. It describes students who enrolled and chose to send a score. It is not a cutoff, and it is not a floor. Students who did not send a score are not in it at all.

For our students, we use 1320 as the line between a score we would send and a score we would think hard about. A score near 1490 or higher sits in the top part of the group.

What ACT score do they carry?

The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an ACT scored between 28 and 33. As with the SAT, a quarter of those students scored below 28. That is a band, not a minimum.

Keep in mind how few students sent this test. Only 3 percent of enrolled first-years sent an ACT, so the ACT band rests on a small group. The SAT band comes from a much larger group of students.

We do not think either test is better for Stony Brook. Our students sit both, then put their effort into the test where they score higher against the band.

How many Stony Brook students send a score?

In fall 2023, 36 percent of enrolled first-years sent an SAT and 3 percent sent an ACT. The SAT is clearly the more common choice among students who send a score. 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.

Those shares tell you something useful. Plenty of students enrolled at Stony Brook without sending an SAT. Sending nothing is a normal path here, not a strange one.

That does not mean a score never matters. It means the choice is real. In our view, a strong score is something your child can add, and a weak score is something your child can leave out.

Should my child send a score to Stony Brook?

Our rule is to send an SAT of 1320 or higher, or an ACT of 28 or higher, to Stony Brook. Those scores sit inside or above the band for enrolled first-years who sent a score.

If the score is below 1320 on the SAT or below 28 on the ACT, think hard before sending it. In that case we tell families to weigh the score against the rest of the application and decide together. Some students in that spot choose to retake first and decide later.

The Scholars programs are the exception. Applicants to Scholars for Medicine or Scholars for Dental Medicine must send a score, so for them the question is not whether to send but how high to aim.

How hard is it to get into Stony Brook?

Stony Brook admitted 24,667 of 50,341 applicants for fall 2023, an admit rate of 49 percent. That is a large pool and a real chance for a well-prepared student.

An admit rate near the middle is still not a sure thing. We tell families to build a college list with a range of schools. Our rule is to treat Stony Brook as a match only when grades, and scores if your child sends them, sit near the bands.

What does it cost to apply to and attend Stony Brook?

Stony Brook's application fee is $50. The full price of a year is $30,539, and the average net price after aid is $18,784.

Full price is the sticker price. Net price is what families paid on average after grants and scholarships. Your own number will depend on your income and your child's record.

Stony Brook publishes a net price calculator, as every US college must. We tell families to run it with their own tax numbers before the application goes in, so the cost is not a surprise in the spring.

What should we do this month?

Sit a full-length mock SAT and a full-length mock ACT this month, then compare each result with Stony Brook's bands: 1320 to 1490 on the SAT and 28 to 33 on the ACT. Use real timing and a quiet room so the result means something.

Pick the test where your child is closer to the band. Then 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.

Test Prep Gurus offers a free mock SAT and a free mock ACT. Call us at 949.229.5359 or sign up at https://www.prepgurus.com/take-the-next-step. We will go over the result with you and help you plan what comes next.

Questions parents ask

Is Stony Brook test-optional?
Stony Brook is test-optional for applicants entering in Fall 2027 and Spring 2027.

Does Stony Brook require an SAT or ACT score?
No, most applicants to Stony Brook do not have to send an SAT or ACT score for the Fall 2027 and Spring 2027 entry terms.

Do any Stony Brook programs require test scores?
The Scholars for Medicine and Scholars for Dental Medicine programs require SAT or ACT scores.

What SAT scores do Stony Brook students have?
The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored between 1320 and 1490.

What ACT scores do Stony Brook students have?
The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an ACT scored between 28 and 33.

How hard is it to get into Stony Brook?
Stony Brook admitted 24,667 of 50,341 applicants for fall 2023, an admit rate of 49 percent.

Method and sources: The policy comes from Stony Brook's own admissions page and applies to the Fall 2027 and Spring 2027 entry terms it names. The SAT and ACT bands describe enrolled first-years who submitted that test in fall 2023, the latest federal file (IPEDS), and say nothing about students who did not send a score. Applicant, admit and score-sending figures come from that same file, and prices come from the College Scorecard, so a given family's cost may differ.