What SAT or ACT score do you need for Syracuse?

As of November 2026: Syracuse is test-optional for fall 2027 admission, and the middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored between 1260 and 1430. On the ACT, the middle half of enrolled first-years who sent a score landed between 28 and 32.

Syracuse does not require a test score for fall 2027, but the bands tell you which scores are strong enough to send.

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

Syracuse is test-optional for fall 2027. The university's own page says SAT and ACT scores will not be required for Fall 2026, Spring 2027, Fall 2027 or Spring 2028 admission. Your child chooses whether to send a score.

The SAT band is 1260 to 1430. That is the middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT in the fall 2023 class. On the ACT, the middle half of submitters scored between 28 and 32.

Syracuse admitted 41.7 percent of applicants. For fall 2023, Syracuse admitted 17,551 of 42,089 applicants. A strong score is one more way for your child to stand out in that pool.

Does Syracuse require the SAT or ACT?

This is the policy as Syracuse states it on its own admissions page.

College	Policy	Applies to	In the college's words	Source
Syracuse University	optional	fall 2027 admission (named explicitly)	SAT/ACT scores will not be required for students applying for Fall 2026, Spring 2027, Fall 2027 or Spring 2028 admission.	Source

Optional means the family decides whether to send a score.

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

Bands and admissions figures are for the fall 2023 class. Prices come from the College Scorecard.

Measure	Value
applicants, fall 2023	42089
admits, fall 2023	17551
admit rate, percent	41.7
SAT 25th percentile, enrolled submitters	1260
SAT 75th percentile, enrolled submitters	1430
ACT 25th percentile, enrolled submitters	28
ACT 75th percentile, enrolled submitters	32
share of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT, percent	24
share who sent an ACT, percent	9
application fee, dollars	85
full price of a year, dollars	84517
average net price after aid, dollars	38793

Score bands describe enrolled first-years who sent that test, not everyone who was admitted.

Does Syracuse require the SAT or ACT?

No, Syracuse does not require an SAT or ACT score for fall 2027 admission. The university's own admissions page says: "SAT/ACT scores will not be required for students applying for Fall 2026, Spring 2027, Fall 2027 or Spring 2028 admission."

Yes, Syracuse is test-optional for fall 2027 admission. That term covers high school seniors in the 2026-27 school year, who start college in fall 2027. Your child decides whether to send a score. Applying without a score is allowed, and so is sending a strong score.

We tell families to read the Syracuse requirements page themselves before each application season. The exact wording sets the terms, and it takes only a short visit to check.

What SAT score do enrolled first-years carry?

The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT to Syracuse scored between 1260 and 1430. These are students from the fall 2023 class, which is the latest federal report.

This band is not a cutoff. Some enrolled students who sent an SAT scored below 1260, and some scored above 1430. The band simply shows where the middle of the group landed.

Keep in mind who is in this group. It is enrolled students who chose to send an SAT, not every student who applied or got in. We use the band as a yardstick, not as a rule the college sets.

What ACT score do they carry?

The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an ACT to Syracuse scored between 28 and 32. Like the SAT band, this comes from the fall 2023 class.

The same reading applies here. A score of 28 to 32 sits in the middle of the group that sent an ACT. A score above 32 sits above it. A score below 28 sits below the middle, though some enrolled students who sent an ACT did score there.

Our students often try both tests before picking one. Some do better on the SAT, and some do better on the ACT. The bands let you compare a result on either test with the same group of students.

How many send a score?

At Syracuse, 24 percent of enrolled first-years sent an SAT and 9 percent sent an ACT. These shares come from the fall 2023 class.

This matters for how you read the bands. The bands come only from the students who chose to send a score, not from the whole class. Students with strong scores are more likely to send them, which helps explain why the bands sit where they do.

So when your child compares a score with the band, the comparison is with other students who felt good enough about their score to send it.

Should my child send a score to Syracuse?

Our rule for Syracuse is simple: a score inside or above the band, which means 1260 or higher on the SAT or 28 or higher on the ACT, is one to send. A score below the band is one to think hard about. Your child can apply without it, or prepare and test again to bring it into the band.

We tell families that at a selective test-optional college it is nearly always good to have a score, because a strong score bolsters the odds of getting in, and across colleges in general, most merit scholarships are keyed to one. That is our general advice for test-optional colleges, not a statement about how Syracuse awards its own aid.

This is why we push our students to test even when a college does not require it. A score your child does not send costs nothing. A strong score your child never earned is a missed chance.

How hard is it to get into Syracuse?

Syracuse admitted 17,551 of 42,089 applicants for fall 2023, an admit rate of 41.7 percent. That means most applicants were not admitted.

In a pool that large, we tell families to make every part of the application as strong as it can be. Grades, courses, essays and activities all matter to your child's story. A score inside or above the band is one more strong piece your child can add.

We do not treat the admit rate as a promise either way. It tells you how crowded the field is, not how any single application will turn out.

What does it cost to apply and attend?

The Syracuse application fee is $85. The full price of a year at Syracuse is $84,517, and the average net price after aid is $38,793. These prices come from the College Scorecard.

The average net price is what families paid on average after grants and scholarships. Your family's own price may be higher or lower. Syracuse, like every US college, publishes a net price calculator, and we tell families to run it with their own numbers before falling in love with any school.

Cost is part of the score question too. We tell families that a strong test score gives a student more choices, at Syracuse and at other colleges on the list.

What should we do this month?

This month, have your child sit a full-length mock SAT and a full-length mock ACT, then compare each result with the Syracuse bands of 1260 to 1430 and 28 to 32. Test Prep Gurus offers a free mock SAT and a free mock ACT, so your family can see where your child stands without paying for a real test date.

Once you know which test fits better, plan 6 to 12 weeks of prep before a test date that counts. We also tell our students to prepare for the whole test every sitting, not just the section that went worst last time. That habit keeps every part of the score moving up.

To schedule a free mock SAT or free mock ACT, call us at 949.229.5359 or visit https://www.prepgurus.com/take-the-next-step. We will help you read the result against the Syracuse band and build a plan that fits your child's calendar.

Questions parents ask

Is Syracuse test-optional?
Yes, Syracuse is test-optional for fall 2027 admission.

Does Syracuse require an SAT or ACT score?
No, Syracuse does not require an SAT or ACT score for fall 2027 admission.

What SAT score do Syracuse students have?
The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT to Syracuse scored between 1260 and 1430.

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

How hard is it to get into Syracuse?
Syracuse admitted 17,551 of 42,089 applicants for fall 2023, an admit rate of 41.7 percent.

How much does Syracuse cost?
The full price of a year at Syracuse is $84,517, and the average net price after aid is $38,793.

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 comes from Syracuse University's own admissions page, which names the terms it covers, including fall 2027 admission. The SAT and ACT bands describe the middle half of enrolled first-years who sent that test in the fall 2023 class, from the latest federal IPEDS file, along with the applicant, admit and score-sending figures. Prices come from the College Scorecard, and the average net price is an average across aided families, not a quote for any one family.