What SAT or ACT score do you need for UMass Amherst?

As of November 2026: UMass Amherst is test-optional for first-year applicants applying for fall 2026 and fall 2027, and the middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored between 1300 and 1480. On the ACT, the middle half of enrolled first-years who sent a score landed between 29 and 33.

UMass Amherst does not require a test score, but the students who send one tend to score high. Here is how we read the bands, who sends 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.

The middle half of SAT senders scored 1300 to 1480. Enrolled first-years at UMass Amherst who sent an SAT in fall 2023 scored between 1300 and 1480 in the middle half. On the ACT, the middle half scored between 29 and 33. We use those ranges as the target on a mock test.

Only 27 percent of enrolled first-years sent an SAT. Just 4 percent sent an ACT. Most of the class enrolled without a score on file, under a test-optional policy that covers every major.

UMass Amherst admitted 57.8 percent of applicants. For fall 2023, 50,424 students applied and 29,145 were admitted. The application fee is $85, and the average net price after aid is $22,383.

Does UMass Amherst require the SAT or ACT?

This is the test policy as UMass Amherst states it on its own admissions page.

College	Policy	Who it covers	In the college's words	Policy page
University of Massachusetts-Amherst	Test-optional	first-year applicants, all majors; no end date stated on the live policy page -- in effect for fall 2026 and fall 2027 applicants	At UMass Amherst, standardized tests are optional for first-year entering applicants.	Source

Test-optional means the university reads a score if one is sent, and a student can apply without one.

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

These figures cover the class that enrolled in fall 2023. Prices are for a single year.

Measure	Value
applicants, fall 2023	50424
admits, fall 2023	29145
admit rate, percent	57.8
SAT 25th percentile, enrolled submitters	1300
SAT 75th percentile, enrolled submitters	1480
ACT 25th percentile, enrolled submitters	29
ACT 75th percentile, enrolled submitters	33
share of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT, percent	27
share who sent an ACT, percent	4
application fee, dollars	85
full price of a year, dollars	34549
average net price after aid, dollars	22383

Score bands describe enrolled first-years who sent that test in fall 2023, not every student who applied or was admitted.

Does UMass Amherst require the SAT or ACT?

No, UMass Amherst does not require the SAT or ACT from first-year applicants. UMass Amherst is test-optional for first-year applicants in all majors, including students applying for fall 2026 and fall 2027. That covers high school seniors in the 2026-27 school year, who start college in fall 2027. The university puts it plainly: "At UMass Amherst, standardized tests are optional for first-year entering applicants."

Test-optional means the university reads a score if your child sends one, and your child can apply without one. Homeschooled applicants in an approved curriculum are not required to send a score either.

A key detail matters for planning. UMass Amherst does not accept self-reported scores, so official scores must come directly from the testing agency. If your child decides to send a score, plan to order an official report from the College Board or ACT well before the deadline.

What SAT score do enrolled first-years carry at UMass Amherst?

The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored between 1300 and 1480. These are students who enrolled in fall 2023 and chose to send an SAT. That is the latest federal count.

Here is how we read the band. A 1300 sits at the bottom of the middle half, and a 1480 sits at the top. Some enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored below 1300, and some scored above 1480. The band is a picture of the class, not a line your child must clear.

With our students, we use 1300 to 1480 as the target range on a practice SAT. When a student lands in that range on a mock test, we feel good about planning a real test date.

What ACT score do UMass Amherst first-years carry?

The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an ACT scored between 29 and 33. The same reading applies. A 29 sits at the bottom of the middle half, and a 33 sits at the top.

Far fewer students sent an ACT than an SAT, so this band rests on a smaller group. That is why we look at the SAT band first when a family asks us where the bar sits. Still, an ACT score inside or above 29 to 33 is just as strong a score to send.

How many UMass Amherst first-years send a score?

Just 27 percent of enrolled first-years sent an SAT, and 4 percent sent an ACT. That means most of the fall 2023 class enrolled without a score on file.

It also means the bands describe a slice of the class: the students who chose to send a score. That group skews toward students who were proud of their results. So the band is a picture of strong testers, not of the whole class.

We tell parents not to read the low share as a sign that scores do not count. The share tells you who sent a score. It does not tell you how much a strong score helped the students who sent one.

Should my child send a score to UMass Amherst?

Our rule for UMass Amherst is simple: an SAT of 1300 or higher, or an ACT of 29 or higher, is a score to send. A score inside the band puts your child alongside the middle half of enrolled first-years who sent a score. A score above the band is a clear one to send.

A score below the band is one to think hard about. At a test-optional school, your child can leave it off and let the rest of the application speak. But we would rather see a student prep and retest than give up on the test too early.

We tell families that at a test-optional college with a band this high, it is nearly always good to have a score. A strong score bolsters the odds of getting in, and most merit scholarships are keyed to one. Having a score gives your child the choice to send it.

How hard is it to get into UMass Amherst?

UMass Amherst admitted 57.8 percent of applicants for fall 2023. That fall, 50,424 students applied and 29,145 were admitted.

We treat UMass Amherst as a target school for a student whose grades and practice scores sit near the band. For a student well below the band, we treat it as more of a reach. Either way, a strong score is a tool your child controls, and it can be built with steady prep.

What does it cost to apply to and attend UMass Amherst?

The application fee at UMass Amherst is $85. The full price of a year is $34,549, and the average net price after aid is $22,383.

The average net price is what families paid on average after grants and scholarships. Your own number can be higher or lower. UMass Amherst publishes a net price calculator, as every US college must. We tell families to run it together with their student before the college list is final.

What should we do this month?

This month, have your child sit a free mock SAT and a free mock ACT at Test Prep Gurus. Then compare the results with the 1300 to 1480 SAT band and the 29 to 33 ACT band.

Pick the test that fits better. Then plan 6 to 12 weeks of prep before a test date that counts. Our students prepare for the whole test every sitting, not just the section that went worst last time.

To book a free mock SAT or a free mock ACT, call us at 949.229.5359 or visit https://www.prepgurus.com/take-the-next-step. We will go over the results with you and map out a plan.

Questions parents ask

Does UMass Amherst require the SAT or ACT?
No, UMass Amherst does not require the SAT or ACT from first-year applicants.

Is UMass Amherst test-optional for fall 2027?
UMass Amherst is test-optional for first-year applicants in all majors, including students applying for fall 2026 and fall 2027.

What SAT score do UMass Amherst students have?
The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored between 1300 and 1480.

What ACT score do UMass Amherst students have?
The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an ACT scored between 29 and 33.

Can my child self-report scores to UMass Amherst?
UMass Amherst does not accept self-reported scores, so official scores must come directly from the testing agency.

What is the UMass Amherst admit rate?
UMass Amherst admitted 57.8 percent of applicants for fall 2023.

Method and sources: The test policy is the one UMass Amherst states on its own admissions page, which covers first-year applicants for fall 2026 and fall 2027. The SAT and ACT bands describe enrolled first-years who submitted that test in fall 2023, the latest federal file from IPEDS, which also gives the applicant and admit counts. Prices come from the College Scorecard and are averages, so a single family's cost can differ.