What SAT or ACT score do you need for Alabama?

As of November 2026: The middle half of enrolled first-years at The University of Alabama who sent an SAT scored 1170 to 1400 in fall 2023. Confirm the university's test policy for fall 2027 entry on admissions.ua.edu, because we have not yet confirmed it there.

Alabama's SAT and ACT bands, how many first-years sent a score, the admit rate, what a year costs and the December 4 priority date, plus what your family can do this month.

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

The SAT band at Alabama is 1170 to 1400. The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT in fall 2023 scored from 1170 to 1400.

The ACT band is 24 to 31, and the ACT was the more common test. The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an ACT scored from 24 to 31. In that class, 45 percent sent an ACT and 18 percent sent an SAT.

Alabama admitted 75.8 percent of applicants. The university had 58,418 applicants for fall 2023 and admitted 44,281 of them.

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

These figures cover the fall 2023 entering class. The bands describe enrolled first-years who sent that test.

Measure	Value
applicants, fall 2023	58418
admits, fall 2023	44281
admit rate, percent	75.8
SAT 25th percentile, enrolled submitters	1170
SAT 75th percentile, enrolled submitters	1400
ACT 25th percentile, enrolled submitters	24
ACT 75th percentile, enrolled submitters	31
share of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT, percent	18
share who sent an ACT, percent	45
application fee, dollars	40
full price of a year, dollars	33382
average net price after aid, dollars	22420

Bands and shares: IPEDS, fall 2023. Prices: College Scorecard.

Alabama deadlines for fall 2027 entry

This date comes from the university's own admissions page.

College	Priority date	In the university's words	Source
The University of Alabama	2026-12-04	December 4 Freshman - Summer/Fall Priority	Source

Other application dates are not listed here.

Does Alabama require the SAT or ACT?

We are not printing a test policy for The University of Alabama yet, because we have not confirmed one on the university's own admissions site, admissions.ua.edu. The test-optional rule we found listed for Alabama on a state policy page comes from the University of Alabama in Huntsville, which is a separate university. We will not pass off one school's rule as another's.

Our advice is simple. Open admissions.ua.edu yourself, find the page about test scores, and write down which entry term the rule names. The rule for fall 2027 entry is the one that matters for high school seniors in the 2026-27 school year, who start college in fall 2027. Until you have read it, we tell families to plan as if a score will be sent.

What SAT score do enrolled first-years carry?

The middle half of enrolled first-years at Alabama who sent an SAT scored from 1170 to 1400 in fall 2023. That band describes students who enrolled and chose to send an SAT.

A quarter of those students scored below 1170, and a quarter scored above 1400. So the band is not a cutoff, and it is not a score every student must reach. It is a picture of the middle half of submitters.

When our students compare a practice score with this band, we look at where in the band it lands. A score near 1400 or above sits with the strongest submitters. A score near 1170 sits at the low edge of the middle half.

What ACT score do they carry?

The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an ACT scored from 24 to 31 in fall 2023. A quarter of ACT senders scored below 24, and a quarter scored above 31.

As with the SAT, this is a picture of who enrolled, not a line a student has to cross. Many families ask which test is better for Alabama. The ACT was the more common choice among enrolled first-years, but in our planning a strong score on either test is just as good. We tell families to pick the test that fits their child best, and the only way to know is to sit a full-length practice of each.

How many send a score?

In fall 2023, 45 percent of enrolled first-years at Alabama sent an ACT and 18 percent sent an SAT. These two shares are reported on their own, so we do not add them together into a single figure. 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.

What these shares tell a parent is that sending a score was common in this class, and the ACT more so than the SAT. They do not tell you how scores are read, and we do not guess at that.

Should my child send a score to Alabama?

Our rule for Alabama is to send a score that falls inside or above the band, which is 1170 to 1400 on the SAT and 24 to 31 on the ACT. A score below the band is one to think hard about if the policy for your entry term lets you leave it off. If the policy you read on admissions.ua.edu says a score is required, then every applicant sends one, and the only question is how strong it is.

Either way, we tell families it is nearly always good to have a strong score in hand. A strong score can bolster the odds of getting in, and most merit scholarships are keyed to a score. A score your child has earned also travels with them to every other college on the list.

How hard is it to get in?

Alabama admitted 75.8 percent of its applicants for fall 2023, or 44,281 out of 58,418. That is a welcoming admit rate, but it is not a promise for any one student.

We tell families to treat it as good news and still build the strongest application they can. That starts with steady grades and a score that sits inside the band or above it. A strong score also gives your child more choices across the whole college list, not only at Alabama.

What does it cost to apply and attend?

The application fee at Alabama is $40, the full price of a year is $33,382, and the average net price after aid is $22,420. The full price is the sticker figure for a year. The average net price is what families paid on average after grants and scholarships, and your own number may be higher or lower.

Every US college must publish a net price calculator, and Alabama has one. We tell families to run it with their own tax numbers early in the fall, so the cost talk at home happens before decisions are due and stays calm.

When are the deadlines?

The priority deadline for freshmen entering Alabama in summer or fall 2027 is December 4, 2026. The university lists it on its own admissions page as the freshman summer and fall priority date.

Early decision, early action and regular decision dates are not listed here, so read the admissions page for any other dates that apply to your child. Our rule is to have a final score in hand before December 4, so it can go in with the application. That means working backward from that date when you choose a test date.

What should we do this month?

Start with a free full-length mock SAT and a free full-length mock ACT at Test Prep Gurus, then compare both scores with Alabama's bands of 1170 to 1400 and 24 to 31. Pick the test where your child landed closer to the top of the band, or above it.

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 one section, because the full score is what goes on the application.

Read the test policy on admissions.ua.edu and write down the entry term it names. Put the December 4 priority date on the family calendar.

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

Questions parents ask

Does Alabama require the SAT or ACT?
We are not printing a test policy for The University of Alabama yet, because we have not confirmed one on the university's own admissions site, admissions.ua.edu.

What SAT score do students at Alabama have?
The middle half of enrolled first-years at Alabama who sent an SAT scored from 1170 to 1400 in fall 2023.

What ACT score do students at Alabama have?
The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an ACT scored from 24 to 31 in fall 2023.

What is the acceptance rate at Alabama?
Alabama admitted 75.8 percent of its applicants for fall 2023, or 44,281 out of 58,418.

How much does Alabama cost?
The application fee at Alabama is $40, the full price of a year is $33,382, and the average net price after aid is $22,420.

When is Alabama's priority deadline?
The priority deadline for freshmen entering Alabama in summer or fall 2027 is December 4, 2026.

Method and sources: This page does not state a test policy for The University of Alabama, because the test-optional page we found belongs to the University of Alabama in Huntsville, a separate university; the rule for Tuscaloosa should be read on admissions.ua.edu. The SAT and ACT bands describe the middle half of enrolled first-years who submitted that test in fall 2023, the latest federal file, and say nothing about students who did not send a score. Applicant and admit counts come from the same federal source, prices come from the College Scorecard, and the priority deadline comes from the university's own admissions page.