What SAT or ACT score do you need for the University of Delaware?

As of November 2026: The University of Delaware is test-optional for current first-year admissions, and the middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored between 1200 and 1360. On the ACT, that band was 27 to 31.

Delaware reads a score if your child sends one. Here is how to tell whether your child's score is one to send, and what to do this month.

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

Test-optional, with a 1200 to 1360 SAT band The University of Delaware is test-optional for current first-year admissions. The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored between 1200 and 1360, and the ACT band was 27 to 31.

Only 24 percent sent an SAT In the fall 2023 class, 24 percent of enrolled first-years sent an SAT and 3 percent sent an ACT.

65.1 percent of applicants were admitted Of 37,690 applicants for fall 2023, 24,536 were admitted, an admit rate of 65.1 percent.

Does the University of Delaware require the SAT or ACT?

The testing policy for current first-year admissions, in the university's listed words.

College	Policy	Applies to	In its words	Source
University of Delaware	Test-optional	current first-year admissions	SAT/ACT Scores Considered if submitted	Source

Test-optional means the university reads a score if one is sent. Check the university's own admissions site the week you apply.

University of Delaware: scores, odds and cost

Score bands describe enrolled first-years who sent that test in fall 2023. Prices are for a year of study.

Measure	Value
applicants, fall 2023	37690
admits, fall 2023	24536
admit rate, percent	65.1
SAT 25th percentile, enrolled submitters	1200
SAT 75th percentile, enrolled submitters	1360
ACT 25th percentile, enrolled submitters	27
ACT 75th percentile, enrolled submitters	31
share of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT, percent	24
share who sent an ACT, percent	3
application fee, dollars	75
full price of a year, dollars	30952
average net price after aid, dollars	17799

Bands describe enrolled first-years who sent a score, not admitted students and not a cutoff.

Does the University of Delaware require the SAT or ACT?

No, the University of Delaware does not require an SAT or ACT score from current first-year applicants. Its listing puts it in plain words: "SAT/ACT Scores Considered if submitted." So a score is read if your child sends one, and your child may apply without one.

Yes, the University of Delaware is test-optional for current first-year admissions. That is the policy as it stands today. Testing rules can shift between application years, so we tell families to open the university's own admissions site the week they apply and read the testing line for themselves. It is a short check, and it means you never plan around an old rule.

What SAT score do enrolled first-years at the University of Delaware carry?

The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored between 1200 and 1360. These are students who started at the university in fall 2023 and chose to send an SAT with their application. A quarter of them scored below 1200, and a quarter scored above 1360.

We want parents to read this band the right way. It is not a cutoff, and it is not a score your child must reach. It is a picture of the students who enrolled and sent a score. Some students in that class sat below the band, and most sent no score at all.

Our students use the band as a mirror. Hold your child's best SAT up to it. Inside the band means your child looks like the students who enrolled and sent a score. Above it means the score is a strength on the application.

What ACT score do University of Delaware first-years carry?

The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an ACT scored between 27 and 31. Only 3 percent of the fall 2023 first-years sent an ACT, so this band rests on a much smaller group than the SAT band does.

That does not make the ACT a worse choice. It only means the SAT band is the steadier picture of the class. If your child scores better on the ACT, use the ACT band the same way. A 27 or higher sits inside or above it. A score below 27 is one to weigh with care.

Our advice is simple. Your child should send whichever test shows them at their best, and never feel pushed toward the test most classmates take.

How many University of Delaware first-years send a score?

Of the first-years who enrolled in fall 2023, 24 percent sent an SAT and 3 percent sent an ACT. That means most of the class enrolled without sending a score at all.

This is good news for a family whose child does not test well. Applying without a score is common here, and a test-optional policy means exactly that. It also tells you something about the bands. They come only from students who chose to send, and students tend to send a score when it helps them. So the bands likely show the stronger scores in the class.

Should my child send a score to the University of Delaware?

Our rule for the University of Delaware is that an SAT of 1200 or higher, or an ACT of 27 or higher, is one to send. Those scores sit inside or above the band for enrolled first-years who sent a score. A score below 1200 is one to think hard about before sending.

We tell families it is nearly always good to have a score in hand when applying to a test-optional college like this one, because a strong score bolsters the odds of getting in and most merit scholarships are keyed to one. Having a score does not mean your child must send it. It means your child gets to choose, and a choice is better than no choice.

When a score sits just under the band, we look at the rest of the application with the family. If grades are strong and the score lags, holding it back can make sense. If there is time before deadlines, another round of focused prep may lift it into the band.

How hard is it to get into the University of Delaware?

The University of Delaware admitted 65.1 percent of its applicants for fall 2023. That fall, 37,690 students applied and 24,536 were admitted.

An admit rate like this means most applicants get in. But the rate covers everyone who applied, not your child. It says nothing about any one student's chances.

We tell families to treat the University of Delaware as a real choice, not a sure thing. A score inside or above the band, sent with a strong record, gives your child the clearest case.

What does it cost to apply to and attend the University of Delaware?

The application fee is $75, the full price of a year is $30,952, and the average net price after aid is $17,799.

The full price is the sticker price for a year before any aid. The average net price is what families paid on average once grants and scholarships came off. Your own number could land above or below that average.

The university publishes a net price calculator, as every US college must. We tell families to run it with their own tax figures early, so cost is a known number and not a surprise in spring. A strong score can matter here too, since most merit scholarships are keyed to one.

What should we do this month?

Test Prep Gurus offers a free full-length mock SAT and a free full-length mock ACT, and that is the best first step. Have your child sit both, timed, on a quiet morning. Then compare each result with the bands above: 1200 to 1360 on the SAT and 27 to 31 on the ACT.

Pick the test where your child lands higher. Then plan 6 to 12 weeks of prep before a test date that counts. That gives enough time to build real skill without burning out. We also tell our students to prepare for the whole test every sitting, not just the section they hope to fix, because a weak section can pull down the whole score.

For high school seniors in the 2026-27 school year, who start college in fall 2027, the clock is already running, so book the mock this month. Younger students have more room, but the same plan works. To book a free mock SAT or mock ACT, call us at 949.229.5359 or go to https://www.prepgurus.com/take-the-next-step.

Questions parents ask

Does the University of Delaware require the SAT or ACT?
No, the University of Delaware does not require an SAT or ACT score from current first-year applicants.

Is the University of Delaware test-optional?
Yes, the University of Delaware is test-optional for current first-year admissions.

What SAT score do University of Delaware students have?
The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored between 1200 and 1360.

Should my child send an SAT score below 1200 to the University of Delaware?
A score below 1200 is one to think hard about before sending.

How much does the University of Delaware cost?
The application fee is $75, the full price of a year is $30,952, and the average net price after aid is $17,799.

Method and sources: The policy is the testing line from the university's College Board BigFuture profile, which draws on the university's own reporting, and it applies to current first-year admissions; families should confirm it on the university's own admissions site before applying. The score bands describe enrolled first-years who sent that test in the fall 2023 class, the latest federal file, and they do not describe admitted students or students who sent no score. Applicant, admit and score figures come from IPEDS, and prices come from the College Scorecard.