What SAT or ACT score do you need for Georgia?

As of November 2026: The University of Georgia requires the SAT or ACT from every first-year applicant for fall 2026 and fall 2027, and the middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored 1160 to 1390. On the ACT, that middle half scored 25 to 32.

Georgia requires a test score. Here is where enrolled first-years landed, how many sent each test, how hard it is to get in, what it costs, and what your family can do this month.

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

Georgia requires the SAT or ACT for fall 2027. Every first-year and dual-enrollment applicant must send an official SAT or ACT score. In the fall 2023 class, 61 percent of enrolled first-years sent an SAT and 38 percent sent an ACT.

The middle half of SAT senders scored 1160 to 1390. On the ACT, the middle half of enrolled first-years who sent a score landed between 25 and 32. These are the students who enrolled, not a cutoff.

Georgia admitted 37.2 percent of applicants. For fall 2023, the university admitted 16,152 of 43,419 applicants. A strong score gives your child more to stand on in a pool that size.

Does Georgia require the SAT or ACT?

Georgia's policy in the university's own words.

College	Policy	Applies to	What the college says	Source
University of Georgia	Required	current first-year and dual-enrollment applicants (fall 2026 and fall 2027; UGA is one of the two USG schools excluded from the fall-2027 CLT substitution)	All first-year and dual enrollment applicants are required to submit official test scores from either ACT or SAT.	Source

Required means a score must be sent with the application.

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

Scores and admissions figures are for the fall 2023 class. Prices are averages.

Measure	Value
applicants, fall 2023	43419
admits, fall 2023	16152
admit rate, percent	37.2
SAT 25th percentile, enrolled submitters	1160
SAT 75th percentile, enrolled submitters	1390
ACT 25th percentile, enrolled submitters	25
ACT 75th percentile, enrolled submitters	32
share of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT, percent	61
share who sent an ACT, percent	38
application fee, dollars	70
full price of a year, dollars	27993
average net price after aid, dollars	13936

Score bands describe enrolled first-years who sent that test in fall 2023.

Does Georgia require the SAT or ACT?

Yes, the University of Georgia requires the SAT or ACT from every first-year and dual-enrollment applicant for fall 2026 and fall 2027. Its admissions page says: "All first-year and dual enrollment applicants are required to submit official test scores from either ACT or SAT." No, Georgia is not test-optional, so a score must be sent with the application.

This covers high school seniors in the 2026-27 school year, who start college in fall 2027. Georgia and Georgia Tech are the two University System of Georgia schools left out of the fall 2027 rule that lets the Classic Learning Test stand in for the SAT or ACT. For a Georgia applicant, the plan is the SAT or the ACT. If your child is younger, check the admissions page again in the fall of senior year.

What SAT score do enrolled first-years carry?

The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored 1160 to 1390. A quarter of those students scored below 1160, and a quarter scored above 1390. These figures come from the fall 2023 class, the latest federal figures.

This band is not a cutoff. It shows where students who enrolled landed. Our rule is simple. A score inside the band puts your child among the students who chose Georgia. A score above it puts your child in the top quarter of SAT senders.

What ACT score do they carry?

The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an ACT scored 25 to 32. A quarter scored below 25, and a quarter scored above 32.

Georgia takes either test, and we tell families to pick the test that fits their child best. Some of our students do better on the SAT, and some do better on the ACT. The way to find out is to sit a practice test of each and compare.

How many send a score?

In the fall 2023 class, 61 percent of enrolled first-years sent an SAT and 38 percent sent an ACT. Both tests show up often, so your child should not feel pushed toward either one.

Because Georgia requires a score, every applicant sends one. That makes the score a shared yardstick across the whole pool. We think that is good news for a student who prepares well, since a strong result sits next to everyone else's.

Should my child send a score to Georgia?

Yes, every applicant to Georgia sends an SAT or ACT score, so the only question is how strong it is. There is no choice to leave it out.

Here is how we tell families to read the band. A score inside or above 1160 to 1390 on the SAT, or 25 to 32 on the ACT, is a score your child can send with confidence. A score below the band still goes in, because it must. In that case, our advice is to plan more prep and sit the test again if the calendar allows.

We also tell families to aim for the upper part of the band, not the floor. A higher score gives your child more room in the rest of the application.

How hard is it to get in?

Georgia admitted 16,152 of 43,419 applicants for fall 2023, an admit rate of 37.2 percent. That means most applicants were not admitted.

In a pool that large, we tell families to treat the test as the part they can most control. Grades are built over years. A test score can rise with focused work over a season. That is why we push our students to prepare well before the score that counts.

What does it cost to apply and attend?

The application fee is $70. The full price of a year at Georgia is $27,993, and the average net price after aid is $13,936.

The net price is an average, so your family's own price may be higher or lower. Georgia publishes a net price calculator, as every US college must. We tell families to fill it out together with real numbers before senior fall. It gives you a clearer picture than any average can.

What should we do this month?

This month, have your child sit a free mock SAT and a free mock ACT with Test Prep Gurus. Then compare each result with Georgia's bands: 1160 to 1390 on the SAT and 25 to 32 on the ACT. Pick the test where your child starts stronger.

Next, plan 6 to 12 weeks of prep before a test date that counts. We tell our students to prepare for the whole test every sitting, not just the section that went worst last time.

To book 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 go over the results with you and help you set a plan.

Questions parents ask

Does Georgia require the SAT or ACT?
Yes, the University of Georgia requires the SAT or ACT from every first-year and dual-enrollment applicant for fall 2026 and fall 2027.

Is Georgia test-optional?
No, Georgia is not test-optional, so a score must be sent with the application.

What SAT score do students at Georgia have?
The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored 1160 to 1390.

What ACT score do students at Georgia have?
The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an ACT scored 25 to 32.

How hard is it to get into Georgia?
Georgia admitted 16,152 of 43,419 applicants for fall 2023, an admit rate of 37.2 percent.

How much does it cost to apply to Georgia?
The application fee is $70.

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 the University of Georgia's own first-year admissions page and applies to first-year and dual-enrollment 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 figures, and the applicant and admit counts are from the same year. Prices come from the College Scorecard and are averages, so a family's own price can differ.