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

As of November 2026: The University of Illinois is test-optional for fall 2027 first-year applicants, and the middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored 1270 to 1510. On the ACT, the middle half of enrolled first-years who sent a score landed between 29 and 34.

Illinois lets your child choose whether to send a score. Here is what enrolled first-years sent, how many sent one, what it costs, and the dates for fall 2027.

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

Illinois is test-optional for fall 2027, and the SAT band is 1270 to 1510. That band is the middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT. On the ACT, the middle half of those who sent a score landed between 29 and 34.

47 percent of enrolled first-years sent an SAT. Another 18 percent sent an ACT. Even with a test-optional policy, a score is a normal part of an application here.

Illinois admitted 43.7 percent of applicants for fall 2023. That year 67,398 students applied and 29,453 were admitted. A strong score is one way your child can stand out in a large pool.

Does the University of Illinois require the SAT or ACT?

The policy as the university states it on its own admissions page.

College	Policy	Applies to	In the university's words	Source
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign	Test-optional	fall 2027 first-year applicants	Illinois is test-optional. You can choose whether to include ACT or SAT scores.	Source

Test-optional means your child chooses whether to send an SAT or ACT score.

The University of Illinois: scores, who sends them, odds and cost

Score bands and shares describe enrolled first-years in the fall 2023 class. Prices are for a year of college.

Measure	Value
applicants, fall 2023	67398
admits, fall 2023	29453
admit rate, percent	43.7
SAT 25th percentile, enrolled submitters	1270
SAT 75th percentile, enrolled submitters	1510
ACT 25th percentile, enrolled submitters	29
ACT 75th percentile, enrolled submitters	34
share of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT, percent	47
share who sent an ACT, percent	18
application fee, dollars	50
full price of a year, dollars	33642
average net price after aid, dollars	14355

Bands describe enrolled first-years who sent that test, not every student who was admitted.

When are the University of Illinois deadlines for fall 2027?

Dates from the university's own page for students starting college in fall 2027.

College	Early Action	Regular Decision	In the university's words	Source
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign	2026-11-01	2027-01-05	Early Action Deadline: Nov 1 ... Regular Decision Deadline: Jan 5	Source

Only the dates the university lists are shown.

Does the University of Illinois require the SAT or ACT?

No, the University of Illinois does not require the SAT or ACT; it is test-optional for fall 2027 first-year applicants. The university says it plainly on its own admissions page: "Illinois is test-optional. You can choose whether to include ACT or SAT scores."

Yes, Illinois is test-optional for high school seniors in the 2026-27 school year, who start college in fall 2027. That means the choice to send a score belongs to your family.

Keep a pair of details in mind. Illinois does not superscore, which means it does not combine your child's best section scores from different test dates. Also, if no ACT or SAT is sent, students from other countries or whose first language is not English may still need a TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo score.

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

The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored between 1270 and 1510. These are students from the fall 2023 class, the latest federal numbers, and they are students who enrolled, not everyone who got in.

A quarter of those submitters scored below 1270. So the band is not a cutoff, and a score under it does not close the door. It is a picture of the students who chose to send an SAT and then showed up on campus.

We tell families to read the band as a guide for the send-or-hold choice. A score at 1270 or above sits inside or above the band. That is the kind of score our students feel good about sending.

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

The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an ACT scored between 29 and 34. Like the SAT band, this comes from the fall 2023 class of students who enrolled and chose to send an ACT.

A quarter of those ACT submitters scored below 29. If your child's ACT is 29 or higher, it falls inside or above the band.

Some students do better on one test than the other. We tell families not to guess. A full-length practice run of each test shows which one fits your child, and then all the prep time goes to that one test.

How many University of Illinois students send a score?

In the fall 2023 class, 47 percent of enrolled first-years sent an SAT and 18 percent sent an ACT. Some students may have sent both, so we do not add these shares together.

What this tells a parent is simple. Even with a test-optional policy, a score is a normal part of an Illinois application. Your child would not stand out for sending one. Your child could stand out for sending a strong one.

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

Our rule is simple: if your child's SAT is 1270 or higher, or the ACT is 29 or higher, send it. Those scores sit inside or above the band of enrolled first-years who sent a score. A score below 1270 on the SAT or below 29 on the ACT is one to think hard about, because the policy lets your child choose.

At a selective test-optional college like Illinois, we tell families 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.

Since scores are not superscored, we tell our students to prepare for the whole test every sitting. That way a single test date can show their best work on every section.

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

The University of Illinois admitted 43.7 percent of applicants for fall 2023. That year 67,398 students applied and 29,453 were admitted.

That rate covers every applicant together. We tell families to use it as a starting point, not a forecast for their own child. Grades, classes and the rest of the application all count, and a score inside or above the band is one more strong piece your child can add.

We also tell families to build a list with a range of colleges. Illinois can be one part of a balanced plan.

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

The application fee at the University of Illinois is $50. The full price of a year is $33,642, and the average net price after aid is $14,355.

The net price is what families paid on average once grants and scholarships came off the full price. Your family's number may be higher or lower.

Like every US college, Illinois publishes a net price calculator. We tell families to run it with their own income and savings before they decide where to apply. It takes the guesswork out of the cost question.

When are the University of Illinois deadlines for fall 2027?

Early Action closes November 1, 2026, and Regular Decision closes January 5, 2027. These dates are for high school seniors in the 2026-27 school year, who start college in fall 2027.

If November 1 has passed for your family, January 5 is the date to plan around. Our rule is to have the score your child plans to send in hand before the deadline you are aiming for, so the choice to send or hold is made with a real number.

What should we do this month?

This month, have your child sit a free full-length mock SAT and a free full-length mock ACT at Test Prep Gurus, then compare each result with the Illinois bands of 1270 to 1510 and 29 to 34. You can sign up at https://www.prepgurus.com/take-the-next-step or call us at 949.229.5359.

Pick the test where your child did better. Then plan 6 to 12 weeks of prep before a test date that counts. That gives your child time to learn the test, practice it and walk in calm.

Prepare for the whole test every sitting, since Illinois does not superscore. When the score lands inside or above the band, send it with confidence.

Questions parents ask

Does the University of Illinois require the SAT or ACT?
No, the University of Illinois does not require the SAT or ACT; it is test-optional for fall 2027 first-year applicants.

Is the University of Illinois test-optional?
Yes, Illinois is test-optional for high school seniors in the 2026-27 school year, who start college in fall 2027.

What SAT score do University of Illinois students have?
The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored between 1270 and 1510.

What ACT score do University of Illinois students have?
The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an ACT scored between 29 and 34.

Does the University of Illinois superscore?
Illinois does not superscore, which means it does not combine your child's best section scores from different test dates.

When is the University of Illinois application deadline?
Early Action closes November 1, 2026, and Regular Decision closes January 5, 2027.

Method and sources: The policy comes from the University of Illinois's own admissions page, which names fall 2027 first-year applicants. The SAT and ACT bands, the shares who sent a score, and the applicant and admit counts describe the fall 2023 class in the latest federal file; the bands cover enrolled first-years who sent that test, not every admitted student, and they are not a minimum. Prices come from the College Scorecard and show the full price of a year and the average net price after aid.