As of October 2026. Every number below is sourced; the list is at the end.
As of October 2026, the University of Michigan does not require a score. It is test-optional. But among the first-years who enrolled and did send one, the middle half scored 1350 to 1530 on the SAT and 31 to 34 on the ACT (IPEDS, 2023). If you want a score to help, that is the band to aim at.
Michigan asks. It does not require.
U-M says it on its own admissions page: "For the 2027 application cycle, U-M will be test optional." Your student chooses whether scores are read. The page says they are not penalized for saying no.
That holds across the state. We checked 6 Michigan public universities and every one is test-optional. There is no state rule here. Each board sets its own.
More than half the class sent one anyway
Test-optional does not mean most students skip the test. Of the first-years who enrolled, 52% sent an SAT and 18% sent an ACT (IPEDS, 2023). At Michigan, sending a score is the common choice.
Now put that next to the rest of the file. Michigan admitted 17.9% of 87,632 applicants (IPEDS, 2023). First-years who enrolled averaged a 3.90 unweighted GPA (Common Data Set 2024-25).
Read those two numbers again. Grades are already near the ceiling. A score is one of the few lines left with room.
How to decide whether to send
Be careful with 1350 to 1530. That band describes enrolled first-years who sent an SAT. It is not the score of admitted students. It is not a cutoff either.
Decide college by college, and let the band be the test. Is your student's score inside it or above it? Then sending it adds something. Is it well under 1350? Then the transcript is carrying more of the weight, and test-optional exists for that case.
If your student is at 1250
A 1250 is a good score. It is also 100 points under the band. Moving it takes 6 to 12 weeks of work. It also means preparing for the whole SAT or ACT every sitting, never one section at a time.
Here is what our own students average, from our published results. Students who start at 1350 or below gain 190 points (1210 to 1400). Students who start above 1350 gain 120 (1400 to 1520). Among the students who start at 1350 or below, 63% gain 200 points or more. Research puts a typical retest gain with prep near 30 SAT points (Briggs, 2009). That is the number we hold ours up against.
An average is not a promise. Your student may land above it or below it. But a 1250 moving into Michigan's band in one season is ordinary work.
One more number for the planning side. Michigan runs about $13,138 a year with aid and $34,654 a year at full price for in-state students (IPEDS). Its bands, policy and cost sit on its Reach page.
The move
This month, have your student sit one full practice SAT and one full practice ACT before picking an exam. The better fit is usually clear once both are on paper. Then block 6 to 12 weeks and work the whole test. Both mocks are free: prepgurus.com/take-the-next-step, or call 949.229.5359 and we will set up a strategy call.
Questions parents ask
Does my son need an SAT or ACT score for the University of Michigan?
No. Michigan is test-optional, and U-M's own page says students are not penalized for choosing not to have scores read. But of the first-years who enrolled, 52% sent an SAT and 18% sent an ACT, so sending a score is the common choice.
What SAT score is high enough for Michigan?
Among the first-years who enrolled and did send one, the middle half scored 1350 to 1530 on the SAT and 31 to 34 on the ACT (IPEDS, 2023). That band describes enrolled first-years who sent an SAT, and it is not a cutoff.
My daughter has a 1250. Should she prepare again before she applies?
Moving a 1250 takes 6 to 12 weeks of work. Our students who start at 1350 or below gain 190 points on average (1210 to 1400), though an average is not a promise and your student may land above it or below it.
Written by Nick Standlea, founder of Test Prep Gurus. Updated October 2026.