What SAT or ACT score do you need for UVA?

As of November 2026: UVA is test-optional for the fall 2026 cycle, and the middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored 1410 to 1530. On the ACT, the middle half of those who sent a score landed between 32 and 34.

UVA's test policy, the score bands of students who enrolled, how many sent a score, the odds of getting in, and what to do this month.

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

UVA is test-optional for fall 2026. UVA's own admissions page says it is test optional for the Fall 2026 cycle and has no preference between the SAT and ACT. That page does not name fall 2027, so families applying for fall 2027 should check it again before they apply.

The middle half of SAT senders scored 1410 to 1530. Among enrolled first-years in fall 2023 who sent an SAT, the middle half landed in this range. On the ACT, the middle half of senders scored 32 to 34.

UVA admitted 16.9 percent of applicants. For fall 2023, 56,528 students applied and 9,553 were admitted. We treat UVA as a reach for nearly all of our students, and we want them holding a strong score.

Does UVA require the SAT or ACT?

UVA's test policy, in the university's own words.

Policy	Applies to	What UVA says	Source
Test-optional	Fall 2026 cycle (page does not explicitly extend the statement to fall 2027)	We are test optional for the Fall 2026 cycle and have no preference between the SAT and ACT.	Source

Test-optional means UVA reads a score if one is sent, and a score is not required.

UVA score bands, odds and costs

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

Measure	Value
applicants, fall 2023	56528
admits, fall 2023	9553
admit rate, percent	16.9
SAT 25th percentile, enrolled submitters	1410
SAT 75th percentile, enrolled submitters	1530
ACT 25th percentile, enrolled submitters	32
ACT 75th percentile, enrolled submitters	34
share of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT, percent	50
share who sent an ACT, percent	16
application fee, dollars	75
full price of a year, dollars	39926
average net price after aid, dollars	21565

The bands describe the middle half of enrolled first-years who sent that test. They are not a cutoff and do not describe all admitted students.

When are UVA's fall 2027 deadlines?

UVA's fall 2027 deadline dates are not listed here. Families can check the UVA admissions site for them.

Early decision	Early action	Regular decision	Admissions site
--	--	--	Source

A blank date means the date is not listed here. It does not mean the round is not offered.

Does UVA require the SAT or ACT?

No, UVA does not require the SAT or ACT for the fall 2026 cycle; it is test-optional. Its own admissions page says, "We are test optional for the Fall 2026 cycle and have no preference between the SAT and ACT." The same page says applicants for fall 2026 have the choice of sharing or not sharing SAT and ACT results.

Yes, UVA is test-optional for fall 2026, which means the university reads a score if one is sent and does not require one. Students who choose to send a score can send either test.

That page does not name fall 2027. If your child is a high school senior in the 2026-27 school year, starting college in fall 2027, check the UVA admissions FAQ page before applying and read the statement for that cycle.

What SAT score do enrolled first-years at UVA carry?

The middle half of enrolled first-years at UVA who sent an SAT scored between 1410 and 1530. These are students who enrolled in fall 2023 and chose to send an SAT, from the latest federal figures.

Inside that band sits the middle half of submitters. A quarter of them scored below 1410, and a quarter scored above 1530. So the band is not a cutoff, and it does not describe every student who was admitted. It is a picture of where most SAT senders in that class landed.

We tell families to read 1410 as the bottom edge of the middle and 1530 as the top edge. Our students who aim for UVA set their goal inside the band and prepare to reach the upper half of it.

What ACT score do enrolled first-years at UVA carry?

The middle half of enrolled first-years at UVA who sent an ACT scored between 32 and 34. Like the SAT band, this describes students who enrolled in fall 2023 and chose to send an ACT.

The ACT band is narrow, so every point matters. A 32 sits at the bottom edge of the middle half, and a 34 sits at the top. A quarter of ACT senders scored below 32.

UVA says it has no preference between the SAT and ACT. We tell families to pick the test that fits their child best. The clearest way to learn that is to sit a full mock of each test and compare the results side by side.

How many UVA students send an SAT or ACT score?

At UVA, 50 percent of enrolled first-years in fall 2023 sent an SAT, and 16 percent sent an ACT. A student can send both tests, so we do not add those figures together.

What this tells a parent is that sending a score is common among students who enroll at UVA. The SAT was sent far more often than the ACT. Either test is fine to send, so your child should send the one with the stronger result.

Should my child send a score to UVA?

Our rule for UVA is this: an SAT of 1410 or higher, or an ACT of 32 or higher, is a score to send. That means a score inside or above the band. A score below 1410 on the SAT or below 32 on the ACT is one to think hard about, because UVA is test-optional and sending is your choice.

We tell families that at a selective test-optional college like UVA, it is nearly always good to have a score, because a strong score bolsters the odds of getting in and most merit scholarships are keyed to one. So our advice is to prepare and test first, then decide whether to send.

If your child's best score lands below the band, more prep and another sitting can move it. Plan the next test date with enough time to prepare well, and then look at the result again.

How hard is it to get into UVA?

UVA admitted 16.9 percent of applicants for fall 2023. That year, 56,528 students applied and 9,553 were admitted.

That makes UVA a highly selective school. We tell families to treat it as a reach and to build a college list with a range of choices, including schools where your child's scores sit near the top of the band.

Grades and courses from past years are already set by senior fall. A test score is one part of the application your child can still raise, which is why we push our students to prepare well before their last test date.

What does it cost to apply to and attend UVA?

The UVA application fee is $75. The full price of a year at UVA is $39,926, and the average net price after aid is $21,565.

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

Every US college publishes a net price calculator, and UVA does too. We tell families to run it with their own numbers before senior fall. As we tell families, most merit scholarships are keyed to a score, so a strong SAT or ACT can matter for cost as well as for getting in.

When are UVA's deadlines for fall 2027?

UVA's fall 2027 deadline dates are not listed on this page. Families can check the UVA admissions site, https://admission.virginia.edu/, for the dates that apply to their child.

Once you have the dates, work backward from them. We tell families to pick a test date that leaves time for a second sitting before the earliest deadline your child is aiming for. That way a strong score is in hand when the application goes in.

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 UVA bands: 1410 to 1530 on the SAT and 32 to 34 on the ACT.

Pick the test where your child starts stronger. Plan 6 to 12 weeks of prep before a test date that counts, and prepare for the whole test every sitting, not just the weakest section.

To book the free mock SAT and 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 plan the next step.

Questions parents ask

Does UVA require the SAT or ACT?
No, UVA does not require the SAT or ACT for the fall 2026 cycle; it is test-optional.

Is UVA test-optional?
Yes, UVA is test-optional for fall 2026, which means the university reads a score if one is sent and does not require one.

What SAT score do students at UVA have?
The middle half of enrolled first-years at UVA who sent an SAT scored between 1410 and 1530.

What ACT score do students at UVA have?
The middle half of enrolled first-years at UVA who sent an ACT scored between 32 and 34.

Should my child send a score to UVA?
Our rule for UVA is this: an SAT of 1410 or higher, or an ACT of 32 or higher, is a score to send.

How hard is it to get into UVA?
UVA admitted 16.9 percent of applicants for fall 2023.

Method and sources: The test policy comes from UVA's own admissions FAQ page, which names the Fall 2026 cycle and does not name 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 come from the same year. Prices come from the College Scorecard and are averages, so a family's own price may differ.