What SAT or ACT score do you need for Virginia Tech?

As of November 2026: Virginia Tech is test-optional for first-year applicants entering through fall 2028, and the middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored 1240 to 1420. That covers high school seniors in the 2026-27 school year, who start college in fall 2027.

The policy, the score bands, how many students send a score, and what we tell families to do next.

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

Virginia Tech is test-optional through fall 2028. First-year applicants entering through fall 2028 do not have to send an SAT or ACT. That includes students who start college in fall 2027 and fall 2028.

The middle SAT band is 1240 to 1420, and the middle ACT band is 27 to 32. These bands describe enrolled first-years in the fall 2023 class who chose to send a score. They are a picture of the class, not a line your child must cross.

Virginia Tech admitted 57 percent of applicants for fall 2023. The university admitted 26,909 of 47,208 applicants that year. A strong score is one part of the application your child can still improve this year.

Does Virginia Tech require the SAT or ACT?

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

College	Policy	Applies to	In the university's words	Source
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University	Test-optional	fall 2021 through fall 2028 entering first-year classes	Virginia Tech remains test-optional for first-year applicants entering through Fall 2028.	Source

Test-optional means the university reads a score if one is sent.

Virginia Tech: 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 the latest federal figures.

Measure	Value
applicants, fall 2023	47,208
admits, fall 2023	26,909
admit rate, percent	57
SAT 25th percentile, enrolled submitters	1,240
SAT 75th percentile, enrolled submitters	1,420
ACT 25th percentile, enrolled submitters	27
ACT 75th percentile, enrolled submitters	32
share of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT, percent	43
share who sent an ACT, percent	7
application fee, dollars	60
full price of a year, dollars	36,951
average net price after aid, dollars	24,953

Score bands describe enrolled first-years who sent that test in fall 2023, not every applicant.

Does Virginia Tech require the SAT or ACT?

No, Virginia Tech does not require the SAT or ACT for first-year applicants entering through fall 2028. The university's admissions page says it plainly: "Virginia Tech remains test-optional for first-year applicants entering through Fall 2028."

Yes, Virginia Tech is test-optional, and the policy applies to all majors. It covers high school seniors in the 2026-27 school year, who start college in fall 2027. It also covers high school juniors in the 2026-27 school year, who start college in fall 2028. Transfer applicants are not judged on the SAT or ACT either.

Test-optional means the university reads a score if your child sends one. It does not mean a score has no place in the application. Whether to send one is a choice your family makes, and we walk through that choice below.

What SAT score do enrolled first-years at Virginia Tech carry?

The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored between 1240 and 1420. These students were in the fall 2023 class, which is the latest federal count.

Put another way, a quarter of the students who sent an SAT scored below 1240, and a quarter scored above 1420. The rest sat inside the band. These are students who enrolled and chose to send a score. Students who did not send a score are not in this band at all.

We tell families to read the band as a picture of the class, not as a gate. A score inside the band means your child looks like the students who are already there. A score above it stands out in a good way.

What ACT score do enrolled first-years at Virginia Tech carry?

The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an ACT scored between 27 and 32. This band also comes from the fall 2023 class.

Far fewer students sent the ACT than the SAT, so this band rests on a smaller group. That does not make the ACT a weaker choice. Virginia Tech reads either test, and our students pick the one that fits them best.

If your child is not sure which test suits them, a practice run of each will show it quickly. Some students do much better on one test than the other, and that gap is easy to miss until they sit both.

How many Virginia Tech students send a score?

Among enrolled first-years in fall 2023, 43 percent sent an SAT and 7 percent sent an ACT. Some students may have sent both tests, so these shares do not simply add together.

Many students enrolled without sending a score. Still, a large part of the class did send one, and those are the students the bands describe. Sending a score is common at Virginia Tech, not rare.

Should my child send a score to Virginia Tech?

Send an SAT of 1240 or higher, or an ACT of 27 or higher, because that score sits inside or above the band. If the score is below 1240 on the SAT or below 27 on the ACT, think hard before you send it. In that case, also think about whether more prep could move the score into the band before applications are due.

We tell families that at a selective test-optional college like Virginia Tech, 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.

Our rule is simple: test first, then decide. Your child cannot choose to send a strong score they never earned. Taking the test keeps the choice open, and your family can still hold the score back if it falls short.

How hard is it to get into Virginia Tech?

Virginia Tech admitted 26,909 of 47,208 applicants for fall 2023, an admit rate of 57 percent. That rate counts every applicant, whether or not they sent a score.

More than half of applicants got in, but many did not. Grades and courses are mostly set by senior year. A test score is one of the few parts of the application your child can still raise in the fall, which is why we put so much care into it.

What does Virginia Tech cost to apply and attend?

The full price of a year at Virginia Tech is $36,951, and the average net price after aid is $24,953. The application fee is $60.

The average net price is only an average, and your family's price may be higher or lower. Every US college publishes a net price calculator, and Virginia Tech has one too. Sit down with your own tax numbers and run it to see a closer estimate for your family.

What should we do this month?

Have your child sit a free full-length mock SAT and a free full-length mock ACT with Test Prep Gurus this month. Then compare each result with the bands: 1240 to 1420 on the SAT and 27 to 32 on the ACT.

Plan 6 to 12 weeks of prep before a test date that counts. Prepare for the whole test every sitting, not just the section that went worst last time. Scores move most when every part of the test gets steady work.

To book the free mock SAT and free mock ACT, call us at 949.229.5359 or go to https://www.prepgurus.com/take-the-next-step. We will go over the results with your family and help you pick the test and the date that fit your child.

Questions parents ask

Does Virginia Tech require an SAT or ACT score?
No, Virginia Tech does not require the SAT or ACT for first-year applicants entering through fall 2028.

Is Virginia Tech test-optional?
Yes, Virginia Tech is test-optional, and the policy applies to all majors.

What SAT scores do Virginia Tech students have?
The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored between 1240 and 1420.

What ACT scores do Virginia Tech students have?
The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an ACT scored between 27 and 32.

Should my child send a score below the band to Virginia Tech?
If the score is below 1240 on the SAT or below 27 on the ACT, think hard before you send it.

How much does a year at Virginia Tech cost?
The full price of a year at Virginia Tech is $36,951, and the average net price after aid is $24,953.

Method and sources: The policy comes from Virginia Tech's own admissions page, which states it covers first-year applicants entering through fall 2028. The SAT and ACT bands describe the middle half of enrolled first-years who sent that test in the fall 2023 class, from the latest IPEDS release; they do not describe all applicants or students who sent no score. Applicant, admit and score-sharing figures come from the same IPEDS year, and prices come from the College Scorecard.