Who is Going Back to Test Required in 2026? 🎓🦅
It's time to place your bets.
If the college admissions landscape since 2020 is any guide, a new year brings abundant change in testing policies. What can we expect in 2026? But first the news…
COLLEGE NEWS
Maybe major matters: According to a December 2025 study in Journal of the American Philosophical Association, studying philosophy makes people better thinkers. Specifically, philosophy majors rank higher than all other majors on verbal and logical reasoning. Data regarding average salary after graduation were notably absent from this study.
Is your teen really attending class? Artificial intelligenceI has now become so sophisticated that an AI model can be enrolled anonymously as a real student in a graduate level course, excel in all the work, and earn a grade near the top of the class. But does it have to pay full tuition?
A true student-athlete degree: Considering how demanding participation in college sports can be, many students struggle to balance academic and athletic commitments. SVU to the rescue: Southern Virginia University now offers a bachelor’s degree program in sport performance that emphasizes reflective participation in competitive sports. Whatever happened to basket weaving as a major for athletes?
The Tests and the Rest podcast—rated one of the top ranked college admissions podcasts—just celebrated its 700th episode. If you’re looking for engaging expert answers on all your questions about testing, learning, admissions, and education, you’re almost certain to find them in the Tests and the Rest archives or the next 700 episodes. Tune in now!
BIG IDEA
If you follow higher ed commentary to any extent, you’ve already noticed that test scores are back on the menu. Not that the Ivy Leagues are representative of the broader array of U.S. colleges and universities, but most of them require SAT/ACT scores now (Harvard, Penn, Brown, Dartmouth, and Yale) or soon (Princeton is reinstating score requirements for the 2027 cycle); only Columbia remains permanently test-optional for now.
Which three popular schools will definitely require test scores from applicants in the 2026-27 cycle?
Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University will resume requiring ACT or SAT scores for undergraduate admissions to the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences and the Whiting School of Engineering, starting with applicants seeking entry for the fall 2026 semester.
The Ohio State University
The Ohio State University announced the reinstatement of the ACT/SAT test requirement for all new first-year undergraduate applicants to the Columbus campus in the 2026 admissions cycle and beyond.
The University of Miami
The University of Miami will require prospective students to include standardized test scores as part of their undergraduate admissions application beginning with the Fall 2026 semester.
Which three popular schools might require test scores from applicants in the 2026-27 cycle?
When colleges announce short-term, clearly defined extension windows for policies, they signal the potential for swift change. Three notable schools specified test-optional admissions for the 2025-26 cycle only:
Duke University
Northwestern University
New York University (NYU)
Note that NYU is a special case that has historically adopted a test-flexible policy that permits the provision of AP, IB, or other scores in place of an SAT or ACT requirement.
Of course, changing the wording of a testing policy might not provide sufficient clarity into the weight those scores carry in an application. Many test-optional schools value scores so highly that submitters see a large advantage in acceptance decisions. In fact, the only certainty in 2026 is that plenty of schools will continue to keep us guessing!
What other schools do you predict will require test scores for the Fall 2026 admissions cycle?
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Founded in 1851, it is the oldest institution of higher education still on its original site in its state.
The campus incorporates Mission Santa Clara de AsÃs, a Spanish Franciscan mission built before the school existed.
The school awarded the first bachelor’s degree and first graduate degree in its state.
Home to the de Saisset Museum, founded in 1955 and free to the public, with a collection of nearly 10,000 pieces of art and historical artifacts.
Students can look forward to nearly 300 days of sunshine a year! 🌞
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Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, CA just received a $10 million grant for its Jesuit School of Theology, a fitting tribute to the school’s Jesuit founders. Go Broncos!
Really insightful analysis on the test-optional pendulum swing. The timing window strategy from Duke, Northwestern, and NYU signals they're likely watching how Harvard and Yale's reinstatement plays out before committing longterm. The gap between philosophy majors ranking highest on logical reasoning while having unclear salary data is interesting because it highlights how we measure educational ROI. I've been tracking test policy shifts since 2020 and the thing most families miss is that test-optional often means test-preferred when you look at actual admit rates. The broader pattern seems to be elite schools reverting while mid-tier schools stay optional to keep application numbers high.