The Enduring Value of Standardized Tests

Test optional? While standardized tests are optional at many universities and colleges, many top schools are still taking test scores into consideration. Keep reading to see our analysis of some top universities from the 2023 Common Data Set for college admissions.

Why Standardized Tests Remain a Key to Unlocking Top University Doors

In a shifting academic landscape, where test-optional policies are popular, the 2023 Common Data Set for college admissions reveals a surprising and crucial insight: the enduring impact of standardized tests like the SAT and ACT have in admissions decisions at top-ranked universities.

Key Insights:

A Dominant Majority

0 %

84.4% of top schools utilize SAT or ACT scores in their admission decisions. This finding underscores the ongoing relevance of these exams in the competitive landscape of college admissions.

High Stakes

A significant number of top universities report that students’ standardized test scores are an “important” or “very important” factor in their admissions decisions.

0 %

53.4% categorize SAT/ACT scores as “Important” or “Very Important.”

18 %

A mere 4.4% of schools do not consider standardized test scores at all.

This means standardized tests still hold a near-universal importance in the application process.

*View our source data*

Common Data Source

School Name	Very Important	Important	Considered	Not Considered	Does your institution make use of SAT, ACT, or SAT Subject Test scores in admission decisions for first-time, first-year, degree-seeking applicants?	Source
Boston College			X		YES	Boston College
Boston University			X		YES	Boston University
Brown University			X		YES	chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://oir.brown.edu/sites/default/files/2020-04/CDS_2022_2023.pdf
Carnegie Mellon University			X		YES	chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.cmu.edu/ira/CDS/pdf/cds_2022_23/first-time,-first-year-freshman-admission.pdf
Case Western University			X		YES	chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://case.edu/ir/sites/case.edu.ir/files/2023-02/CDS_CWRU%20%2822-23%29_0.pdf
Columbia University	X				YES	chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://opir.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/content/Common%20Data%20Set/Common%20Data%20Set%20Columbia%20General%20Studies%202021-2022-21_revG5_5.31.23.pdf
Cornell University			X		YES	chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://irp.dpb.cornell.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/CDS_2022-2023_Cornell-University-v5.pdf
Creighton University		X			YES	chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.creighton.edu/sites/default/files/2023-04/CDS_2022-2023_C.pdf
Dartmouth College	X				YES	chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.dartmouth.edu/oir/pdfs/cds_2022-2023.pdf
Duke University	X				YES	chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://provost-files.cloud.duke.edu/sites/default/files/CDS%202021-22%20FINAL_2.pdf
Emory University		X			YES	chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://provost.emory.edu/planning-administration/_includes/documents/sections/institutional-data/Emory-Common-Data-Set-2023-2022.pdf
Georgetown University	X				YES (REQUIRED)	Georgetown University
Georgia Institute of Technology - Georgia Tech			X		YES	chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://irp.gatech.edu/files/CDS/CDS_2022.pdf
Harvard University			X		YES	chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://oira.harvard.edu/files/2023/06/harvard_cds_2022-2023.pdf
Indiana University - Bloomington		X			YES (REQUIRED FOR SOME SCHOOLS)	Indiana University - Bloomington
Johns Hopkins University			X		YES	Johns Hopkins University
Marquette University		X			YES	chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.marquette.edu/institutional-research-analysis/documents/cds21-22.pdf
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)		X			YES (REQUIRED)	Massachusetts Institute of Technology
New York University	X				YES	New York University
Northwestern University			X		YES	chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.enrollment.northwestern.edu/data/2022-23.pdf
Princeton University	X				YES	chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://registrar.princeton.edu/sites/g/files/toruqf136/files/documents/CDS_2022-2023.pdf
Rice University			X		YES	Rice University
Stanford University	X				YES	chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://ucomm.stanford.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2023/03/CDS_2022-2023_v3.pdf
Syracuse University			X		YES	chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://institutionalresearch.syr.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/syracuse_university_cds_2022-2023.pdf
Tulane University	X				YES	Tulane University
Univeristy of Virginia			X		YES	chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://ira.virginia.edu/sites/g/files/jsddwu1106/files/2023-10/CDS%202023_508-1.pdf
University of California - Berkeley		X			YES* (Subject Tests)	University of California - Berkeley
University of California - Los Angeles				X	NO	University of California - Los Angeles
University of Chicago			X		YES	chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://data.uchicago.edu/files/2022/10/UChicago_CDS_2021-22.pdf
University of Florida		X			YES (REQUIRED)	chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://data-apps.ir.aa.ufl.edu/public/cds/CDS_2022-2023_UFMAIN_Post.pdf
University of Illinois - Urbana/Champaign		X			YES	University of Illinois - Urbana/Champaign
University of Maryland			X		YES	University of Maryland
University of Miami	X				YES	chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.irsa.miami.edu/_assets/pdf/cds2223.pdf
University of Miami-Ohio	X				YES	University of Miami - Ohio
University of Michigan	X				YES	chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://obp.umich.edu/wp-content/uploads/pubdata/cds/cds_2022-2023_umaa.pdf
University of North Carolina	X				YES	chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://oira.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/297/2023/08/CDS_2021-22_20230825.pdf
University of Notre Dame			X		YES	chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www3.nd.edu/~instres/CDS/2022-2023/CDS_2022-2023.pdf
University of Pennsylvania	X				YES	University of Pennsylvania
University of Southern California	X				YES	chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://oir.usc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/CDS_2022-2023_FINAL_08102023.pdf
University of Texas - Austin			X		YES	University of Texas - Austin
University of Washington				X	NO	University of Washington
University of Wisconsin - Madison			X		YES	University of Wisconsin - Madison
Vanderbilt University	X				YES	Vanderbilt University
Washington University - St. Louis	X				YES	chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://wustl.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/wustl-cds-2022-2023.pdf
Yale University			X		YES	chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://oir.yale.edu/sites/default/files/cds_yale_2022-2023_vf_10062023.pdf
School Name	Very Important	Important	Considered	Not Considered	Does your institution make use of SAT, ACT, or SAT Subject Test scores in admission decisions for first-time, first-year, degree-seeking applicants?	Source

https://www.collegetransitions.com/dataverse/common-data-set-repository

Why This Matters

In a test-optional environment, it’s easy to underestimate the power of a strong SAT or ACT score. However, this data tells a different story.

With many top schools still relying on these scores, a high score performance can help a student’s application rise above the rest. It’s not just about meeting a requirement—it’s about standing out in a pool of highly qualified candidates.

For students aspiring to gain entry into prestigious institutions, a strategic approach to standardized testing is still critical. Excelling in these tests can be the differentiator that sets your student’s application apart, especially in competitive fields or for schools where these scores are deemed “Very Important.”

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The Enduring Value of Standardized Tests