Indiana University Bloomington SAT & ACT Scores

IU Bloomington has been test-optional since its fall 2021 entering class. When you apply, you choose whether your SAT, ACT or CLT scores are considered, and you can change that choice later in the IU Admissions Portal. IU says it prefers that students share any scores they have, as one piece of academic evidence. Grades in rigorous courses still carry the most weight, and students who apply without scores get full consideration. If you have scores considered, IU superscores: it uses your highest SAT section scores across test dates and, for the ACT, builds a new composite from your best subscores. Admitted students who self-reported scores must have official scores sent before they enroll, and those official scores must match or beat what they reported.

In the fall 2025 entering class, enrolled students who submitted the SAT had a median score of 1310. A quarter scored 1200 or lower, and a quarter scored 1410 or higher. Section scores ran 610–700 in Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and 590–710 in Math.

Only 43.2% of enrolled first-year students submitted SAT scores, so a large part of the class enrolled without them. These numbers describe the students who chose to send scores, not the whole class.

Because IU superscores, your best Reading and Writing score and your best Math score from different test dates are combined. A superscore at or above 1310 puts you in the upper half of enrolled submitters, while a score near 1200 sits at the low end of the range.

Fewer students used the ACT: 14.8% of the fall 2025 entering class submitted it. Their middle 50% composite was 28–33, with a median of 31. English scores ran 27–34, and Math scores ran 26–32.

IU superscores the ACT too, combining your highest subscores from different test dates into a new composite. A composite of 33 or higher is in the top quarter of enrolled submitters. The ACT group is much smaller than the SAT group, so treat its range as a rougher guide.

IU Bloomington has no early decision plan. Its non-binding early action deadline, in early November, gives the highest admission and scholarship consideration, and those applicants hear back first. Regular decision applications are due later in the winter, with decisions in the spring. Some scholarships require test scores, and IU asks students who want to be considered for them to submit all scores by its scholarship deadline.

If you choose to have scores considered for fall 2027, aim for an SAT superscore of 1410 or higher or an ACT composite of 33 or higher. Scores near 1310 or 31 match the middle of recent enrolled submitters. IU says scores may strengthen an application, so a score inside or above the range is usually worth sending. A score well below 1200 or 28 is a reason to think about applying without it.

Test scores are only one part of IU's review. IU says performance in the classroom, including grades in rigorous academic coursework, is the most important factor, and it also looks at the level of your courses, your GPA and your application essay. Apply by the early action deadline for the highest admission and scholarship consideration, and check IU's Admission Paths page if you want direct admission to a specific school or college.