Penn State SAT & ACT Scores

Penn State began test-optional admissions as a pilot during the pandemic, extended it several times, and in November 2025 the Faculty Senate passed a policy update codifying test-optional admissions. If you want scores considered, you self-report them in MyPennState after you apply, entering every test date. Penn State does not superscore: it uses your highest combined score from a single test date. It does not accept scores from the optional ACT science section. Students who enroll later send official scores from the testing agency. One program is different: applicants to the Accelerated Premedical-Medical Program must submit SAT or ACT scores.

In the fall 2025 entering class at University Park, the middle 50% of enrolled students who reported the SAT scored 1280–1410, and the median was 1340. A quarter scored 1280 or lower, and a quarter scored 1410 or higher. Section ranges were 630–710 in Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and 630–720 in Math.

Only 28.6% of enrolled students had SAT scores on file, so most of the class was admitted without them. The range describes the students who chose to submit, not the full class.

Because Penn State uses your best single-sitting total, plan for one strong full test rather than counting on combining sections from different dates. A total at or above 1340 is in the upper half of enrolled submitters.

The ACT was rare at University Park: 5% of the fall 2025 entering class reported it. Their middle 50% composite was 28–32, with a median of 30. English scores ran 27–34 and Math scores ran 26–32.

Because so few students sent ACT scores, treat this range as a rough guide. As with the SAT, Penn State uses your highest composite from one test date, and it does not consider the science section. A composite of 32 or higher sits in the top quarter of enrolled submitters.

Penn State has no early decision plan. Completed applications received by the non-binding Early Action deadline get a decision by late December and have priority for campus and program choices. After that, Penn State reviews applications on a rolling basis, and admission becomes more competitive.

If you choose to send scores to Penn State for fall 2027, a practical target is 1410 or higher on the SAT or 32 or higher on the ACT. A score near 1340 or 30 matches the middle of recent University Park submitters. If your best single-sitting score is well below the range, applying without scores is a normal choice here.

Applying by the Early Action deadline matters at Penn State, because those applications have priority for campus locations and academic programs. Penn State's admission policy bases each evaluation on grades in grades nine through eleven, honors and advanced courses such as AP or IB, scores if you choose to send them, and auditions or other reviews for programs that require them.