Tufts University SAT & ACT Scores

Tufts first went test-optional as a three-year pilot for students applying for fall 2021 entry. It later extended the policy through fall 2026 entry, and its current testing page says Tufts is test-optional for all undergraduate applicants, with no end date given. You choose whether to include scores before you submit the application, and that choice can't be changed afterward. Tufts reviews your highest section scores across test dates and calculates a superscore ACT composite. It does not require the ACT science or writing sections. The admissions office also says it won't assume your scores are low if you don't send them.

Tufts' 2025–26 Common Data Set puts the SAT middle 50% at 1460–1520 for enrolled first-years who reported the test. The 25th percentile was 1460, the median was 1500, and the 75th percentile was 1520. Section ranges were 720–760 in Reading and Writing and 730–780 in Math.

42% of the enrolled class submitted the SAT. Tufts' testing page encourages applicants above a stated score to include their results, and that threshold sits below the enrolled middle 50%. The admissions office says scores below its middle range can still show some evidence of academic preparation, so the range above is a reference point, not a cutoff.

For the ACT, enrolled students who reported scores had a composite range of 33–35 and a median of 34. The English range was 34–35, and the Math range was 31–34.

16% of enrolled first-years sent the ACT, compared with 42% for the SAT. Tufts builds a superscore composite from your highest ACT section scores across test dates, so a strong section from one sitting still counts. The science section is optional, and the writing section is not reviewed.

First-year applicants can apply through Early Decision I, Early Decision II, or Regular Decision. Both Early Decision rounds are binding. Tufts does not offer Early Action.

To match the middle of Tufts' enrolled class, aim for an SAT of at least 1500, or 1520 and up to reach the top quarter. On the ACT, the matching marks are 34 and 35. Scores at those levels support an application, but with an admit rate of 10.8%, they don't guarantee one.

Tufts calls its process holistic and contextual. It weighs transcripts, extracurricular and community engagement, essays, recommendation letters, personal qualities and interests, and test scores when they are submitted. If your scores fall below the range, applying without them is a real option, since Tufts says it won't assume an unsubmitted score is a low one.