University of Colorado Boulder SAT & ACT Scores

CU Boulder first made the SAT and ACT optional for students finishing high school in 2021, after a Colorado law let public universities drop the requirement during the pandemic. It has stayed test-optional since, and its admissions site says scores are not required for the 2027 first-year application. If you want scores considered, you say so on the Common App. You can then self-report them in the application, upload an unofficial score report to your application status page, or have an official report sent from the testing agency. Make sure your scores arrive by your application deadline so your file is not counted as late. For the ACT, CU Boulder looks at English, Math and Reading; the Science section is not considered.

CU Boulder's Common Data Set could not be retrieved, so the SAT figures here come from what the university reported to the U.S. Department of Education for students who enrolled in fall 2024 and sent scores. The middle 50% of those students scored 630–710 on Reading and Writing and 610–720 on Math. The section medians were 670 and 670. The federal report gives section scores only, not a combined SAT range or median.

Only 18% of enrolled first-year students sent SAT scores, so the ranges describe a small, self-selected group rather than the whole class. CU Boulder's own profile of admitted fall 2026 students who asked for scores to be considered lists SAT ranges by college, and the College of Engineering and Applied Science and the Leeds School of Business run highest.

Because the SAT is optional, a score only needs to add to your application. Section scores at or above the medians of 670 and 670 put you in the upper half of enrolled students who sent the SAT.

Among enrolled students in the fall 2024 entering class who sent the ACT, the middle 50% composite was 29–33, with a median of 31. English scores ran 27–34 and Math scores ran 26–32. Just 6% of the class sent ACT scores, so this range reflects a very small group.

CU Boulder counts English, Math and Reading and leaves out Science when it looks at the ACT. A composite of 33 or higher sits in the top quarter of enrolled students who sent the ACT. A composite below 29 falls under the middle half, and you can choose to apply without it.

Fall applicants can apply by the non-binding Early Action deadline in mid-November or the Regular Decision deadline in mid-January. Early Action applicants hear by February 1 and may still apply early to other schools. CU Boulder says it reviews early and regular applications with the same criteria.

If you plan to send scores to University of Colorado Boulder, a practical target is an ACT composite of 33 or higher, or SAT section scores at or above the top of the 630–710 and 610–720 ranges. Scores near the medians, 670 and 670 on the SAT or 31 on the ACT, are typical of the students who submitted. If your scores fall well below these ranges, you can apply without them.

CU Boulder says academic achievement is the primary factor in its decisions: your grades in core academic courses, the rigor of your course choices given what your school offers, and your GPA. It also weighs secondary factors such as your required essay and short answer, your letter of recommendation, and your activities, leadership, work and other experiences. Each applicant is reviewed individually, with a prediction of success in the intended major in mind.