The U.S. News Top‑15 Colleges That Require SAT® or ACT® Scores in 2026
The 2026 U.S. News Best Colleges Rankings have just been released, featuring both familiar heavy-hitters and a few fresh faces. You can check out the full list here: U.S. News Best National Colleges.
What I was most curious about, though, was which of these highly ranked schools requires SAT® or ACT® scores. That’s the focus of this post: the 15 best-ranked universities where test prep really matters.
The List: Top‑15 Schools That Require SAT®/ACT® Scores
Below is a list of 15 top-ranked schools that require SAT® or ACT® scores for admission. Keep in mind, these are only the highest-ranking institutions—many other excellent schools also require test scores. Share this list with your college-bound clients so they can see how their target schools rank and what their testing requirements are.
Click a school to open the official admissions page that states the testing requirement.
Note: This list doesn’t include test-optional or test-flexible schools (like Duke, Vanderbilt, or Yale). Even so, submitting strong SAT®/ACT® scores to those colleges can still boost a student’s application.
For more insights, check out these posts on the ongoing role of test scores in admissions:
What This Means for Your Clients (and for your prep plan)
If a student’s college list includes any of the schools above, test prep isn’t optional—it’s a key piece of the admissions strategy. And it has to go beyond simply striving for a good score; it’s about aiming for a strong score. Here’s how to approach it step by step:
Choose the right test fast. Don’t waste months preparing for the wrong exam. Some students naturally perform better on the SAT®, others on the ACT®. Our guide, How to Help a Client Switch Between the SAT® and the ACT®, walks you through the major differences and shows how to make a data-based decision early.
Back-plan key dates. Deadlines come up faster than expected. Start with a diagnostic, build in at least one retake opportunity, and work backward from each school’s application timeline. Our post on Fall 2025 ACT® & SAT® Dates and Deadlines is a useful planning tool for this season’s test dates.
Lock in testing accommodations early. Accommodations through the College Board (SSD) or ACT (TAA) can take weeks or months to process. Students who wait too long risk missing critical deadlines. We cover the documentation process and what parents should know in our blog’s accommodations and modifications guide, and the recent changes to ACT® 's accommodations and EL supports—don’t skip this step if it applies to your client.
Focus on high-leverage skills. Time is precious, and not all skills carry the same weight. On the Digital SAT®, that means targeting Reading & Writing “trap answers” and the math question types most likely to trip students up. On the ACT®, punctuation, conciseness, and algebra fundamentals give the biggest score payoff. Posts like 6 Crucial Strategies for Improving Your Digital SAT® Math Score, 3 Ways to Attack the New Digital SAT® Reading & Writing, and Top 10 Most Common Distractor Answer Choices on the SAT® Reading & Writing Test: Part 1 & Part 2 break these down.
Keep a retake strategy on deck. Many of these schools superscore, which means combining the best section scores from multiple test dates. That makes a smart retake plan essential. Our post Should Your Student Retake the SAT® or ACT®? explains when a second (or even third) attempt makes sense.
How Test Prep Can Help
The bottom line? If a school requires SAT® or ACT® scores, families are looking for a prep partner who knows how to get results. That means offering more than just practice problems—you need systems, structure, and communication tools that help students stay on track and keep parents engaged.
A curriculum that’s ready to go. Having complete, reliable content in place frees up your time to focus on teaching. (Our More Than Just Textbooks overview shows what a done-for-you, white-label program can look like.)
Data that drives instruction. Tools for diagnostics, flagged problems, and performance tracking allow you to pinpoint academic weaknesses quickly and turn them into targeted mini-lessons instead of wasting time on guesswork.
Built-in parent communication. Families want transparency. Clear, branded reports and progress updates help you set expectations and reinforce your professionalism—while also creating referral opportunities.
For students aiming at these test-required schools, structured prep is no longer optional—it’s essential. The applicants who stand out combine strong test scores with consistent academic performance, meaningful activities, and compelling essays. Solid scores open the door, but it’s the well-rounded profile that helps colleges see the full picture of what a student will bring to campus.
Ready to help your students aim higher?
Clear Choice gives you the white-label curriculum, diagnostics, and test-aligned tools you need to deliver results
Explore More Than Just Textbooks and schedule a free demo to discover how Clear Choice can strengthen your prep program.