SAT Scores for Colorado Colleges, School by School (2026-27)

For 2026-27 applicants (fall 2027 entry), every Colorado public four-year university, including CU Boulder, CSU Fort Collins, Colorado School of Mines, UNC, Colorado Mesa and Western Colorado, is test-optional under House Bill 21-1067, and the state's best-known privates (Colorado College, University of Denver, Regis) were already test-optional before that; the lone exception is the U.S. Air Force Academy, a federal academy, which still requires an SAT or ACT score. Published score ranges describe a cohort; they are not admission cutoffs.

The table covers 9 colleges Colorado families apply to most, from the most selective to the large public universities. Read each cohort note before comparing numbers. The bottom rows show the score-based money Colorado families can earn: Daniels Scholarship Program and Boettcher Scholarship.

Colorado college score profiles and cohort notes

Cohort notes: Mines: Mines superscores SAT and ACT and automatically reviews every applicant for merit aid whether or not a score is submitted. CU Boulder: CU Boulder does not publish its own acceptance rate; it reviews every application holistically and scores are an optional, self-reported extra. Air Force Academy: USAFA is the one Colorado school where an SAT or ACT score stays mandatory, regardless of the state's 2021 test-optional law. Colorado College: Only 29% of CC's Fall 2024 class submitted an SAT score, so the range reflects a self-selected, test-submitting minority. Western Colorado: Western has not published a Common Data Set SAT table that could be located; these figures are from College Board's aggregated profile and need confirmation. DU: Just a quarter of DU's enrolled class submitted an SAT score, so this range is not representative of the full incoming class. UNC: UNC's own page states an 88-91% admit rate but does not publish an SAT table; the score range here needs confirmation against UNC's own Common Data Set. Colorado Mesa: CMU's own site says SAT/ACT results aren't required for admission but are recommended for fall 2027-spring 2028 merit scholarship review. CSU Fort Collins: CSU's own Common Data Set states standardized test scores are not considered in admission, so no score table is reported at all. These are not interchangeable measures.

School by school

Colorado School of Mines: 1340 to 1460

Mines reports a 1340 to 1460 middle 50% SAT (enrolled, Fall 2022 (most recent Common Data Set Mines has published as of Oct 2026)). It admitted 58.0% of 10,886 applicants (Fall 2022). The matching ACT range is 30-33. Testing for fall 2027: Test-optional for 2026-27 applicants. Mines superscores SAT and ACT and automatically reviews every applicant for merit aid whether or not a score is submitted.

University of Colorado Boulder: 1300 to 1450

CU Boulder reports a 1300 to 1450 middle 50% SAT (admitted middle 50%, 2026 cycle (self-reported, among admits who chose to submit a score)). The matching ACT range is 29-34. Testing for fall 2027: Not required for 2026-27 applicants (fall 2027 entry). CU Boulder does not publish its own acceptance rate; it reviews every application holistically and scores are an optional, self-reported extra.

United States Air Force Academy: Not published

Air Force Academy does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. It admitted 13.9% (latest cycle). The matching ACT range is 26-33. Testing for fall 2027: Required (federal service academy; not covered by Colorado's test-optional law). USAFA is the one Colorado school where an SAT or ACT score stays mandatory, regardless of the state's 2021 test-optional law.

Colorado College: 1240 to 1440

Colorado College reports a 1240 to 1440 middle 50% SAT (enrolled, Fall 2024). It admitted 18.5% of 8,511 applicants (Fall 2024). The matching ACT range is 29-33. Testing for fall 2027: Test-optional (was already test-optional before the 2021 state law, per CDHE). Only 29% of CC's Fall 2024 class submitted an SAT score, so the range reflects a self-selected, test-submitting minority.

Western Colorado University: Not published

Western Colorado does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. Testing for fall 2027: Test-optional (public four-year, covered by HB21-1067). Western has not published a Common Data Set SAT table that could be located; these figures are from College Board's aggregated profile and need confirmation.

University of Denver: 1160 to 1360

DU reports a 1160 to 1360 middle 50% SAT (enrolled, Fall 2025 (only 25% of the class submitted a score)). It admitted 85.4% of 16,637 applicants (Fall 2025). Testing for fall 2027: Test-optional (private). Just a quarter of DU's enrolled class submitted an SAT score, so this range is not representative of the full incoming class.

University of Northern Colorado: Not published

UNC does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. It admitted 88-91% (latest cycle). Testing for fall 2027: Test-optional (public four-year, covered by HB21-1067). UNC's own page states an 88-91% admit rate but does not publish an SAT table; the score range here needs confirmation against UNC's own Common Data Set.

Colorado Mesa University: Not published

Colorado Mesa does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. Testing for fall 2027: Not required; scores are recommended only for merit scholarship consideration. CMU's own site says SAT/ACT results aren't required for admission but are recommended for fall 2027-spring 2028 merit scholarship review.

Colorado State University, Fort Collins: Not published

CSU Fort Collins does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. It admitted 88.6% of 38,365 applicants (Fall 2025). Testing for fall 2027: Not considered; CSU does not require or review SAT/ACT scores for admission or merit aid. CSU's own Common Data Set states standardized test scores are not considered in admission, so no score table is reported at all.

Where the SAT helps with Colorado scholarships

Colorado has no state SAT-cutoff scholarship: the College Opportunity Fund (COF) stipend every resident student gets is not test-tied, so score-tied money comes down to a handful of named, competitive awards, and even those have mostly moved away from a hard SAT cutoff.

Daniels Scholarship Program: 980 combined (EBRW 490 + Math 490), or ACT 18 in each section. Tuition, fees, room, board, books and a laptop at partner schools; a fixed annual award elsewhere, renewable all 4 years if the student stays eligible.

Boettcher Scholarship: Not required; selection is holistic (scholastic ability, leadership, service, character), not a score cutoff. $20,000/year for 4 years, covering tuition and most costs at a partner Colorado college or university.

Daniels requires a graduating senior from CO, NM, UT or WY, an unweighted GPA of 3.0+, and household adjusted gross income of $100,000 or less (with allowances for extra dependents); apply during senior year. Boettcher requires a Colorado high school senior who lived in-state for junior and senior year (or an enrolled member of a tribal nation with historical ties to Colorado); it is one of the most competitive awards in the state, with only a few hundred scholars selected per class statewide.

The misconception: test optional means the SAT does not matter in Colorado

Mines, Colorado College, Western Colorado and DU are test optional for fall 2027, so many families assume the score is irrelevant. The ranges above come from the students who chose to send one, and they sit well above the overall class. Air Force Academy still require a score. A strong score is one more reason for a school to say yes, and a weak one can simply stay home.

Quick answers

What SAT score do you need to get into CU Boulder?

The middle 50% of CU Boulder's 2026 admitted class scored 1300 to 1450 on the SAT, but that range only reflects admits who chose to submit a score. CU Boulder does not require the SAT or ACT for fall 2027 applicants and reviews every application holistically.

Is the SAT required for Colorado colleges in 2026-27?

No. Every Colorado public four-year university is test-optional under House Bill 21-1067, and Colorado College, the University of Denver and Regis University were already test-optional before that. The one exception is the U.S. Air Force Academy, a federal academy, which still requires a score.

What SAT score does Colorado School of Mines expect?

Mines' enrolled Fall 2022 class scored 1340 to 1460 on the SAT in the middle 50%, among the highest of any Colorado school, which fits Mines' STEM-heavy, math-and-science-intensive programs. Mines is test-optional, but a strong score can still help in its holistic review and merit scholarship process.

Does Colorado give the SAT for free at school?

Yes. The Colorado Department of Education administers a free, in-school digital SAT to every public-school 11th grader each spring, with the spring 2027 administration scheduled for April 12 to 23.

Is there a Colorado scholarship tied to a specific SAT score?

Not really. The state's College Opportunity Fund stipend is not test-tied, and the two best-known named awards, the Daniels Scholarship and the Boettcher Scholarship, lean on GPA and holistic review rather than a hard cutoff; Daniels sets only a modest 980-combined floor.

Are these ranges cutoffs?

No. A middle 50% describes the central half of the reported group, not an admission cutoff. Some rows describe enrolled students or score submitters only, as labeled. A position within a range does not guarantee admission or merit aid.

More for Colorado families

• SAT prep in Colorado
• Colorado SAT test dates for 2026-27
• Find your teen's target score

Sources

University and state sources: Mines, CU Boulder, Air Force Academy, Colorado College, Western Colorado, DU, UNC, Colorado Mesa, CSU Fort Collins, Daniels Scholarship Program, Boettcher Scholarship. Reviewed October 9, 2026. Cohorts and entry terms differ; confirm current requirements with each admissions office.