Every public university in Idaho, and the state's main private options, are test-optional for Fall 2027 applicants; the Idaho State Board of Education dropped the college-entrance-exam requirement starting with the Class of 2022. Boise State goes further and is test-blind, meaning it does not look at SAT/ACT scores for admission or for its automatic merit scholarships at all. Published score ranges describe a cohort; they are not admission cutoffs.
The table covers 6 colleges Idaho 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 Idaho families can earn: Boise State automatic resident merit award.
| School | SAT profile / cohort | ACT | Acceptance rate | Testing, fall 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The College of Idaho | Not published | 23-31 | ~49% | Test-optional; SAT/ACT not required but considered and recommended if submitted |
| University of Idaho | 950-1200 · enrolled, fall 2023 (CDS 2023-24, C9; latest CDS posted); 64% submitted SAT | 20-26 | 79.1% · fall 2023, CDS 2023-24 | Test-optional: SAT/ACT not required for admission; considered if submitted |
| Boise State University | Not published | Not published | 83.9% · fall 2025 (2025-26 CDS) | Test-blind for both admission and merit scholarships: Boise State does not use SAT/ACT scores in either decision, relying on unweighted core GPA instead |
| Idaho State University | Not published | 19-25 | ~84% | See school |
| Lewis-Clark State College | 890-1070 · enrolled, fall 2025, CDS 2025-26 (43.6% of class submitted SAT) | 17-22 | 99.6% · fall 2025, CDS 2025-26 | See school |
| Northwest Nazarene University | Not published | Not published | Not reported | See school |
| Boise State automatic resident merit award | No SAT cutoff (test-blind: GPA only) | See program rules | ~$8,000 to $12,000 (approx. $2,000-$3,000/yr) over 4 years | True Blue Promise, Dean's, or Presidential award by unweighted GPA tier (3.20-4.00), renewable 4 years with a GPA floor and 24 credits/year |
Cohort notes: U of I: Idaho's land-grant flagship; a majority of enrollees still submit a score even though none is required. Boise State: Idaho's largest university does not use test scores at all, for admission or for its automatic merit grid; its own 2025-26 CDS leaves the entire SAT/ACT percentile table blank, confirming this directly rather than inferring it. 17,582 applied, 14,749 admitted (83.9%). LCSC: Idaho's most open-admission 4-year public; sources disagree on the exact acceptance rate, so treat the figure as approximate. These are not interchangeable measures.
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Find my teen's target scoreC of I does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. It admitted ~49% (latest cycle). The matching ACT range is 23-31. Testing for fall 2027: Test-optional; SAT/ACT not required but considered and recommended if submitted.
U of I reports a 950 to 1200 middle 50% SAT (enrolled, fall 2023 (CDS 2023-24, C9; latest CDS posted); 64% submitted SAT). It admitted 79.1% of 12,222 applicants (fall 2023, CDS 2023-24). The matching ACT range is 20-26. Testing for fall 2027: Test-optional: SAT/ACT not required for admission; considered if submitted. Idaho's land-grant flagship; a majority of enrollees still submit a score even though none is required.
Boise State does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. It admitted 83.9% of 17,582 applicants (fall 2025 (2025-26 CDS)). Testing for fall 2027: Test-blind for both admission and merit scholarships: Boise State does not use SAT/ACT scores in either decision, relying on unweighted core GPA instead. Idaho's largest university does not use test scores at all, for admission or for its automatic merit grid; its own 2025-26 CDS leaves the entire SAT/ACT percentile table blank, confirming this directly rather than inferring it. 17,582 applied, 14,749 admitted (83.9%).
ISU does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. It admitted ~84% (latest cycle). The matching ACT range is 19-25.
LCSC reports a 890 to 1070 middle 50% SAT (enrolled, fall 2025, CDS 2025-26 (43.6% of class submitted SAT)). It admitted 99.6% of 3,649 applicants (fall 2025, CDS 2025-26). The matching ACT range is 17-22. Idaho's most open-admission 4-year public; sources disagree on the exact acceptance rate, so treat the figure as approximate.
NNU does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class.
Idaho has no statewide SAT-cutoff scholarship; the state's main aid program, the Idaho Opportunity Scholarship, is need-based (70% FAFSA Student Aid Index, 30% GPA) with no test-score component, so score-tied money in Idaho comes from the universities' own merit grids, most of which key off unweighted GPA rather than SAT/ACT.
Boise State automatic resident merit award: No SAT cutoff (test-blind: GPA only). True Blue Promise, Dean's, or Presidential award by unweighted GPA tier (3.20-4.00), renewable 4 years with a GPA floor and 24 credits/year.
Idaho's largest and most visible merit grid, Boise State's, deliberately excludes test scores; it runs entirely on unweighted core GPA. This means an Idaho-specific 'money' page should lead with GPA, not SAT score, as the actual lever at the state's biggest school.
C of I, U of I and Boise State 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. A strong score is one more reason for a school to say yes, and a weak one can simply stay home.
No. The Idaho Opportunity Scholarship is need-based: 70% of the score comes from the FAFSA Student Aid Index and 30% from GPA (a 2.7 unweighted minimum is required). It has no SAT or ACT component.
No, and it goes further than most schools: Boise State is test-blind, meaning it does not require or use SAT/ACT scores for either admission or its automatic merit scholarships, which run entirely on unweighted GPA.
Yes. Idaho's Department of Education pays the College Board to offer the SAT to every public high school junior during the school day each spring, at no cost to students or families.
The College of Idaho does not require a score; it is test-optional. Students who submit one and get in report a range of roughly 1070 to 1280, the highest band among Idaho's own colleges, but a strong GPA and application can get in without any test score at all.
No. The Idaho State Board of Education removed the college-entrance-exam requirement starting with the Class of 2022, and every Idaho public university now admits on a test-optional or test-blind basis.
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.
University and state sources: C of I, U of I, Boise State, ISU, LCSC, NNU, Boise State automatic resident merit award. Reviewed October 9, 2026. Cohorts and entry terms differ; confirm current requirements with each admissions office.
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