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

Every school on this list is test optional for admission, including Notre Dame (through the 2026-27 cycle); the one exception is money, not admission -- Indiana State requires an SAT or ACT score to be considered for several of its merit scholarship tiers even though it does not require one to be admitted. Published score ranges describe a cohort; they are not admission cutoffs.

The table covers 8 colleges Indiana 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 Indiana families can earn: Indiana State University Academic Excellence Scholarship and Indiana State University President's Scholarship.

Indiana college score profiles and cohort notes

Cohort notes: Notre Dame: Notre Dame's acceptance rate and applicant count (36,104 applications, 9% admitted) are for the Class of 2030, the cycle in progress; the SAT/ACT ranges on the same official page are its most recently published class profile, for the enrolled Class of 2029. Rose-Hulman: Rose-Hulman admitted 4,686 of 6,097 applicants for fall 2024; only about a third of enrolled students submitted an SAT score. IU Bloomington: SAT/ACT ranges are from IU's own fall 2025 class profile page; the acceptance rate and applicant total are from IU's official Common Data Set reporting tool for fall 2024, a different cohort year. Purdue: Purdue's own class-profile page states these are university-wide figures across its West Lafayette, Indianapolis, and Polytechnic Statewide locations combined, not West Lafayette alone. DePauw: DePauw admitted 3,822 of 6,683 applicants for fall 2024; 58% of enrolled students submitted an SAT score. Ball State: Ball State admitted 19,141 of 22,193 applicants for fall 2025; only 31% of enrolled students submitted an SAT score. Indiana State: Indiana State admitted 10,815 of 11,793 applicants for fall 2024; 79% of enrolled students submitted an SAT score, a high submission rate for a test-optional school because ISU's own merit scholarships require one. These are not interchangeable measures.

School by school

University of Notre Dame: 1460 to 1540

Notre Dame reports a 1460 to 1540 middle 50% SAT (enrolled, Class of 2030 (fall 2026 entry)). It admitted 9% of 36,104 applicants (Class of 2030 applicant pool). The matching ACT range is 33-35. Testing for fall 2027: Test optional through the 2026-27 application cycle. Notre Dame's acceptance rate and applicant count (36,104 applications, 9% admitted) are for the Class of 2030, the cycle in progress; the SAT/ACT ranges on the same official page are its most recently published class profile, for the enrolled Class of 2029.

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology: 1310 to 1490

Rose-Hulman reports a 1310 to 1490 middle 50% SAT (enrolled, fall 2024 (CDS 2024-25)). It admitted 76.9% of 6,097 applicants (fall 2024). The matching ACT range is 28-33. Testing for fall 2027: Test optional. Rose-Hulman admitted 4,686 of 6,097 applicants for fall 2024; only about a third of enrolled students submitted an SAT score.

Indiana University Bloomington: 1250 to 1450

IU Bloomington reports a 1250 to 1450 middle 50% SAT (admitted middle 50%, fall 2025). It admitted 78.2% of 67,658 applicants (fall 2024). The matching ACT range is 29-33. Testing for fall 2027: Test optional (45% of fall 2025 admits applied test optional). SAT/ACT ranges are from IU's own fall 2025 class profile page; the acceptance rate and applicant total are from IU's official Common Data Set reporting tool for fall 2024, a different cohort year.

Purdue University, West Lafayette: 1220 to 1480

Purdue reports a 1220 to 1480 middle 50% SAT (admitted middle 50%, fall 2025). It admitted 43.4% of 86,953 applicants (fall 2025). The matching ACT range is 28-34. Testing for fall 2027: Test optional (97% of admitted students provided test scores). Purdue's own class-profile page states these are university-wide figures across its West Lafayette, Indianapolis, and Polytechnic Statewide locations combined, not West Lafayette alone.

Butler University: 1170 to 1330

Butler reports a 1170 to 1330 middle 50% SAT (enrolled, fall 2024 (CDS 2024-25)). The matching ACT range is 25-31. Testing for fall 2027: Test optional (not required, considered if submitted).

DePauw University: 1130 to 1350

DePauw reports a 1130 to 1350 middle 50% SAT (enrolled, fall 2024 (CDS 2024-25)). It admitted 57.2% of 6,683 applicants (fall 2024). The matching ACT range is 25-31. Testing for fall 2027: Test optional. DePauw admitted 3,822 of 6,683 applicants for fall 2024; 58% of enrolled students submitted an SAT score.

Ball State University: 1090 to 1240

Ball State reports a 1090 to 1240 middle 50% SAT (enrolled, fall 2025 (CDS 2025-26)). It admitted 86.2% of 22,193 applicants (fall 2025). The matching ACT range is 23-27. Testing for fall 2027: Test optional (not required, considered if submitted; required for homeschooled applicants). Ball State admitted 19,141 of 22,193 applicants for fall 2025; only 31% of enrolled students submitted an SAT score.

Indiana State University: 880 to 1100

Indiana State reports a 880 to 1100 middle 50% SAT (enrolled, fall 2024 (CDS 2024-25)). It admitted 91.7% of 11,793 applicants (fall 2024). The matching ACT range is 20-26. Testing for fall 2027: Not required for admission, but required for several of ISU's merit scholarships. Indiana State admitted 10,815 of 11,793 applicants for fall 2024; 79% of enrolled students submitted an SAT score, a high submission rate for a test-optional school because ISU's own merit scholarships require one.

What an SAT score pays at Indiana colleges

Indiana has no statewide SAT-cutoff scholarship: the state's two big aid programs, 21st Century Scholars and the Frank O'Bannon Grant, are built around household income, GPA (2.5 minimum for 21st Century Scholars), and a Core 40 diploma, with no SAT/ACT component; score-tied money in Indiana instead comes from individual universities' own automatic scholarship grids, and Indiana State University publishes one of the clearest, with an explicit SAT/ACT number as one of three qualifying criteria.

Indiana State University Academic Excellence Scholarship: 1270 SAT or 27 ACT (two of three: this score, a 3.8 GPA, or top 10% of class). $3,000 per year, automatic on admission by the December 1 deadline, no separate application.

Indiana State University President's Scholarship: 1270 SAT or 27 ACT (two of three: this score, a 3.8 GPA, or top 10% of class). Full in-state tuition plus traditional housing and food; 18 awards per cycle, admission deadline December 1.

Both ISU tiers use a 'two of three' test: the SAT/ACT score, a GPA minimum, or class rank; hitting the score alone is not automatically enough. Neither Indiana's 21st Century Scholars nor Frank O'Bannon Grant uses a test score at all.

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

Notre Dame, Rose-Hulman, IU Bloomington and Purdue 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.

Quick answers

What SAT score do you need for a scholarship in Indiana?

Indiana's two main state aid programs, 21st Century Scholars and the Frank O'Bannon Grant, do not use an SAT or ACT score at all; 21st Century Scholars instead requires a 2.5 GPA and a Core 40 diploma. Score-tied scholarship money in Indiana comes from individual universities. Indiana State University, for example, pays $3,000 a year (or full in-state tuition at its top tier) to students who hit two of three marks: a 1270 SAT (or 27 ACT), a 3.8 GPA, or the top 10% of their class.

Do Purdue and IU Bloomington require the SAT?

No. Both of Indiana's public flagships are test optional. For fall 2025, Purdue reported 97% of admitted students still provided a test score, while Indiana University Bloomington said 45% of fall 2025 admits applied without one. Purdue's admitted middle-50% SAT range (university-wide) was 1220-1480; IU Bloomington's was 1250-1450.

Does Indiana give the SAT for free at school?

Yes. Indiana is one of the states that funds a statewide SAT School Day: every public high school junior takes the SAT for free during the school day each March, and it doubles as the state's official grade-11 accountability test. A qualifying score can also be used to meet a high school graduation pathway requirement.

What SAT score do you need to get into Notre Dame?

Notre Dame's most recently published enrolled class scored between 1460 and 1540 on the SAT (25th-75th percentile) and 33-35 on the ACT. Notre Dame is test optional through the 2026-27 application cycle, and it admitted only about 9% of the 36,104 students who applied for the Class of 2030.

Is Purdue or IU Bloomington harder to get into?

Purdue is more selective on paper: it admitted 43.4% of applicants for fall 2025 (university-wide, including its Indianapolis and Polytechnic Statewide locations), compared with Indiana University Bloomington's 78.2% for fall 2024. Purdue's admitted SAT range also tops out higher (1220-1480 vs. IU Bloomington's 1250-1450), though IU's 25th percentile is slightly higher, reflecting its broader range of programs.

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 Indiana families

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

Sources

University and state sources: Notre Dame, Rose-Hulman, IU Bloomington, Purdue, Butler, DePauw, Ball State, Indiana State, Indiana State University Academic Excellence Scholarship. Reviewed October 9, 2026. Cohorts and entry terms differ; confirm current requirements with each admissions office.