No Maryland four-year school in this list requires the SAT or ACT for fall 2027 admission; every one of them is test-optional, and most enrollees at the public schools apply without scores. Johns Hopkins is the only school here that still actively recommends submitting a score. Published score ranges describe a cohort; they are not admission cutoffs.
The table covers 8 colleges Maryland 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 Maryland families can earn: Banneker/Key Scholarship and Senatorial and Delegate Scholarships.
| School | SAT profile / cohort | ACT | Acceptance rate | Testing, fall 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johns Hopkins University | 1530-1565 · enrolled, submitters, fall 2025 (57% submitted SAT) | 35-35 | 6.1% · fall 2025 (3, 072 of 50, 259) | Test-optional/recommended |
| University of Maryland, College Park | 1410-1520 · enrolled, submitters, fall 2025 | 32-35 | 45.1% · fall 2025 (30, 282 of 67, 178) | Test-optional |
| Loyola University Maryland | 1210-1370 · enrolled, submitters, fall 2024 (13.8% submitted SAT) | 28-32 | 75.5% · fall 2024 (8, 151 of 10, 797) | Not required, considered if submitted |
| Towson University | 920-1230 · enrolled, submitters, fall 2025 (20% submitted SAT) | 20-27 | 80.8% · fall 2025 (16, 635 of 20, 592) | Not required, considered if submitted |
| Washington College | 1155-1340 · enrolled, submitters, fall 2024 (12% submitted SAT) | 27-31 | 56.9% · fall 2024 (2, 303 of 4, 048) | Considered if submitted, not required |
| St. Mary's College of Maryland | 1110-1320 · enrolled, submitters, 2025-26 CDS | 23-31 | 72.5% · 2025-26 CDS (2, 542 of 3, 504) | Not required, considered if submitted |
| Salisbury University | No SAT composite published | No ACT composite published | Not reported | Test-optional (not required for admission) |
| Morgan State University | Not published | Not published | Not reported | Test-optional (holistic review) |
| Banneker/Key Scholarship | No published minimum; holistic, about 150 scholars/year from UMD's applicant pool | See program rules | Full tuition, room, board and books (full award) or $8,000/yr in-state, $12,000/yr out-of-state (partial award) over 4 years | Requires a 3.20 cumulative GPA each semester and 30 credits/year to keep it; selection is by committee review plus interview, not a score formula |
| Senatorial and Delegate Scholarships | Must have taken the SAT or ACT (no minimum score) unless exempt (5+ years out of high school, 24+ college credits, community college, or private career school) | See program rules | Varies; set by the individual legislator, typically a few hundred to a few thousand dollars per year over 4 years | Need-based and awarded at each state senator's or delegate's discretion to residents of their district; renewable with continued eligibility |
Cohort notes: Johns Hopkins: Hopkins admitted about 6.1% of applicants for fall 2025 and recommends but does not require testing. Maryland: The flagship's own enrollment summary puts the SAT midpoint at 1460 and average high school GPA at 4.41 for fall 2025. Loyola Maryland: Loyola's 2025-26 Common Data Set was not yet posted as of Oct 9 2026; figures are the most recent official filing (2024-25). Towson: Towson's admissions page states scores are not required and, if submitted, will not be used to deny admission. Washington College: A small private on the Eastern Shore; most applicants (about 88%) apply test-free. St. Mary's College of MD: Maryland's public honors college; about 22% of enrollees submitted an SAT score. These are not interchangeable measures.
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Find my teen's target scoreJohns Hopkins reports a 1530 to 1565 middle 50% SAT (enrolled, submitters, fall 2025 (57% submitted SAT)). It admitted 6.1% of 50,259 applicants (fall 2025 (3, 072 of 50, 259)). The matching ACT range is 35-35. Testing for fall 2027: Test-optional/recommended. Hopkins admitted about 6.1% of applicants for fall 2025 and recommends but does not require testing.
Maryland reports a 1410 to 1520 middle 50% SAT (enrolled, submitters, fall 2025). It admitted 45.1% of 67,178 applicants (fall 2025 (30, 282 of 67, 178)). The matching ACT range is 32-35. Testing for fall 2027: Test-optional. The flagship's own enrollment summary puts the SAT midpoint at 1460 and average high school GPA at 4.41 for fall 2025.
Loyola Maryland reports a 1210 to 1370 middle 50% SAT (enrolled, submitters, fall 2024 (13.8% submitted SAT)). It admitted 75.5% of 10,797 applicants (fall 2024 (8, 151 of 10, 797)). The matching ACT range is 28-32. Testing for fall 2027: Not required, considered if submitted. Loyola's 2025-26 Common Data Set was not yet posted as of Oct 9 2026; figures are the most recent official filing (2024-25).
Towson reports a 920 to 1230 middle 50% SAT (enrolled, submitters, fall 2025 (20% submitted SAT)). It admitted 80.8% of 20,592 applicants (fall 2025 (16, 635 of 20, 592)). The matching ACT range is 20-27. Testing for fall 2027: Not required, considered if submitted. Towson's admissions page states scores are not required and, if submitted, will not be used to deny admission.
Washington College reports a 1155 to 1340 middle 50% SAT (enrolled, submitters, fall 2024 (12% submitted SAT)). It admitted 56.9% of 4,048 applicants (fall 2024 (2, 303 of 4, 048)). The matching ACT range is 27-31. Testing for fall 2027: Considered if submitted, not required. A small private on the Eastern Shore; most applicants (about 88%) apply test-free.
St. Mary's College of MD reports a 1110 to 1320 middle 50% SAT (enrolled, submitters, 2025-26 CDS). It admitted 72.5% of 3,504 applicants (2025-26 CDS (2, 542 of 3, 504)). The matching ACT range is 23-31. Testing for fall 2027: Not required, considered if submitted. Maryland's public honors college; about 22% of enrollees submitted an SAT score.
Salisbury does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. Testing for fall 2027: Test-optional (not required for admission).
Morgan State does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. Testing for fall 2027: Test-optional (holistic review).
Maryland has no statewide scholarship with an SAT cutoff. The Maryland Higher Education Commission's need-based grants (Guaranteed Access, Educational Assistance) are income-tested, not score-tied, and its legislative Senatorial/Delegate scholarships require that an applicant have taken the SAT or ACT but set no minimum score. The state's best-known score-connected money is the University of Maryland's competitive, holistic Banneker/Key Scholarship.
Banneker/Key Scholarship: No published minimum; holistic, about 150 scholars/year from UMD's applicant pool. Requires a 3.20 cumulative GPA each semester and 30 credits/year to keep it; selection is by committee review plus interview, not a score formula.
Senatorial and Delegate Scholarships: Must have taken the SAT or ACT (no minimum score) unless exempt (5+ years out of high school, 24+ college credits, community college, or private career school). Need-based and awarded at each state senator's or delegate's discretion to residents of their district; renewable with continued eligibility.
MHEC's Guaranteed Access and Educational Assistance grants require the FAFSA or MHEC One-App by March 1 and are awarded by financial need (income and, for GA, federal poverty guideline thresholds), not by test score or GPA tier.
Johns Hopkins, Maryland, Salisbury and Morgan 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. Maryland's state financial aid (the Guaranteed Access and Educational Assistance grants) is awarded by financial need, not by test score. The closest thing to score-tied money is the University of Maryland's Banneker/Key Scholarship, which is a competitive, holistic award with no published SAT minimum.
No. UMD is test-optional. For fall 2025 enrollees, about a third submitted a score, and the SAT total midpoint among those who did was 1460, with a 25th to 75th percentile range of 1410 to 1520.
Many Maryland counties give the SAT free during the school day to all 11th graders as their choice for meeting the state's 2013 College and Career Readiness law, which requires a no-cost college-readiness assessment for every junior. The instrument used can vary by county.
Johns Hopkins recommends but does not require testing. Among the 57% of fall 2025 enrollees who submitted a score, the middle 50% SAT range was 1530 to 1565, and Hopkins admitted about 6.1% of its 50,259 applicants.
No minimum score is set. Applicants generally must have taken the SAT or ACT at some point unless they qualify for an exemption, but the award itself is based on financial need and is granted at each state legislator's discretion to residents of their district.
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: Johns Hopkins, Maryland, Loyola Maryland, Towson, Washington College, St. Mary's College of MD, Salisbury, Morgan State, Banneker/Key Scholarship, Senatorial and Delegate Scholarships. Reviewed October 9, 2026. Cohorts and entry terms differ; confirm current requirements with each admissions office.
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