Massachusetts has no single rule: MIT requires the SAT or ACT, Harvard reinstated the requirement starting with the class of 2029, and Williams, Amherst, Tufts, Boston College, Northeastern and UMass Amherst are all test-optional for 2026-27 applicants, with most enrollees at the test-optional schools applying without a score. Published score ranges describe a cohort; they are not admission cutoffs.
The table covers 8 colleges Massachusetts families apply to most, from the most selective to the large public universities. Read each cohort note before comparing numbers.
| School | SAT profile / cohort | ACT | Acceptance rate | Testing, fall 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Not published | 30-36 composite band (98.3% scored 30-36) | Not reported | Required |
| Harvard College | 1500-1580 (10th-90th: ERW 670-790, Math 680-800, last published under test-optional) · enrolled, last test-optional cohort | 31-36 | 3.2% · class of 2026 (1, 984 of 61, 221) | Required (reinstated from the Class of 2029 onward) |
| Williams College | 1490-1550 · enrolled, submitters, 2025-26 CDS | 33-35 | 8.6% · 2025-26 CDS (1, 336 of 15, 520) | Test-optional |
| Amherst College | 1470-1540 · enrolled, fall 2025, CDS 2025-26; 40% submitted an SAT | Not published | Not reported | Test-optional |
| Tufts University | Not published | 26-36 (full submitted range) | 10.8% · class of 2029 (3, 613 of 33, 415) | Test-optional |
| Boston College | 1503 average (admitted) · admitted, class of 2029 | 34 average | 14% · class of 2029 (as of Sep 5 2025) | See school |
| Northeastern University | Not published | Not published | Not reported | Test-optional; only 22% of enrollees submitted SAT scores for fall 2025 |
| University of Massachusetts Amherst | 1330-1480 · enrolled, submitters, 2025-26 CDS (about 25% submitted SAT) | 30-34 | 59.9% · 2025-26 CDS (31, 813 of 53, 117) | Test-optional |
Cohort notes: MIT: MIT reinstated required testing in March 2022 and still requires the SAT or ACT for 2026-27 applicants; nearly all enrolled students submitted scores. The school publishes SAT section ranges, not a composite middle 50%. Harvard: Harvard reversed its test-optional policy in April 2024; every applicant for fall 2027 entry (class of 2031) must submit an SAT or ACT score. Williams: 567 students enrolled from 1,336 admits, a 42% yield. Amherst: Amherst's own CDS puts the admitted-student SAT median at 1510, with only 40% of admits submitting a score. Tufts: Tufts' own admitted-profile page states roughly half of class of 2029 applicants submitted an SAT or ACT score. The school publishes SAT section ranges, not a composite middle 50%. Boston College: BC's own Common Data Set / BC Facts page is the source; the admitted-class average SAT was 1503 and average ACT 34. Northeastern: Northeastern's own CDS (section C) confirms only 22% of fall 2025 enrolled first-years submitted an SAT score, with 83% of those scoring 700-800 on ERW. UMass Amherst: The state's flagship; 5,315 students enrolled from a record applicant pool. These are not interchangeable measures.
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Find my teen's target scoreMIT does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. The matching ACT range is 30-36 composite band (98.3% scored 30-36). Testing for fall 2027: Required. MIT reinstated required testing in March 2022 and still requires the SAT or ACT for 2026-27 applicants; nearly all enrolled students submitted scores. The school publishes SAT section ranges, not a composite middle 50%.
Harvard reports a 1500 to 1580 middle 50% SAT (enrolled, last test-optional cohort). It admitted 3.2% of 61,221 applicants (class of 2026 (1, 984 of 61, 221)). The matching ACT range is 31-36. Testing for fall 2027: Required (reinstated from the Class of 2029 onward). Harvard reversed its test-optional policy in April 2024; every applicant for fall 2027 entry (class of 2031) must submit an SAT or ACT score.
Williams reports a 1490 to 1550 middle 50% SAT (enrolled, submitters, 2025-26 CDS). It admitted 8.6% of 15,520 applicants (2025-26 CDS (1, 336 of 15, 520)). The matching ACT range is 33-35. Testing for fall 2027: Test-optional. 567 students enrolled from 1,336 admits, a 42% yield.
Amherst reports a 1470 to 1540 middle 50% SAT (enrolled, fall 2025, CDS 2025-26; 40% submitted an SAT). Testing for fall 2027: Test-optional. Amherst's own CDS puts the admitted-student SAT median at 1510, with only 40% of admits submitting a score.
Tufts does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. It admitted 10.8% of 33,415 applicants (class of 2029 (3, 613 of 33, 415)). The matching ACT range is 26-36 (full submitted range). Testing for fall 2027: Test-optional. Tufts' own admitted-profile page states roughly half of class of 2029 applicants submitted an SAT or ACT score. The school publishes SAT section ranges, not a composite middle 50%.
Boston College does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. It admitted 14% (class of 2029 (as of Sep 5 2025)). The matching ACT range is 34 average. BC's own Common Data Set / BC Facts page is the source; the admitted-class average SAT was 1503 and average ACT 34.
Northeastern does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. Testing for fall 2027: Test-optional; only 22% of enrollees submitted SAT scores for fall 2025. Northeastern's own CDS (section C) confirms only 22% of fall 2025 enrolled first-years submitted an SAT score, with 83% of those scoring 700-800 on ERW.
UMass Amherst reports a 1330 to 1480 middle 50% SAT (enrolled, submitters, 2025-26 CDS (about 25% submitted SAT)). It admitted 59.9% of 53,117 applicants (2025-26 CDS (31, 813 of 53, 117)). The matching ACT range is 30-34. Testing for fall 2027: Test-optional. The state's flagship; 5,315 students enrolled from a record applicant pool.
Williams, Amherst, Tufts and Northeastern 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. MIT and Harvard 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.
No. The state's main merit award, the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship, is based on 10th-grade MCAS scores, not the SAT or ACT. It pays tuition only (not fees or room and board) for up to 8 semesters at a Massachusetts public college, and students are notified automatically with no application.
Yes, both. MIT reinstated required testing in 2022, and Harvard reinstated it starting with the class of 2029 (fall 2025 entry) after a pandemic-era test-optional period, and both still require a score for 2026-27 applicants.
No statewide program was found. Massachusetts uses the MCAS, not the SAT or ACT, as its required statewide assessment; any free SAT school-day testing is a local district decision, not a state mandate.
MIT requires a score, and among enrolled fall 2025 students who submitted the SAT (83% of the class), nearly all scored in the 700-800 range on both sections, meaning a composite well above 1400 is typical for admits.
Yes. For the 2025-26 cycle, only about a quarter of UMass Amherst's enrolled first-years submitted an SAT score, and among those the middle 50% range was 1330 to 1480; the flagship admitted about 60% of its 53,117 applicants.
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: MIT, Harvard, Williams, Amherst, Tufts, Boston College, Northeastern, UMass Amherst. Reviewed October 9, 2026. Cohorts and entry terms differ; confirm current requirements with each admissions office.
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